Page 11 of Best Nursing Homes in Iowa

Overview of Golden Age Care Center

Golden Age Care Center operates a 46-bed skilled nursing community at 1915 South 18th Street in Centerville, Iowa. The location works at an 87 percent occupancy rate, using traditional out-of-pocket billing alongside conventional Medicare and state Medicaid network authorizations. Resident intervals average roughly 160 days, establishing a standard operational balance between long-term residential oversight and quick-paced, post-hospital physical recoveries.

Floor staff schedules ensure an average of 4 hours and 12 minutes of direct care for each day. Registered nurses and certified nursing aides cover this 24-hour medical timeline, running a dedicated Rehab to Home track alongside specialized physical services like wound care, IV therapies, and dialysis treatments.

For everyday comfort, the property features a beauty salon, basic laundry programs, and communal activities, while the surrounding neighborhood scores a 66 out of 100 for walkability, placing multiple local hospitals and basic services within a short drive.

Families can contact the main office to check on open room configurations, request information about the clinical therapy options, or schedule a convenient afternoon to look around the facility. The administrative desk can also assist with insurance cross-referencing to detail how personal funds or public benefit programs apply to monthly care fees.

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.

Atlantic Specialty Care is a nursing home in Atlantic, IA, offering long-term care, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing. Promoting a compassionate and welcoming environment, the community ensures older adults are well-cared for throughout their stay. With 24-hour care, nutritious meals, and laundry services, residents receive the utmost attention and care to live comfortably in retirement. Individualized care plans tailored to residents’ unique needs and preferences to help them recover and return to their routines with ease.

Baking, painting, and volunteering activities provide residents with more opportunities to learn and gain meaningful experiences. Lively gathering areas and spacious rooms also ensure residents can rest and freely interact with their surroundings. Residents also experience a stress-free retirement, as it is conveniently located in the quiet residential area of Atlantic. Providing exceptional standards of care and a clean setting, this nursing home is an ideal choice for senior living in Iowa.

Westbrook Acres is a 46-bed skilled nursing facility in Gladbrook, Tama County, Iowa, serving residents with skilled nursing, long-term care, memory care, rehabilitation, hospice, and respite care. The facility has been operated by Crystal Even under family ownership since 1995 and accepts both Medicare and Medicaid.
CMS rates the facility 3 stars overall. Health inspection performance sits at the Iowa average, but staffing trails the benchmark — nurse staffing averages 3 hours and 53 minutes per resident per day, roughly 12% below Iowa’s average of 4 hours and 25 minutes.

Across inspections over the past five years, the facility averaged 6.2 deficiencies per year — 41% above the Iowa average of 4.4. The most recent annual survey in March 2025 cited six deficiencies: RN coverage gaps on multiple dates, failures to notify the Long-Term Care Ombudsman about resident hospitalizations, and inaccurate MDS assessments.

A September 2023 complaint investigation substantiated resident-to-resident physical abuse on the memory care unit, causing actual harm to both residents, and confirmed staff theft of a resident’s narcotic medication. A separate 2024 complaint added RN coverage lapses and a failure to follow a physician’s tube-feeding order. No fines or license actions appear in the available reports.

On-site services include physical, occupational, and respiratory therapy. The facility’s occupancy rate is 96% — well above the Iowa average of 75.4% — with an average length of stay of 345 days, indicating a predominantly long-term resident population.

Westbrook Acres’ memory care unit (CCDI), on-site rehabilitation, hospice access, and Medicaid acceptance position it to serve complex, long-term care needs in a small rural setting in Tama County. Families considering placement should review the facility’s deficiency history and prior abuse-related findings before making a placement decision.

Overview of Wellington Place

Wellington Place is a 68-bed nursing home that operates as a continuing care campus, allowing residents to transition between independent living, assisted living, memory support, and skilled nursing. The community has been operating for 19 years and handles financial coverage through Medicare, Medicaid, and private-pay sources. Given its mix of temporary post-acute recovery clients and permanent long-term nursing placements, the facility logs an extended 288-day average length of stay. The property is built in a highly walkable area with a walkability score of 84 out of 100, meaning visiting families and staff can easily manage daily errands on foot.

Files from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing display a minimal citation history alongside solid daily nursing resources. Caregivers supply an average of 4 hours and 20 minutes of direct care per resident each day, with registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants splitting the floor coverage. On the compliance side, official health records show a consistently clean multi-year track record where the few documented citations were minor and resolved. On-site physical therapy and rehabilitation programs are also available to support short-term recovery goals for individuals stepping down from local hospital stays.

Prospective residents searching for a regional multi-level care community or a small-scale nursing home can look through these state reports to examine the building’s historical baseline. The public documentation shows a stable, highly accessible campus backed by consistent daily caregiver hours and an exceptional regulatory track record with minimal paperwork issues.

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.

Providing short-term rehabilitation and longer-term skilled care, Norwalk Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is a nursing home with 45 beds. It is owned by Karah Appleget and accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, so families have several options for covering both post-acute recovery and ongoing nursing care. The facility has an occupancy rate of 93%. Residents stay an average of 137 days, which includes rehabilitation admissions and longer-term care residents.

Clinical support is a central part of daily operations. Licensed nurses are available 24 hours a day, and physicians make regular visits to oversee medical care. The facility offers restorative rehabilitation, dietary and nutritional counseling, and disease management programs to reduce preventable hospital readmissions.

Vision and dental services are available on-site. Staff also develop individualized care plans based on each resident’s needs.

The facility has a Walk Score of 70. Visiting family members can easily navigate the neighborhood on foot and access nearby services. It’s a walkable community where many errands can be completed without a car, which is less common in many rural care settings.

Families considering Norwalk Nursing and Rehabilitation Center should take a tour of the facility to see the environment, meet staff members, and learn more about the home’s rehabilitation services and care programs.

Overview of Good Samaritan Society – Holstein

Located in Holstein, Iowa, Good Samaritan Society – Holstein is a 60-bed nursing home owned by Troy Anderson. The facility has an occupancy rate of 82%, and residents stay an average of 262 days. The resident population includes both short-term rehabilitation patients and those receiving longer-term care.

Rehabilitation is at the center of the home’s care programs. The facility offers inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services, along with caregiver support. It’s a setting that serves residents recovering from surgery, injury, or hospitalization who need skilled nursing care and structured therapeutic support.

Daily nursing care averages about 4 hours and 13 minutes per resident. Registered nurses, nursing aides, and licensed practical nurses make up the care team, so hands-on clinical support is part of daily life. Good Samaritan Society accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay. This way, families have several ways to arrange coverage for both short-term rehabilitation and ongoing care.

State inspections have focused on care documentation and planning, the implementation of advance directives, oral health practices, nursing oversight, and infection control procedures. The facility continues to work through these areas as part of maintaining safe and coordinated care. They’re important topics families may want to discuss during a visit.

Holstein has a Walk Score of 46. Some nearby services are within walking distance, but most trips require transportation. It’s a quieter small-town setting that may appeal to some families. The facility also works with family members and caregivers throughout a resident’s stay, whether it’s for short-term recovery or longer-term care.

Overview of Mississippi Valley Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center

Providing both short-term rehabilitation and longer-term skilled nursing care, Mississippi Valley Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center is a nursing facility owned by Lexington Square Irrevocable Trust. The 83-bed community has an occupancy rate of 76%, and residents stay an average of 221 days, including post-acute rehabilitation patients and those receiving ongoing nursing care. Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted, giving families several options for covering care costs.

Rehabilitation services are a central part of the facility’s care model. The center has on-site doctor availability and 24-hour staffing. Daily nurse staffing averages 2 hours and 44 minutes per resident. Registered nurses, nurse aides, and licensed practical nurses provide care throughout the day and night. This staffing structure can manage acute and ongoing care demands.

State inspections have found that the facility is substantially compliant with no recent deficiencies. The facility works through its care protocols with regular oversight, and it is responsive to issues when they arise. Families evaluating the center can discuss these operational areas during a tour.

The surrounding neighborhood has a Walk Score of 53. Some nearby errands and services are within walking distance, but most trips require transportation. Families will find convenience and a quieter environment here.

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.