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Compare Memory Care around Iowa
The information below is reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing.
| Bethany Home Retirement Center | MC IL NH SNF | Dubuque (Eagle Point District) | 66
Facility
66
IA AVG
71
Rank
#181 / 406 | No |
69
Facility
69
IA AVG
45
Rank
#103 / 528 | 1 Bed / 2 Bed | - | - | 12 | 4
Facility
4
IA AVG
7
Rank
#122 / 306 | 2
Facility
2
IA AVG
0.9
Rank
#241 / 306 |
| Sunrise Retirement Community | MC AL IL NH RC SNF | Sioux City | 74
Facility
74
IA AVG
71
Rank
#136 / 406 | Yes |
22
Facility
22
IA AVG
45
Rank
#411 / 528 | Studio | - | 90.5% | 25 | 3
Facility
3
IA AVG
7
Rank
#89 / 306 | 6
Facility
6
IA AVG
0.9
Rank
#294 / 306 |
| Green Hills Retirement Community | MC AL IL NH SNF | Ames (Hamilton Drive) | 56
Facility
56
IA AVG
71
Rank
#233 / 406 | Yes |
18
Facility
18
IA AVG
45
Rank
#430 / 528 | 1 Bed / 2 Bed | 40
Facility
40
IA AVG
19
Rank
#24 / 284 | 78.6% | 11 | 2
Facility
2
IA AVG
7
Rank
#55 / 306 | 3
Facility
3
IA AVG
0.9
Rank
#258 / 306 |
| Meth Wick Community | MC AL IL NH RC SNF | Cedar Rapids (The Meth-Wick Community) | 69
Facility
69
IA AVG
71
Rank
#167 / 406 | No |
23
Facility
23
IA AVG
45
Rank
#405 / 528 | - | - | 81.4% | - | - | - |
| Mill Pond | MC AL IL NH SNF | Ankeny | 60
Facility
60
IA AVG
71
Rank
#213 / 406 | Yes |
16
Facility
16
IA AVG
45
Rank
#439 / 528 | Studio / 1 Bed / 2 Bed | 23
Facility
23
IA AVG
19
Rank
#109 / 284 | 98.3% | 16 | 5
Facility
5
IA AVG
7
Rank
#147 / 306 | 1
Facility
1
IA AVG
0.9
Rank
#210 / 306 |
| Wesley Acres | MC ADC AL IL NH SNF | Des Moines (Greenwood) | 80
Facility
80
IA AVG
71
Rank
#105 / 406 | Yes |
72
Facility
72
IA AVG
45
Rank
#89 / 528 | - | - | 91.3% | 21 | 8
Facility
8
IA AVG
7
Rank
#204 / 306 | 3
Facility
3
IA AVG
0.9
Rank
#258 / 306 |
| West Ridge Care Center | MC NH SNF | Cedar Rapids | 60
Facility
60
IA AVG
71
Rank
#213 / 406 | No |
48
Facility
48
IA AVG
45
Rank
#241 / 528 | - | 34
Facility
34
IA AVG
19
Rank
#34 / 284 | 75.0% | 15 | 4
Facility
4
IA AVG
7
Rank
#122 / 306 | 3
Facility
3
IA AVG
0.9
Rank
#258 / 306 |
| Friendship Village | MC AL IL NH SNF | Waterloo | 72
Facility
72
IA AVG
71
Rank
#143 / 406 | Yes |
52
Facility
52
IA AVG
45
Rank
#202 / 528 | 2 Bed / 3 Bed | 50
Facility
50
IA AVG
19
Rank
#8 / 284 | 91.7% | 17 | 0
Facility
0
IA AVG
7
Rank
#1 / 306 | 3
Facility
3
IA AVG
0.9
Rank
#258 / 306 |
| Mayflower Home | MC AL IL NH SNF | Grinnell | 40
Facility
40
IA AVG
71
Rank
#324 / 406 | No |
82
Facility
82
IA AVG
45
Rank
#39 / 528 | - | - | 77.5% | 11 | 3
Facility
3
IA AVG
7
Rank
#89 / 306 | 0
Facility
0
IA AVG
0.9
Rank
#1 / 306 |
| Mount Carmel Bluffs | MC NH IL | Dubuque (South Switch Junction) | 60
Facility
60
IA AVG
71
Rank
#213 / 406 | No |
2
Facility
2
IA AVG
45
Rank
#500 / 528 | 1 Bed / 2 Bed | 5
Facility
5
IA AVG
19
Rank
#233 / 284 | 93.3% | 10 | 2
Facility
2
IA AVG
7
Rank
#55 / 306 | 2
Facility
2
IA AVG
0.9
Rank
#241 / 306 |
| Spurgeon Manor | MC AL IL NH SNF | Dallas Center | 55
Facility
55
IA AVG
71
Rank
#239 / 406 | No |
47
Facility
47
IA AVG
45
Rank
#246 / 528 | - | - | 89.1% | 21 | 8
Facility
8
IA AVG
7
Rank
#204 / 306 | 0
Facility
0
IA AVG
0.9
Rank
#1 / 306 |
| Creekside | MC AL IL NH | Grundy Center | 40
Facility
40
IA AVG
71
Rank
#324 / 406 | No |
63
Facility
63
IA AVG
45
Rank
#134 / 528 | - | - | - | 3 | 0
Facility
0
IA AVG
7
Rank
#1 / 306 | 0
Facility
0
IA AVG
0.9
Rank
#1 / 306 |
| Newton Village INC | MC AL HOS IL NH SNF | West Newton | 70
Facility
70
IA AVG
71
Rank
#156 / 406 | No |
67
Facility
67
IA AVG
45
Rank
#112 / 528 | - | 6
Facility
6
IA AVG
19
Rank
#224 / 284 | 52.9% | 3 | 1
Facility
1
IA AVG
7
Rank
#31 / 306 | 0
Facility
0
IA AVG
0.9
Rank
#1 / 306 |
| Wilton Retirement Community | MC AL NH SNF | Wilton | 34
Facility
34
IA AVG
71
Rank
#372 / 406 | No |
42
Facility
42
IA AVG
45
Rank
#284 / 528 | - | 12
Facility
12
IA AVG
19
Rank
#180 / 284 | 85.3% | 14 | 4
Facility
4
IA AVG
7
Rank
#122 / 306 | 0
Facility
0
IA AVG
0.9
Rank
#1 / 306 |
| Traditions Memory Care of Newton | MC HOS NH RC SNF | Newton | 46
Facility
46
IA AVG
71
Rank
#273 / 406 | No |
67
Facility
67
IA AVG
45
Rank
#112 / 528 | - | - | 100.0% | 12 | 5
Facility
5
IA AVG
7
Rank
#147 / 306 | 0
Facility
0
IA AVG
0.9
Rank
#1 / 306 |
Rock Creek Senior Living is a 170-unit multi-tier community at 3602 NW 5th Street in Ankeny, Iowa. Owned by Arrow Senior Living, the campus offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care, with starting rates for assisted living near $3,465 per month. The facility is approximately 2.6 miles from central Ankeny and focuses on an active residential lifestyle.
The community holds an active state license and is certified as an Assisted Living Program for People with Dementia. State oversight for 2026 indicates the facility maintains its standing with zero active health citations for infection control during the most recent monitoring cycle. While the campus is not Medicare or Medicaid certified for skilled nursing, it carries a 2026 “Best Assisted Living” designation from U.S. News & World Report based on resident and family satisfaction surveys.
The 24-hour staffing model supports multiple tiers of care, allowing residents to transition between levels as medical needs change. Specific services for memory care include sensory-based programs and specialized support for both mild and advanced cognitive impairment. While the facility provides transportation, the immediate surroundings are primarily car-dependent with a Walk Score of 13. Professional nursing oversight is available for personal care, though the model emphasizes social engagement and safety over intensive clinical intervention.
The campus environment provides various shared social spaces, including a wellness center, a movie theater, and a dining room serving international cuisine. Residents have access to weekly housekeeping and personal laundry services alongside dedicated concierge assistance and scheduled event programming. Outdoor walking trails and pet-friendly living options are available, with nutritional management providing specialized low-sodium and pureed meal options.
Families and prospective residents should evaluate the current activity calendars and emergency response protocols during a facility tour.
Nestled in Iowa City, Mercy Hospital exudes a sense of grace as it navigates the intricate landscape of the aging process. With a keen understanding of seniors’ needs, the hospital provides an array of services that go beyond the ordinary. From offering specialized nursing home care to addressing a diverse range of conditions, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and more, Mercy Hospital is a trusted haven for seniors seeking comprehensive and attentive medical support.
As an institution attuned to the highest nursing home requirements, Mercy Hospital offers a holistic approach to seniors’ well-being. From osteoporosis to osteoarthritis, their comprehensive services encompass a spectrum of conditions that come with aging. The hospital’s commitment to monitoring and addressing potential complications showcases its dedication to delivering care that goes above and beyond. Backed by a team of compassionate and skilled professionals, Mercy Hospital ensures seniors receive the tailored support they deserve during their golden years.
A beautiful senior living community that offers exquisite living options such as for residents of assisted living and memory care. Regardless of what kind of living option you are in, management and staff are guaranteed to provide resort-like accommodations with exceptional hospitality. The cozy home offers an environment where the holistic wellness of seniors is met. Bickford of Cedar Falls strives to provide a comfortable lifestyle of everyday living for its residents, making it an ideal place to call a new home.
West Ridge Care Center, located in Cedar Rapids, IA, is a care facility operating since 1992 and offering short-term rehabilitation and long-term care services. As part of their care services, they provide their residents with 24 hour nursing care by their RNs, LPNs, and CNAs. Additionally they house an interdisciplinary wound care team, and rehabilitation aides that assists residents in recovering their health and strength after surgery or an illness.
This care facility also offers non-medical related services that are necessary to ensure the residents’ maximum level of comfort, as well as amenities that promote physical and mental wellbeing. This includes social services for needs analysis to ensure proper care is provided, dietary services for nutritious meals and snacks provisions, and environmental services like housekeeping and laundry to keep the living quarters and common spaces clean and sanitized.
Heartwood House is an assisted living and memory care community in Ames, Iowa, that provides 24-hour support and specialized memory care for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Additional services include medication management, diabetic care, and respite care for families seeking temporary support.
Residents have access to secured indoor and outdoor common areas, promoting both safety and social engagement. Wheelchair-accessible showers also accommodate varying mobility needs.
On-site parking is available for visiting family members and friends, making regular visits more convenient. The surrounding neighborhood is slightly walkable, allowing a limited number of errands to be completed on foot, though most destinations are more easily reached by car.
For families seeking a combination of assisted living and specialized memory support, Heartwood House offers services tailored to residents with memory-related conditions while also addressing everyday care needs.
A memory care community on F Avenue NW in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is The Views of Cedar Rapids | MeadowView Memory Care. Its neighborhood has a Walk Score of 47, so a few nearby services and errands are walkable, but most outings and appointments require a car. The location has reasonable access to local medical services and shopping without needing a long drive from central Cedar Rapids.
Such memory care communities are designed for people with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other memory-related conditions. Unlike general assisted living, memory care highlights the unique challenges present in progressive cognitive changes, confusion, disorientation, and difficulty with daily tasks. A dedicated memory care setting typically offers secured environments where residents can move about safely, staff trained in dementia-specific methods, and daily programming built around familiar activities and gentle engagement instead of stimulation or demand. The daily feel in memory care communities is usually routinary and calm. Helping residents feel more secure, meals, activities, and personal care follow schedules. Many memory care communities supply therapeutic activities like reminiscence programs, art, music, and gardening that connect to long-term memory and can boost mood and engagement. Good memory care also means family involvement is encouraged, and staff know how to talk to those with memory changes.
Families scouting memory care options in Cedar Rapids must plan to visit the facility in person. An on-site tour allows you to see the physical environment, meet the staff, and observe residents-caregiver interactions. Ask about certain details like staffing ratios, dementia care training, meal preparation, activities programming, and how the community handles behavioral changes that sometimes come with memory loss. These talks will help you know if the community’s approach matches your family’s values and your loved one’s needs.
Introducing Touchstone Living Center, a prominent senior living provider located in Sioux City, Iowa. They offer an array of nursing home services for their valued residents.
Discover a compassionate and supportive community where seniors can thrive and receive the care they deserve.
Bethany Life operates a nonprofit continuum of senior care from its 126-bed medical community at 212 Lafayette Avenue in Story City, Iowa. Established over half a century ago, the campus manages resident entry through a unique membership model combining an initial entry fee with a predictable monthly rate to secure lifetime care tiers. Business staff process billing through multiple coverage lines, including traditional out-of-pocket funds, standard federal Medicare, and state Medicaid paths. The property runs with a regular occupancy baseline of roughly 89 percent, supporting individual stays that average 229 days.
On-site health teams coordinate an average of 4 hours of daily hands-on care per resident. Certified nursing assistants distribute the largest portion of these floor hours at 2 hours and 42 minutes, while registered nurses contribute 45 minutes, and licensed practical nurses provide 23 minutes of clinical tracking. This staff handles routine treatments, medication management, and dietitian support within dedicated transitional wings, including the LifeBridge Transitional Care track, Cedar Place, and Timberland Village. For local travel, the surrounding downtown area logs a walkability score of 82 out of 100, which allows visitors and residents to complete daily errands entirely on foot.
Daily lifestyle configurations are built around a central hub featuring dining at Tom & Stevie’s Bistro alongside massage therapy, chaplain services, and organized wellness education. To prevent unnecessary travel, the campus integrates personal emergency response systems and home health aides to assist individuals who reside in the adjacent Twin Homes independent living options. These internal systems are structured to help stabilize physical recovery following major surgeries or complex hospital stays while preserving as much personal independence as possible.
Older adults exploring active neighborhood placement details can call the front reception area to confirm room availability, ask about the lifetime membership tiers, or coordinate a time to see the shared dining spaces.
Operating under the Gardens at Luther Park organization, Trinity Center at Luther Park is a 120-bed nursing home that provides short-term rehabilitation and long-term skilled care for residents aged 55 and older. The building maintains a high local volume with a 91% occupancy rate and manages an extended 239-day average length of stay. Financial coverage handles a standard mix of Medicare, Medicaid, and private-pay sources. The campus is built in an exceptionally walkable downtown neighborhood, making local errands and shops easily accessible on foot.
Daily care lines supply an average of 4 hours and 34 minutes of direct nursing time per resident each day, with a combination of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurse aides covering the floor alongside on-site physical therapists. On the compliance side, public monitoring files from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing indicate that state inspectors have noted recurring administrative issues centered on care documentation, food handling protocols, and basic infection control.
Beyond the medical operations, daily life on the campus is organized around faith-based Christian values, spiritual support programs, regular activities, and local volunteer networks.
Prospective representatives researching faith-based senior care options or multi-level nursing setups can review these state health filings to assess the property’s operational history. The public records outline a busy, highly occupied facility backed by solid daily direct care hours and a walkable location, balanced against some recurring regulatory points regarding kitchen and documentation maintenance.
A 112-bed skilled nursing community owned by Diana Roberts in Council Bluffs, Iowa, is Bethany Lutheran Home. Operating for 51 years, it maintains an 80 percent occupancy rate, reflecting steady census in a mid-sized facility. Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted to provide numerous ways for families to arrange care.
The facility’s clinical focus includes rehabilitation services, with a dedicated Rehab to Home program tailored to support occupants transitioning back to independent living after acute illness, surgery, or hospitalization. Total nursing care averages 4 hours 53 minutes per resident day, distributed across registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nursing aides. That daily staffing level bolsters 24/7 support for residents. The home is found in a really walkable area of Council Bluffs with a Walk Score of 77, meaning visiting family members and mobile residents can run most errands on foot and have good access to nearby services. For regular visits and outings, the surrounding neighborhood is accessible and convenient. The average stay duration is 152 days, signaling a mix of short-term rehabilitation patients and longer-term residents.
Care planning, medication administration, staffing, safety protocols, and infection control practices have been addressed by state inspections.
It’s encouraged that families considering the home tour it in person and ask about how clinical areas are managed daily.
Ranking Methodology
How we rank these memory care communities
Every community above is evaluated across six weighted categories using public data including state inspection records, review platforms, BBB profiles, and operator-published materials.
Weighting overview
- 35%Resident Experience
- 25%Regulatory
- 15%Visual Media
- 10%Website
- 10%Stability
- 5%Environment
01
Resident & Family Experience 35%
The single largest share of every ranking. Aggregated review sentiment and volume from major platforms — the closest signal to real resident experience.
- Includes
- Review Sentiment
- Review Volume
02
Regulatory & Safety Record 25%
State inspection records, citations, and complaint visits. We weight per-inspection rates more heavily than raw counts.
- Includes
- State Inspections
- Citations/Inspection
- % Inspections w/ Citations
- Complaint Visits
- Accreditations
- BBB Rating
03
Visual Media & Transparency 15%
Communities that publish high-quality visuals give families a real preview. No photos or tours = a negative transparency signal.
- Includes
- Video Tours
- Virtual Walkthroughs
- Photo Quantity
- Photo Quality
04
Website & Operator Transparency 10%
Site quality and whether the operator publishes basic accountability information — staff names, contact details, ownership.
- Includes
- Website Content
- Mobile Usability
- Staff Info Available
- Owner Info Available
05
Community Stability 10%
Operational signals indicating whether a community is well-run and meeting demand.
- Includes
- Occupancy Rate
- Bed Options
06
Environment & Pricing 5%
Walkability and pricing transparency. Walk Score is weighted higher for Independent Living than for Memory Care, where most residents do not leave unaccompanied.
- Includes
- Walk Score
- Pricing Transparency
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Frequently Asked Questions about Memory Care in Iowa
What's the difference between assisted living and memory care in Iowa?
Assisted living in Iowa supports residents with daily activities (bathing, dressing, medication management) while preserving independence. Memory care is a specialized form of assisted living for residents living with Alzheimer's or dementia, and adds 24/7 secured environments, dementia-trained staff, and structured routines designed to reduce confusion and wandering.
Does Iowa Medicaid cover memory care?
Iowa Medicaid does not directly pay room-and-board for memory care, but most states (including Iowa) offer Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers that can offset the cost of care services delivered inside a licensed community. Eligibility, waitlists, and covered services vary — check directly with the state Medicaid agency.
What is memory care?
Memory care is a specialized form of assisted living for residents living with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, with secured environments, dementia-trained staff, and routines built to reduce confusion and wandering.
How many memory care communities are listed on this page?
This page features 233 memory care communities in Iowa. Use the filters and comparison tools above to compare ratings, amenities, and pricing.
How do I choose the right memory care community in Iowa?
Start by matching the level of care offered to the resident's current and anticipated needs, then compare licensing status, staff-to-resident ratios, recent inspection results, and pricing. Tour at least two or three communities in Iowa, talk to current residents and families, and confirm what is included in the base rate versus billed as add-on services.
What should I look for when visiting memory care communities in Iowa?
Pay attention to staff interactions with residents, cleanliness and odor, food quality at meal times, the activity calendar, and how questions about pricing and care plans are answered. Ask to see the most recent state inspection report, the move-out / level-of-care-change policy, and a sample monthly bill that lists every fee.



















