Best Nursing Homes in Iowa

Overview of Community Memorial Al

Community Memorial Assisted Living is a 32-bed senior living community at 233 North 8th Avenue West in Hartley, Iowa. Managed by Kay Wynja and part of the Community Memorial Health Center campus, the facility provides assisted living, skilled nursing, and memory care under a license valid through July 2026. Current data indicates a census of five residents, representing a 16% occupancy rate, which is below the state average of 75.4%. The location holds a Walk Score of 43, suggesting that most errands require transportation provided by the facility.

Regulatory records from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing reflect a strong compliance history over the last 14 years. The most recent recertification in July 2025 resulted in a citations-per-inspection rate of zero. While a 2015 review noted a citation regarding the timeliness of tenant evaluations, the facility has recorded no deficiencies in its last five major surveys. During this period, there have been no documented fines, license suspensions, or enforcement actions.

Clinical care is supported by 24-hour on-site staffing and an integrated medical clinic with X-ray services. Professional services include medication management, health monitoring, and specialized physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Residents benefit from priority admission to the adjacent skilled nursing and rehabilitation wing if health needs change. Staffing metrics for the health center show nurse hours exceeding state averages, providing four hours and two minutes of care per resident daily.

The residential environment includes private apartments with kitchenettes, emergency call pendants, and access to a whirlpool bathing suite. Shared amenities feature a beauty salon, garden patio, and communal dining areas where three meals are served daily. Housekeeping, laundry, and all utilities except telephone service are included in the monthly fees. Social engagement is facilitated through a rotation of planned recreational activities and 24-hour visiting availability.

Prospective residents seeking a small-scale community with an on-site medical clinic and a long-term record of regulatory excellence may find this campus suitable. Families should ask directly about the specific staffing ratios for the memory care neighborhood and confirm current availability for private suites before making a placement decision.

Overview of Elm Crest Retirement Community

Elm Crest Retirement Community is a 64-bed nursing facility at 2104 12th Street in Harlan, Iowa. Administered by Tim Nauslar and operated by American Baptist Homes of the Midwest, the campus provides a continuum of care including independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing. While the facility was recently awarded a 5-star quality rating, current occupancy for the skilled nursing wing is reported at 94%, with 47 of 50 beds occupied, placing it in line with state averages. The location earns a Walk Score of 50, indicating moderate accessibility to local amenities in Shelby County.

In early 2026, the facility achieved substantial compliance following a survey, and the assisted living component previously recorded a citations-per-inspection rate of zero. However, the broader health center recorded 18 moderate citations over the last three years, including a Quality of Care deficiency in November 2025. A short payment denial was issued in late 2024, but the facility has since remediated several infection control and nutrition findings.

Clinical care is delivered by a team providing 3 hours and 53 minutes of total nursing time per resident daily, which is approximately 12% below the Iowa average. Professional services focus on short-term rehabilitation, with 82% of admissions coming from Medicare recipients who typically stay for one to two months. While long-stay metrics have shown challenges in mobility and urinary tract infection rates, the facility performs above state averages in pressure ulcer prevention and maintaining low antipsychotic medication use.

The residential environment is faith-based and features various floor plans with access to landscaped grounds and outdoor walking paths. Shared amenities include a library, beauty salon, and a health and wellness center. Social programming is provided through an activity center, offering arts and crafts and local outings. The community emphasizes a nurturing atmosphere, balancing professional healthcare with home-like amenities.

Prospective representatives should weigh the facility’s recent 5-star quality rating against its moderate deficiency history and staffing levels. Families are encouraged to ask directly about the specific improvements made following the 2025 quality of care citation and request current data on nurse aide staffing ratios before making a placement decision.

Overview of Zearing Health Care, LLC

Averaging an extended length of stay of 238 days, Zearing Health Care, LLC 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.

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.

Westview of Indianola Care Center is an 83-bed VA-approved facility that provides skilled nursing, rehabilitation, hospice, and respite care. The property registers a 105-day average length of stay and functions at a 66% occupancy rate, with daily resident funding coming from Medicaid (54%), private-pay (37%), and Medicare (9%). Financial reports show a substantial commercial turnaround, moving from a loss in 2023 to a $1.4 million net profit with a 16.2% margin in 2024. Management budgets 52% of general revenue for the employee payroll within a highly walkable town setting.

Deep staffing hours and solid long-term clinical metrics stand out in state health logs, though short-term recovery charts display a few specific discharge gaps. On average, the staff delivers 4 hours and 25 minutes of direct care per resident each day, with front-line aide hours running 11% ahead of the standard Iowa baseline. This consistent daily presence matches high-performing permanent resident charts, which show zero cases of documented depression alongside low hospitalization frequencies and below-average rates for weight loss and pressure ulcers.

The facility also holds a clean regulatory record with zero federal fines or financial penalties over the past three years. However, the short-stay rehabilitation files show some room for improvement; post-acute self-care independence marks trail state standards, and short-term flu vaccination rates drop off sharply, even though the building logs zero serious rehab falls.

Families looking into area senior placements or VA-contracted care can use these public health logs to evaluate how the building functions day to day. The state’s documentation describes a quiet, stable facility backed by heavy daily caregiver hours and excellent preventative care for its permanent residents, balanced against lower short-term therapy independence scores.

Overview of Trinity Center at Luther Park

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.

Traditions Memory Care of Newton is a secured, 46-bed facility that specializes entirely in residential care for adults managing Alzheimer’s, dementia, and chronic confusion. The building runs with maximum local utilization, hitting a 100% occupancy rate that places it first in statewide capacity demand rankings. Admissions average a 125-day length of stay, drawing primarily from a combination of Medicaid-backed funding (64%) and private-pay accounts (33%). Financial records point to a sharp operational rebound, with the business turning around its prior-year losses to clear a 2.4% profit margin and a $109.2 thousand net profit in 2023 while dedicating 49.8% of incoming funds to employee payroll.

State regulatory databases record lean clinical oversight hours and high behavioral medication rates alongside recent, corrected care plan interventions. Daily direct care lines deliver 4 hours and 20 minutes of total nursing time per resident, but actual registered nurse hours drop down to 20 minutes a day, and off-peak weekend shifts drop to 2 hours and 46 minutes. This tight nurse coverage coordinates with permanent resident files that show an exceptionally high 44.9% rate for antipsychotic prescriptions, though the charts simultaneously document strong physical prevention marks with zero reported major injury falls.

Interested individuals seeking a specialized, high-demand memory care space can utilize these public health reports to balance the building’s operational details. The state registries outline a completely full, specialized dementia community that has successfully resolved its past regulatory citations, though it handles lean everyday nurse oversight hours and high behavioral medication usage.

Overview of Stonehill Care Center

Stonehill Care Center, situated at 3485 Windsor Avenue, is a skilled nursing facility that provides long-term care and post-acute physical rehabilitation. Public monitoring logs from an August 2025 review recorded a resident census of 158 individuals, which translates to an 85% building occupancy rate. This current enrollment sits below the facility’s historical pre-pandemic high, which frequently exceeded 180 residents.

Records from state healthcare registries track a strong long-term regulatory background alongside minor, corrected technical citations. Over a six-year tracking window, the property has averaged 1.7 deficiencies per year, which tracks 61% better than the Iowa state average. A standard August 2025 health survey flagged two deficiencies regarding an 8% insulin pen priming medication error and basic cleaning protocols for blood sugar meters. The administration quickly implemented a plan of correction, and a subsequent October 2025 complaint check verified that the property had returned to full compliance.

Looking further back, both the 2022 and 2024 annual surveys closed with zero deficiencies on record, though a mid-2023 review turned up two citations after a staff member failed to follow a fall-prevention care plan, resulting in minor resident injuries. The broader complaint record is largely favorable, with the majority of filed grievances returning unsubstantiated by state investigators.

Prospective residents checking into regional nursing care or post-acute recovery services can utilize these public health profiles to gauge the building’s operating history. The state documentation outlines a highly occupied environment with a low historical deficiency rate and a quick response to corrective actions, balanced against recent minor kitchen and medication administration citations.