Page 14 of Best Memory Care in Iowa

Overview of Oakview Nursing & Rehabilitation

Oakview Nursing & Rehabilitation is a 40-bed facility at 720 Oakbrook Drive in Marion, Iowa. Owned and administered by Dallas Urbain, the community has operated since 2020, primarily serving short-term rehabilitation patients while also offering long-term and specialized dementia care. Centrally located in Linn County, the campus is highly accessible with a Walk Score of 89.

The facility is CMS-certified and carries an above average 4-star overall rating, a performance tier higher than the state average. Between 2020 and 2025, the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) conducted 18 inspections, yielding a per-inspection average of 1.6 deficiencies, 11% below the state average. While the August 2025 annual survey resulted in one administrative citation, a 2024 survey identified five deficiencies, including a physical abuse finding involving a staff member and unsanitary kitchen conditions. No fines or payment denials have been issued in the past three years.

Staffing levels are a clinical differentiator, particularly regarding specialized nursing presence. Total nursing hours run 4 hours 5 minutes per resident day, exceeding the Iowa average of 3 hours 48 minutes. Registered Nurse (RN) hours are 11% above the state average, and weekend RN coverage is remarkably high at 1 hour 2 minutes per day—double the Iowa average of 30 minutes. Quality metrics show zero short-stay falls with major injury, though long-stay residents experience high-risk pressure ulcers and UTIs at rates significantly higher than state averages.

The campus provides a residential setting with 24-hour visitation and a full-time chaplain for spiritual support. Shared amenities and services include on-site physical, occupational, and speech therapy, private rooms with facility-wide Wi-Fi, and a beauty shop. The facility offers bereavement accommodations and coordinates complimentary transportation for medical and social needs. Lifestyle programs feature multi-denominational weekly religious services and volunteer-led social engagement.

Prospective residents 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 following the 2024 abuse and 2025 supervision findings, and to confirm how the facility is addressing clinical outliers related to pressure ulcers and infection prevention to maintain its 2026 quality performance.

Overview of Madrid Home for the Aging

Madrid Home for the Aging is a 64-bed non-profit skilled nursing community in Madrid, Boone County, Iowa. Occupancy at 81 percent exceeds Iowa’s 75.4 percent average. Operated by Western Home Services Inc, the facility offers skilled nursing, memory care, and rehabilitation along with independent living and assisted living services. Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay accepted.

Over six years on file, the facility averaged 4.2 deficiencies annually, essentially at the Iowa average of 4.4, with no immediate jeopardy findings, fines, or enforcement actions. Medication management is the clearest recurring theme in the record: errors were cited in the 2021 and 2023 annual surveys, an August 2025 complaint was substantiated for missing fentanyl patches and inaccurate narcotic counts affecting both residents reviewed, and narcotic destruction procedures were also cited in 2021. The March 2023 annual survey cited medication errors in all four residents reviewed for that area. Care planning gaps and food safety deficiencies have each appeared in multiple surveys as well. The CMS staffing sub-rating reflects case-mix adjusted hours 19.1 percent below Iowa’s average, meaning the resident acuity outpaces what the staffing hours deliver relative to peers, the one metric consistently below average in an otherwise mid-range profile. Quality Measures run 15.6 percent above Iowa average which is a positive clinical outcome signal.

Madrid Home for the Aging fits Boone County residents wanting skilled nursing, memory support, or post-acute rehabilitation within a non-profit continuum that extends from independent and assisted living through skilled care.

Overview of Kahl Home for Aged & Infirm

Kahl Home for Aged & Infirm is a nonprofit nursing facility in Davenport, Iowa, with 112 beds, operated by the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm. The community accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, and provides long-term care, skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation, memory care, and respite placements to residents in Scott County.

CMS rates the facility 2 stars overall, mainly due to its Health Inspection record. In the past six years, the facility underwent 32 inspections, more than twice Iowa’s average of 15, pushing total deficiencies to 74% above the state mean. At the individual survey level, though, the facility performs somewhat better: deficiencies per inspection are 17% below the Iowa average.

Substantiated complaints in the record include a medication error that led to hospitalization, a resident elopement, and more recent findings involving pressure ulcer care and unsafe mechanical lift transfers. No fines or license suspensions are available in the reports.

The facility’s Quality Measures are stronger, with a 4-star CMS rating, with long-stay outcomes and short-stay measures above the state’s averages. Hospitalizations and emergency department visits among long-stay residents are well below state norms. Nurse staffing averages 12% below the Iowa average at 3 hours and 52 minutes per resident each day.

The facility’s occupancy rate is 93%, well above Iowa’s average of 75.4%, a consistent signal of strong local demand. Amenities available on-site are a bistro, pub, courtyards, and common living areas. In 2026, the facility received the Locals Love Us award for Best Nursing Home in the Quad Cities for the 13th consecutive year.

Kahl Home for Aged & Infirm serves residents seeking long-term or post-acute care under mission-driven, nonprofit operations in Davenport, particularly those for whom strong quality-measure performance and high occupancy are meaningful indicators alongside an elevated inspection footprint.

Jackson Ridge Healthcare Center runs a 75-bed medical campus on Wesley Drive in Maquoketa, Iowa. The property accommodates both private and semi-private room setups, maintaining an average occupancy rate of around 79 percent. Families can manage local care bills using private funds alongside standard Medicare or state Medicaid authorizations, which supports a balanced census of short-term rehab admissions and extended long-term placements.

The clinical staff provides an average of 4 hours and 16 minutes of direct care per resident each day. Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing aides coordinate this 24-hour floor schedule to oversee specialized memory care wings, routine physical therapies, and scheduled respite care stays. Local appointment transit is handled directly by the building’s logistics team, while the surrounding town neighborhood logs a walkability score of 76 out of 100, letting visitors reach standard retail stops on foot.

Inspectors noted corrections were needed across food service lines, basic infection control guidelines, and clinical chart documentation. Management successfully addressed these points through formal improvement plans that were officially reviewed and accepted by state health regulators.

Interested individuals can call the main reception desk to verify current room availability, request an outline of the daily respite schedules, or arrange a personal walkthrough of the lounges and memory care units.

Overview of Zearing Health Care

Averaging an extended length of stay of 238 days, Zearing Health Care is a 40-bed skilled nursing facility that provides long-term nursing, dementia care, semi-independent living, hospice, and respite options. The property maintains a steady 78% occupancy rate, which matches regional baselines, and relies on a resident population made up of Medicaid (64%), private-pay (25%), and Medicare (11%) recipients. Business records indicate stable financial development, showing a turnaround from prior losses to a 3.5% profit margin and an $89.6 thousand net profit, with the operator channeling a heavy 61.6% of general revenue straight into personnel payroll.

State health department logs document deep daily caregiver staffing and remarkable permanent resident clinical outcomes alongside a recent cluster of employee conduct citations. Direct nursing care lines deliver an average of 4 hours and 33 minutes per resident daily, with weekend registered nurse coverage running 43% ahead of the Iowa state baseline. This intensive care matches near-flawless permanent resident charts, which document zero instances of major injury falls, zero urinary tract infections, zero pressure ulcers, and zero reported cases of depression.

On the regulatory side, the property averages 3.9 citations per year and carries zero federal financial fines over the past three years. While standard inspections in late 2024 and late 2025 came back completely clean, reviews between February and August 2025 substantiated allegations of staff verbal abuse and late reporting, resulting in worker suspensions. A subsequent January 2026 inspection logged three minor points regarding psychotropic medication consent forms, localized fall-risk care plans, and basic kitchen glove hygiene.

Prospective residents seeking a small, long-term care environment with deep daily caregiver hours can analyze these state registry updates to weigh the facility’s baseline. Public records verify that the building achieves standout medical prevention outcomes and maintains heavy daily staffing presence, balanced against recent employee retraining and administrative charting corrections.

Overview of Community Memorial Health Center

Community Memorial Health Center, a 62-bed nursing community, provides clinical care at 909 West 1st Street in Hartley, Iowa. The location functions under the local guidance of the Community Memorial Healthcenter Association and carries an average occupancy baseline of 76 percent. Families can route regular billing through a mix of private funding streams, traditional Medicare, or state Medicaid cards. Individual residential timelines average roughly 184 days, signaling a stable, day-to-day balance between ongoing medical housing and temporary physical rehab stays.

The building’s care teams deliver an average of 4 hours and 50 minutes of direct, hands-on attention to every resident each day. Certified nursing aides manage the largest share of this floor time at 2 hours and 37 minutes, while registered nurses add 1 hour and 2 minutes, and licensed practical nurses supply 23 minutes to oversee medication distributions and clinical treatments. On-site services include three meals daily and structured monthly recreational calendars, while the surrounding neighborhood records a walkability score of 43 out of 100, which means visiting guests generally use personal cars to run local tasks.

Official surveys conducted by state regulatory agencies have routinely evaluated administrative documentation, resident housing setups, and floor treatment procedures to confirm compliance with basic healthcare rules. Internal managers follow these recurring public evaluations to refine the facility’s day-to-day care patterns and keep staff clinical protocols aligned with state-level updates.

Prospective residents can call the main business phone to double-check immediate room availability, request a copy of the monthly calendar, or book an afternoon walkthrough of the property.

Homesteaders at Holland Farms is an 80-bed senior living community at 2800 Sunset Drive in Norwalk, Iowa. Administered by Blake Dodd, the facility serves Warren County under an active Iowa Assisted Living Programs for People with Dementia license (S0449) issued May 14, 2021, and valid through May 15, 2027. The campus maintains a Walk Score of 70, reflecting a very walkable area where most errands are accessible on foot.

State oversight from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing shows a history of regulatory challenges. Since 2021, the facility has undergone five inspections resulting in 21 total deficiencies, a rate of 5.3 per year. While a 2023 recertification resulted in a citations-per-inspection rate of zero, the most recent survey on September 29, 2025, identified 10 critical deficiencies. These findings included the failure of a newly hired RN to complete delegation training before an abrupt resignation, incomplete tenant cognitive evaluations, and a lack of required 90-day nurse reviews for medications and health status.

Professional care is provided through independent living, assisted living, and memory care programs. Recent data shows a current occupancy of 43%, with 34 of 80 beds filled, which is below the Iowa state average of 75.4%. Clinical services are coordinated under a 24-hour model, though recent state reports noted failures to follow healthcare orders and document health status assessments at required frequencies.

The campus environment includes an in-house movie theater, a bistro, and walking trails with views of Echo Valley Country Club. Although the facility has received recognition from U.S. News & World Report as Best Assisted Living and Best Memory Care, these honors contrast with recent 2025 regulatory findings regarding staff training and care planning. Apartments are available in various layouts, though specific pricing information is not currently documented in state records.

Prospective residents should prioritize a review of corrective actions taken after the 10 deficiencies identified in late 2025. It is advisable to ask the administrator for direct verification of current nursing staffing levels and the status of dementia-specific staff education. Interested individuals can inquire about remediation progress and admission protocols by contacting the community at (515) 981-1888 for 2026 placement planning.

Overview of Stonebridge Suites of Milford

Stonebridge Suites of Milford is a 44-bed assisted living facility at 1401 H Avenue in Milford, Iowa. Administered by Daren Butcher, the community serves Dickinson County under license S0298, which is active through October 9, 2027. The facility reports a current occupancy rate of 57%, with 25 residents, a figure below the Iowa state average of 75.4%. The location holds a Walk Score of 62, indicating a moderately walkable area with some nearby services.

State monitoring through the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing reveals a record of exceptional regulatory compliance. Since 2010, the facility has recorded only two total deficiencies across 11 inspections, an annual average of 0.1, which is 94% lower than the state average. The most recent recertification in September 2025 resulted in a citations-per-inspection rate of zero. This clean record has been sustained for over a decade, with every major inspection since 2013 yielding no regulatory findings.

Daily operations at this 16-year-old campus focus on providing independent and assisted living through personalized care and resident engagement. While the recent history is nearly flawless, state records from 2011 documented a $1,000 civil penalty related to a failure to report suspected dependent adult abuse within the required 24-hour timeframe. A 2015 monitoring visit also identified a single deficiency for a lack of annual food protection training for food service staff, which was subsequently corrected.

The residential environment is managed under the parent organization, Stonebridge Suites of Rock Rapids. The community has successfully resolved historical administrative gaps, and multiple complaint investigations, including reports regarding resident wandering and financial exploitation, were found to be unsubstantiated by state inspectors. Available documentation shows that occupancy has trended upward since 2010, indicating steady community growth over the facility’s 16-year history.

Prospective residents should note the facility’s 93% below-average deficiency rate and its consistent record of perfect inspections since 2017. It is recommended to verify current staffing levels and observe the meal service during a tour to ensure high operational standards remain in effect. Families can contact the administrative office to discuss current availability and to confirm that the community’s safety protocols meet their 2026 residential expectations.

Nestled in the vibrant community of Fort Madison, IA, The Kensington in Fort Madison is an esteemed senior living community that offers assisted living and memory care services. A wide array of spacious and cozy accommodations ranging from studio to deluxe studio, one-bedroom, large one-bedroom, deluxe suite, and deluxe one-bedroom are available for its residents. The community is committed to providing a warm an supportive atmosphere for its residents to live a more fulfilling life. In terms of memory care, the community thoughtfully created a memory care neighborhood called Primrose Path catering to the needs of those with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Known for its top-notch amenities and services, residents can enjoy 3 delectable and healthy home-cooked meals, housekeeping and laundry services, and complimentary health care services. Meet new companions in recreational trips and scenic tours with transportation provided. Further self-care efforts by going to an on-site salon. Equipped with the right tools and people, seniors are guaranteed a wonderful retirement with The Kensington in Fort Madison.