Best Nursing Homes in Council Bluffs, IA

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 Bethany Lutheran Home

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.

Operating for 25 years, North Crest Living Center is a nursing home owned by Steven Chamley. The 62-bed community has built a stable resident population and currently operates at 92% occupancy. Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted. Families have several options for covering both short-term rehabilitation and longer-term skilled nursing care.

The average length of stay is about 173 days, which includes both post-acute rehabilitation residents and those receiving ongoing care. Daily nurse staffing averages 4 hours and 11 minutes per resident. Registered nurses, nurse aides, and licensed practical nurses provide care around the clock. This level of staffing provides the hands-on clinical support expected in a skilled nursing setting.

Rehabilitation and short-term recovery services are central to the home’s care model. Residents have access to physical, occupational, and speech therapy. There’s also a restorative exercise program for residents who want to maintain and rebuild function during recovery.

Residents get monthly visits from podiatrists, optometrists, and dentists. They also have access to in-house laundry services, a beauty and barber shop, room furnishings, and transportation for appointments when needed. Recreational and spiritual activities, along with regular meals and snacks, are available daily. The facility has an in-house trust account for residents as well.

The neighborhood has a Walk Score of 77 and is considered highly walkable. Many nearby services and essential errands are within walking distance for visiting family members. Inspection findings over time focused on infection control, physician communication, and medication management practices. Families touring the facility should ask how these areas are managed in daily operations.

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.

Prairie Gate is a 36-bed nursing home, independent living, and memory care community in Council Bluffs, Iowa, offering independent living, memory care, enriched living, long-term care, and transitional care. The facility opened in September 2020 and is operated by Benjamin Eddy under nonprofit ownership. It accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay.

Since opening, Prairie Gate has undergone 19 inspections and recorded 36 deficiencies — roughly 33% above the Iowa average of 27 — with no federal fines or license actions in that period. Two complaint investigations in 2025 were substantiated, both involving allegations of physical abuse or rough handling of residents, and a third substantiated a failure to report suspected abuse within required timeframes. Earlier inspections cited recurring deficiencies in accident prevention, dignity of care, infection control, and food safety. The facility has accepted multiple plans of correction, and the most recent annual survey in July 2025 cited two deficiencies — a resident fall during a wheelchair transfer and an infection-control lapse.

On staffing, registered nurse hours average 1 hour and 1 minute per resident per day, about 39% above the Iowa average, and certified nursing aide hours are similarly elevated at 3 hours and 18 minutes per resident per day. That staffing investment stands alongside some weak short-stay outcome measures: the rate of falls causing major injury among short-stay residents is 6.1%, compared with an Iowa average of 0.8%, and only 34.6% of residents met expected self-care ability at discharge, compared with a state benchmark of 53.7%.

The facility’s occupancy rate is 94% — well above Iowa’s 75% average — with 34 of 36 beds filled, reflecting strong local demand for the facility’s capacity. The payer mix is Medicare-dominant, accounting for 84% of new admissions, with an average stay of 5 days.

Prairie Gate’s care model and payer structure are best suited for residents seeking short-term post-acute rehabilitation stays in the Council Bluffs area, with care types also available for memory care and independent living residents. However, families should review the facility’s findings on abuse-related complaints and short-stay measures before making a placement decision.