Page 3 of Best Hospice Care in Iowa

Located in a residential Iowa community, Laurens Care Center is a nursing home owned by Sheldon Bieri. The 38-bed facility accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, giving families several options for covering the cost of care. The community has 71% occupancy. Residents stay an average of 206 days, which includes short-term rehabilitation patients and those receiving longer-term nursing care.

Daily nurse staffing averages 4 hours and 34 minutes per resident. Registered nurses provide 58 minutes of care each day, while nurse aides contribute 2 hours and 53 minutes. LPN and LVN staff add another 19 minutes of daily support. With this staffing level, residents get consistent attention throughout the day from trained caregivers.

State inspections tracked how the facility complies with care planning, resident protection, and documentation standards. The most recent inspection accepted the home’s compliance plan and certified the facility with no deficiencies noted. Families considering placement should ask how the facility protects residents and maintains care records.

The surrounding neighborhood has a Walk Score of 49. Some nearby errands and services are within walking distance, but most trips require transportation. The setting has a quieter character often found in smaller Iowa communities.

A 55-bed medical property located at 215 10th Avenue South in Mount Vernon, Iowa, Hallmark Care Center focuses on short-term convalescence through its structured Rehab-to-Home program. The facility maintains flexible financial processing, balancing traditional private-pay accounts with state Medicaid and federal Medicare network authorizations. Admissions track to a stable average length of stay of 140 days, meaning the daily floor operations prioritize transitional physical therapy and functional recovery over permanent extended residential care.

The daily floor program supplies an average of 4 hours and 16 minutes of direct, hands-on nursing attention to every resident. Certified nurse aides, licensed practical nurses, and registered nurses distribute this round-the-clock shift schedule to manage clinical medication tracking, physical treatments, and daily mobility routines. For families checking on loved ones, the surrounding town layout records a walkability score of 73 out of 100, which provides a highly accessible neighborhood environment where visitors can complete standard grocery stops or errands completely on foot.

Prospective representatives can call the billing desk to verify current room availability, request an intake guide for the physical therapy department, or set up a day to tour the rehabilitation spaces. The administrative coordinators can also cross-reference active health insurance policies to clarify how public benefits or personal assets apply to individual recovery statements.

Oelwein Health Care Center operates a 61-bed skilled nursing facility located at 600 Seventh Street SE in Oelwein, Iowa. Managed under the leadership of administrator Craig Allen, the property keeps a steady resident population with an occupancy rate hovering around 87.3 percent. The building manages financial accounts dynamically and holds federal certifications that allow the team to coordinate insurance billing through both Medicare and Medicaid networks.

Direct staffing routines are structured to provide an average of 4.04 hours of nursing attention per resident daily, placing the facility in the upper half of providers statewide in hands-on coverage. On the regulatory front, state files show the home has never received a federal monetary fine.

Annual surveys and complaint reviews from state inspectors documented 20 total health citations over multiple inspection cycles, though the facility maintains a top-tier standing for the complete absence of serious clinical violations.

Prospective residents can call the administrative department to inquire about open beds, request a breakdown of the daily nursing schedules, or arrange a personal walkthrough of the community areas. The billing coordinators are also available to help you look over your coverage options and explain how public aid or private funds apply to standard medical stays.

Willow Dale Wellness Village is a 50-bed rural facility that splits its operations between short-term rehabilitation and long-term care, yielding a mixed-case 125-day average length of stay. The client pipeline draws from private-pay individuals (48%), Medicare admissions (40%), and Medicaid recipients (13%). Financial records show significant operational strain, with the property logging a 2023 business loss of $211.3 thousand and a negative 5.7% profit margin, following a drop in occupancy down to 56%. Despite these tightening revenues, the facility channels a high 64.8% of its funds directly into employee payroll to sustain daily operations.

State health databases show robust total nursing and physical therapy hours alongside mixed clinical outcomes and zero historical fines. Direct care lines provide an average of 4 hours and 31 minutes per resident daily, with certified nursing assistant hours beating the Iowa baseline by 14% and daily physical therapy tracking at double the state norm.

The facility carries a clean three-year record regarding federal financial penalties, and while recent standard inspection reports remain on file from 2023 through late 2025, no severe enforcement actions are noted. Long-stay clinical charts show strong safety trends for permanent resident falls, but the records note higher-than-average numbers for long-stay hospitalizations and antipsychotic prescriptions. Short-term rehabilitation files similarly reveal a clinical risk, with post-acute major injury falls tracking at 2.9% compared to the 0.8% state average.

Representatives looking into rural nursing placements or post-acute physical therapy can check these state health monitoring logs to evaluate the home’s daily operations. The public records detail a quiet, low-occupancy facility that maintains deep daytime caregiving hours and an unpunished regulatory track record, balanced against notable short-stay fall risks and evident business losses.

West Point Care Center is a 46-bed skilled nursing facility in West Point, Iowa, offering skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation, respite care, and Alzheimer’s and dementia care to residents in Lee County. The facility is owned privately by Miriam Johnson and administered by Hattie Boyer.

CMS rates the facility 4 stars overall, driven by a Health Inspection rating 35.6% above the Iowa average. Across 17 inspections since 2020, the facility recorded 25 total deficiencies — roughly 7% below the Iowa average of 27, at 1.5 citations per inspection against a state norm of 1.8. However, the record is mixed: a January 2024 survey substantiated verbal abuse and neglect by a staff member, failure to protect residents from abuse, and delayed reporting of allegations, resulting in a $14,000 federal fine and a 26-day payment denial — the only enforcement actions in the six-year window, and both well below the Iowa fine average of $48,000. The two most recent annual inspections, in August 2024 and June 2025, found no deficiencies.

Nurse staffing averages 4 hours and 31 minutes per resident per day, in line with Iowa averages, with weekend RN staffing 60% above the state norm — a meaningful figure for residents who need consistent clinical oversight through the week. The facility provides 24-hour staffing, wound care, respiratory care, and palliative and hospice services on site.

The facility’s occupancy rate is 59%, below the Iowa average of 75.4%, indicating current availability. The payer mix includes 42% private-pay admissions, 35% Medicare, and 23% Medicaid; the average length of stay is 125 days, reflecting a mix of post-acute rehabilitation and longer-term residents.

West Point Care Center fits residents seeking skilled nursing or post-acute rehabilitation in a small, rural Iowa setting — including those with dementia-related care needs — where current bed availability and on-site clinical services align with both short- and longer-term placements. However, families should review the facility’s prior abuse-related findings and inspection performance before making a placement decision.

Midlands Living Center is a 94-bed skilled nursing facility at 2452 North Broadway in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Locally owned and administered by Jordan Tjaden, the community provides short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, and hospice support for residents in Pottawattamie County. The campus is car-dependent with a Walk Score of 14, though it provides medical appointment transportation for its residents.

The facility is CMS-certified and carries an above average 4-star overall rating as of May 2026. Between 2021 and 2025, state inspections yielded an average of 4.3 deficiencies per year, which is 37% below the Iowa state average. While an April 2025 investigation identified a single deficiency related to infection control during catheter care, a September 2025 follow-up found the facility in substantial compliance with zero deficiencies. No federal fines or payment denials have been issued in the past three years.

Staffing levels exceed state averages in several key categories. Total adjusted nursing hours are 4 hours 31 minutes per resident day, with Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) hours at 48 minutes, 41% above the Iowa average. Weekend nursing coverage is also a strength, performing 5% above the state mean. Quality measures are rated at 4 stars, with long-stay hospitalizations 28% better than average and a 96.4% success rate in managing residents’ physical restraint needs.

The campus offers furnished rooms with in-house laundry and on-site beauty and barber services.Shared clinical amenities include:On-site optometry, podiatry, and dentistry alongside physical, occupational, and speech therapy. The social calendar features recreational and spiritual activities, and the facility maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted, with a current occupancy rate of approximately 72%.

Families should evaluate the current bedside care standards during an on-site visit. It is advisable to ask the administrator for specific details on the corrective actions taken after the 2025 catheter care finding and to confirm that the infection prevention protocols remain in full compliance for 2026.

Overview of Valley View Village

Valley View Village 2571 is a high-standard nursing home in Des Moines, IA, that offers a wide range of care options, from independent living to rehabilitation. Promoting a welcoming environment, the community strives to maintain connections for older adults’ happiness and wellness. Delicious dining, recreational activities, and pet-friendly spaces are among the community’s unique features that make it an ideal retirement destination. With its dedication to residents’ welfare, personalized care plans are crafted to meet their healthcare needs and lifestyle preferences.

Hobby groups, fun excursions, and spiritual activities are just some of the activities that residents can join for leisure and wellness. The community also features a variety of amenities, including a library, well-maintained gardens, and walking paths, dedicated to enriching residents’ living experiences. As a community of its own, Valley View Village has all the local amenities needed for residents’ needs and leisure. This retirement community is one of Iowa’s finest choices for senior living, especially for its wide range of care options and extensive amenities.

Overview of Home Instead – Cedar Rapids

Serving Cedar Rapids and nearby areas, Home Instead offers senior home care assistance that prioritizes enhancing quality of life and independence for retirees, from the comfort of their family home. Personalizing each elderly care plan to meet the specific needs of every individual, Home Instead brings the full-range of daily living support and medical management from retirement homes, to your doorstep.

Family members and seniors alike can rest easy knowing that Home Instead’s brand of dependable personal care and companionship are handled with the utmost respect and compassion, by a duly licensed team. Light housekeeping, meal preparations, errands, and medication reminders, are conducted warmly and professionally. For those struggling with the challenges of Alzheimer’s, Home Instead has got you covered as well.

Located in Sioux City, Iowa, Hospice of Siouxland has proudly served as the premier provider of hospice services since 1981. Their services cater to patients of all age groups, ensuring compassionate support during this crucial time. The dedicated care team is wholeheartedly devoted to providing comfort and care and preserving the dignity of each patient.

Hospice of Siouxland specializes in offering comprehensive care to terminally ill patients and their families. With an unwavering focus on symptom management for patients facing serious illnesses, Hospice of Siouxland delivers high-quality services prioritizing the well-being and quality of life for all those under their care. As a locally-owned, not-for-profit organization, their longstanding commitment to the senior community is a testament to their dedication.

Overview of Pleasantview Assisted Living

Pleasantview Assisted Living is a 56-bed faith-based community at 811 3rd Street in Kalona, Iowa. Administered by Marcille Ward, the facility serves Washington County under a license issued in August 2023. Current data shows a 41% occupancy rate with 23 residents, as the facility is in a growth phase following its recent opening. The location holds a Walk Score of 50, indicating moderate walkability in the downtown Kalona area.

The initial certification inspection conducted on December 5, 2024, resulted in a citations-per-inspection rate of zero. While the community lacks a long-term operational history, this first review earned a 5-star inspection rating, signaling that all regulatory requirements were met at launch.

Clinical care at this campus follows a multi-level model including independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing. Professional services are provided by a licensed nursing team capable of supporting residents as they transition between different levels of care. The community also hosts dementia support groups and provides volunteer opportunities to foster resident engagement and family involvement.

The residential environment emphasizes spiritual values and a home-like atmosphere with landscaped grounds and garden spaces. Outdoor dining areas and common rooms are designed to support a quality-of-life focused approach within a faith-centered setting. As a two-year-old facility, management focuses on establishing long-term care protocols and stabilizing operations within its newly built environment.

Prospective residents may find the community’s early zero-deficiency status and faith-based values a strong foundation for placement. It is advisable to confirm current staffing stability and discuss the availability of skilled nursing services during a personal tour. Individuals can contact the Kalona office to discuss how the multi-level care model supports aging in place and to verify that 2026 safety standards remain consistent with the initial high rating.