We arrange tours, appointments, and even moving support so you don’t have to
2
Ranked on Data, Not Dollars
We rank communities on objective measures like inspection records, quality scores, and care data, so you can find trusted options without the guesswork.
3
Personalized Guidance
From lifestyle matching to help with insurance and financial assistance, we make sure the community is the right fit
Explore Open Rooms
1Contact details
2What type of senior care service are you looking for?
3What budget do you have in mind for senior care?
4How soon do you need to find care?
5Additional details
Thank you for your interest!
A member of our team will be in touch by phone or email shortly to help with next steps.
Why trust this guide?
Our editorial team analyzed 253 nursing homes in IA using CMS data, inspection records, complaints, amenities, and facility-level details. How we rank nursing homes in IA
Info below is compiled from CMS reports & the IA Dept. of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing (DIAL), senior community websites & trusted data sources such as Walk Score & BBB.
Communities are listed from highest-ranked to lowest-ranked based on our methodology.
The facility name. Click to view the full profile page on Assisted Living Magazine, including photos, services, and contact info.
CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that regulates nursing homes) Overall 5-star rating — a composite of Health Inspection, Staffing, and Quality Measures scores. 5 stars = top 10% nationally. 1 star = bottom 10%. The single most important number to start with when comparing facilities.
Care Types in This TableAL (Assisted Living):
Housing with help for daily activities like bathing, dressing, and medication, without 24-hour skilled nursing.
NH (Nursing Home):
24/7 skilled nursing care for residents with complex, ongoing medical needs.
SNF (Skilled Nursing Facility):
Round-the-clock nursing care, often for recovery after surgery, injury, or illness.
MC (Memory Care):
Secured, specialized care for people living with Alzheimer's or dementia.
RC (Respite Care):
Short-term temporary care that gives family caregivers a break.
IL (Independent Living):
Community living with dining, activities, and transportation for active seniors who need little personal care.
HOS (Hospice Care):
Comfort-focused care for those with a terminal illness, prioritizing quality of life over treatment.
Neighborhood or city area where the facility is located. Proximity to family, hospitals, and green space matters for both quality of life and ease of visitation. Consider drive time and transit access when evaluating location.
Licensed bed capacity. Larger facilities (300+ beds) often have more specialized programs but can feel institutional. Smaller homes (under 150 beds) tend to deliver more personalized care. Compare with Avg Res/Day to understand how full the facility typically runs.
Percentage of licensed beds filled on an average day. Color indicates financial health: green (90%+) = operationally strong, typically profitable. Amber (80–89%) = stable but leaving revenue on the table. Orange (70–79%) = financial strain likely, may struggle with fixed costs. Red (<70%) = significant distress, closure or ownership change risk increases sharply.
This facility's occupancy rate compared to the statewide average for similar facilities. A positive number means above-average demand. Facilities running 5%+ above the state average are typically the most sought-after in their market — a strong proxy for reputation.
CMS-adjusted total nurse hours per resident per day (RN + LPN + CNA combined). The national average is approximately 3.5 hrs. Higher is better — more direct care time per resident. Below 3.0 is a red flag. CMS weights RN hours more heavily because RNs handle complex clinical decisions that CNAs cannot.
A 0–100 score of a facility's regulatory inspection record, shown as a letter and compared with other facilities of the same kind in the same state. This is a proprietary Assisted Living Magazine grade. It is not a government rating. A dash means we have no inspection data for that facility.
CMS Health Inspection star rating (1–5 stars), based on the 3 most recent annual state surveys plus any complaint investigations. This is the hardest rating to manipulate — it reflects real surveyor findings on-site. 5 stars = fewest deficiencies found. 1 star = most. It carries the heaviest weight in the Overall CMS rating.
CMS Staffing star rating (1–5 stars), based on daily nurse staffing hours submitted to CMS via verified payroll data. Compares RN, LPN, and CNA coverage relative to resident acuity level. 5 stars = well above expected staffing. Weekend staffing is evaluated separately, as that's where many facilities quietly reduce coverage.
CMS Quality Measures star rating (1–5 stars), based on 15 clinical outcome metrics including fall rates, pressure ulcers, antipsychotic drug use, and hospital readmissions. Captures actual resident health outcomes, not just compliance. High QM combined with low Health Inspection scores can indicate a facility with strong care but weak documentation practices.
Registered Nurse hours per resident/day compared to the statewide average. RNs are the highest-skilled nursing staff — they assess residents, manage medications, and respond to emergencies. A value of +50% means RN coverage is 50% above the state norm. Negative values are a concern for residents with complex or acute medical needs.
Total nursing staff hours (RN + LPN + CNA combined) per resident/day vs. the statewide average. A broader measure than RN vs State — it captures the entire care team. A facility can have high total staffing but low RN hours, meaning more aides and fewer nurses. Read both columns together for the full picture.
Total dollar amount of federal monetary fines (civil money penalties) issued by CMS in the past 3 years. Fines are only levied for serious violations — typically actual harm to residents, repeated uncorrected deficiencies, or systemic non-compliance. Even a single fine is noteworthy. Multiple fines strongly suggest a pattern, not isolated incidents.
Total health deficiency citations from the most recent standard inspection cycle. Minor citations (scope A–C) are common and often administrative in nature. Higher counts aren't always disqualifying, but should be read alongside Severe Citations to understand actual harm levels. Under 10 is strong for a large facility; 30+ warrants a closer look.
Average deficiency citations per CMS inspection (survey) in the reporting window — total citations divided by the number of inspections. Lower is better; compare alongside total Citations and Severe Citations for context.
Citations at CMS scope/severity level G or higher — G–I means actual harm occurred; J–L means residents were placed in immediate jeopardy. (D–F is potential for harm only). Examples include unaddressed falls, medication errors causing injury, neglect, or abuse.
Average number of residents in the building on any given day, derived from annual census data. Reflects true operating scale — a 400-bed facility running 200 residents/day operates very differently from one at 390. Higher resident counts generally mean more funded staffing hours.
Better Business Bureau rating (A+ to F). Reflects complaint history, business transparency, and how family disputes were resolved. A+ means no significant unresolved complaints. A blank (—) means the facility isn't BBB-accredited, which is common for healthcare providers and not necessarily a negative signal.
Walk Score® (0–100). Measures walkability of the surrounding area. 90–100 = Walker's Paradise. 70–89 = Very Walkable. 50–69 = Somewhat Walkable. Below 50 = Car-Dependent. Higher scores benefit family visitors, resident outings, and staff commuting.
The licensed owner or operator of record filed with CMS — the individual or organization legally accountable for the facility. Searching the operator name across other facilities can reveal chain or multi-site ownership, which matters: chain-operated homes tend to have more variable quality outcomes than independently run facilities.
What the home actually collects for resident care, after contractual allowances, bad debt and discounts — not gross billings. Taken from the latest complete annual cost report, so it is comparable across homes reporting the same period. Revenue alone doesn't indicate care quality, but it funds staffing and capital reinvestment. Pair with Payroll %. Figures are from each facility's most recent complete fiscal year — hover a value for the exact year; a * marks homes that report an older period than most facilities.
Staff salaries plus wage-related benefits from the latest complete annual cost report. Contract and agency labour is counted separately, under other operating costs, so a home leaning on agency staff can show a low figure here. Payroll is the cost most directly tied to care quality — compare with Payroll % for full context. Figures are from each facility's most recent complete fiscal year — hover a value for the exact year; a * marks homes that report an older period than most facilities.
Payroll as a share of NET PATIENT REVENUE (not gross revenue). Both figures come from the same cost-report year. A higher figure means more of each revenue dollar goes to staff pay. Read with the Staffing star rating to judge whether spend translates into coverage — and note that homes whose patient revenue covers only part of their operation can read implausibly high. The Iowa average is: 60.3% Figures are from each facility's most recent complete fiscal year — hover a value for the exact year; a * marks homes that report an older period than most facilities.
CMS Certification Number: the unique federal identifier for this skilled nursing provider.
Rank badges are statewide and care-type specific: each nursing home is ranked against every other IA nursing home we track that reports that metric, not just the 253 on this page. See how we rank facilities
Silver Oak Nursing and Rehabilitation runs four care types in one 91-bed building in Marion: nursing home care, skilled nursing, hospice care, and respite. Two of those assume the stay ends.
Dementia Support & Care is a named program, not a separate wing. The help attaches to the resident, which is important for someone who needs dementia care and nursing at the same time.
Hospice is symptom work; pain and breathing get managed for their own sake and not as steps to recovery. Respite covers the weeks when the caregiver cannot.
Nursing time draws up to 4 hours and 25 minutes for each resident daily, on average. Rehabilitation Services handle therapy on site.
Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are all accepted payment methods for interested families. A stay that starts as a few covered weeks can sometimes turn into years, and the payer can change without forcing the resident to move. Alison de Jong serves as administrator.
Good Samaritan Society, Red Oak, in Red Oak, IA, covers nursing home care and skilled nursing. A licensed nurse is in the building overnight as well as during the day. Rehabilitation therapy is the other half of the care, either building function back or keeping what a resident still has.
Somebody needing both at once, the therapy and the nursing that does not stop, is who that pairing is for. Fifty-three beds keep the building to a smaller size, where a resident and the staff working with them are in closer contact. Therapy happens inside the building rather than at the end of a trip. Per resident each day, nursing time is entered at 3 hours and 47 minutes.
The bill gets settled either by Medicare, by Medicaid, or out of a family’s private funds. Medicare’s share is for short skilled courses that follow a hospital. Medicaid covers long-term costs a resident may qualify for once savings fall short, and the third route is money a family chooses to spend out of pocket. Mike Early administers the community.
Bettendorf Health Care Center in Bettendorf, Iowa, delivers assisted living, skilled nursing, and general nursing home care within an 86-bed setting. Daily support in assisted living assists residents with routine tasks like dressing, bathing, and medication management. On-site therapy programs and medical oversight help address short-term recovery needs alongside long-term support.
Administrator Jennifer Dunk manages operations at the center, which operates as part of the MGM Healthcare network. Daily nursing time averages 3 hours and 10 minutes per resident. The surrounding neighborhood holds a walk score of 51, making a few daily errands feasible on foot. Financial options for prospective residents include Medicare, Medicaid, and private payment.
Prospective residents evaluating long-term placement or short-term assistance can reach out to Bettendorf Health Care Center to request admissions details, check bed availability, or plan a tour of the campus.
Lutheran Living Senior Campus operates in Muscatine, Iowa, offering independent living, assisted living, memory care, nursing home care, and skilled nursing. Active residents in independent living access community amenities without daily assistance, whereas assisted living provides assistance with bathing, dressing, and medication management. Memory care features a secured layout to support individuals with cognitive needs, and rehabilitation programs assist short-term recovery.
Situated in an area with an 82 walk score, the campus sits in a walkable neighborhood where routine errands can be completed on foot. Overall capacity stands at 155 beds under administrator Mike Wenzel. Staffing records show an average of 4 hours and 25 minutes of daily nurse coverage per resident. Payment choices cover Medicare and private pay options.
Interested individuals can get in touch with Lutheran Living Senior Campus to explore available care options, set up a campus tour, or discuss room availability.
Southfield Wellness Community Al in Webster City provides assisted living, nursing home and skilled nursing, hospice care, and respite care. Assisted living includes help with daily tasks, while nursing home and skilled nursing provide licensed nursing care on site around the clock. Hospice supports residents receiving care at the end of life, and respite offers a short stay when a usual caregiver needs temporary support.
With 50 beds, the community has a smaller setting where residents and staff may get to know one another. Private rooms give one resident a living space of their own, while semi private rooms are shared. Rehabilitation services and short term rehabilitation can support recovery without requiring a permanent nursing placement.
Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted, giving families several ways to cover care. Total nurse staffing is 4 hours and 7 minutes per resident each day, representing the daily nursing time assigned to each resident. A private family gathering space gives residents and visitors a designated place to spend time together.
A Walk Score of 58 means some errands can be completed on foot in this somewhat walkable area. Autumn Davis serves as administrator. The range of care may suit a resident whose needs grow over time, while respite care may suit a family caregiver who needs a short term arrangement.
Perry Lutheran Home provides nursing home, assisted living, independent living, memory care, respite care, and skilled nursing in Perry, IA. Independent living offers private living with community services and no daily care, while assisted living helps with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, and medication. Memory care is a secured setting with supervision for someone at risk of wandering, and skilled nursing provides licensed nursing care on site around the clock.
Respite care offers a short stay when a family’s usual caregiver needs to travel or recover. As a continuing care retirement community, Perry Lutheran Home brings these care levels together, which may suit a resident whose needs grow over time because changing care can happen without leaving the community. The home has 70 beds.
Rehabilitative therapy can support a resident working to regain function. The Meals on Wheels program provides meal delivery through that service. Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted, giving families those payment routes for care costs.
Total nurse staffing is 4h 40m per resident/day, representing the daily hands-on nurse staffing time per resident. A Walk Score of 74 places the area in the very walkable band, so most errands can be done on foot and a resident who no longer drives can still get out independently. Melissa Gannon serves as the administrator.
Ridgecrest Village opened recently in a three-story building on Northwest Boulevard in Davenport, Iowa, and is still filling out its 82-bed capacity. At 67% occupancy, with 55 of 82 beds filled, it is in the early stages of establishing its census. The average resident stay is 174 days, which puts it squarely in the territory of both post-acute rehab and longer-term skilled nursing.
Total nursing care runs close to four hours per resident per day, with registered nurses contributing 59 minutes of that directly. Nurse aides account for another 2 hours and 26 minutes. For families evaluating nursing coverage as a primary criterion, that’s a concrete number to work with.
The care model centers on rehabilitation and skilled nursing: short-term rehab, respite care, and 24-hour staffing are all confirmed services. Chef-prepared meals are served daily, and the activity calendar addresses varying resident interests. A spa, cafe, and garden round out the on-site amenities. The neighborhood is only somewhat walkable (Walk Score 41), so most outside trips will require transportation.
State inspections have focused primarily on medication management, infection control, dietary practices, and resident rights. The payment picture is straightforward: Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are all accepted.
For a facility still building its census, Ridgecrest Village offers a credible staffing foundation and a flexible payment base. It is most directly suited to residents seeking short-term post-acute rehabilitation or structured skilled nursing care in a newer building with a modest amenity set.
Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in Johnston, Iowa, established in 1939, provides continuous care through independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing. Independent living supports self-sufficient seniors, assisted living assists with daily routines like medication management and personal care, and daytime adult care options serve non-overnight needs. Physical rehabilitation services are integrated on site to aid functional recovery.
Managed by administrator Adam Braden, the 150-bed campus records an average of 3 hours and 49 minutes of direct nursing time per resident daily. Surrounding neighborhoods carry a walk score of 64, allowing residents who do not drive to complete certain errands nearby. Funding options accommodate Medicare for eligible short-term stays, Medicaid, and direct private payment.
Families looking for a campus that accommodates changing care needs over time can connect with Bishop Drumm Retirement Center to tour the grounds, verify current openings, or discuss financial options.
Regency Assisted Living covers five care types in Norwalk, IA. They are assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, independent living, and nursing home care. Licensed nursing at every hour describes a rota rather than an aspiration, and somebody’s shift covers three in the morning.
Assisted living pays for help with bathing, dressing, and medication. The resident’s private living space is not part of what is being helped with. Independent living goes further, with community services and no daily care. attached. Memory care is the secured, supervised level, and somebody whose wandering has become a risk may reach it from inside the building rather than from outside.
Five care levels under one roof suit needs that grow, since growing here does not mean moving. Sixty beds fall under its license. Per resident, day amounts to 3 hours and 1 minute of nursing.
Victoria Lehman administers the community. A Walk Score of 70 is very walkable, which runs high for an address of this kind. Most errands are within range on foot.
Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted. Short-term stays and respite care answer a different question about time, covering a stretch while the person normally doing the caregiving is away or recovering. Rehabilitation services back residents recovering or holding on to function.
Overview of Pine Acres Rehabilitation & Care Center
Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Care Center is an upscale nursing home that aims to change the meaning of skilled nursing and rehabilitation for seniors. The community understands that aging can be daunting, much more with a disability or condition. The exceptional level of care delivered by their patient-friendly staff is an approach to offering the best care possible for their residents. Pine Acres is a trusted community that cares for every senior’s needs.
The person-centered community strives to enhance the quality of life for its residents by ensuring that seniors can satisfy their overall wellness. They house licensed medical professionals and staff and offer a list of social and stimulating activities, holistic therapy, and specialized residency training for an enriching experience.
Every nursing home above is evaluated across five weighted categories using CMS data including Care Compare, Payroll-Based Journal, and Medicare Cost Reports. Rank badges compare each home against other nursing homes in the same state — never against assisted living, memory care, or independent living communities.
How we're paid:If we help you find a home and you move in, that home may pay us a referral fee. This never affects where they rank or what you pay. Learn more
Avg Overall CMS Rating:3.1/ 5The average Overall CMS Rating for all CMS-certified nursing homes in Iowa. Ratings combine health inspections, staffing, and quality measures, with inspections weighted most. Individual facilities can vary widely from this average.
National Average:3.2/ 5
Avg Staffing Rating:3.5/ 5The average Staffing Rating across all CMS-certified nursing homes in Iowa. Reflects nursing staff hours per resident per day (including RNs), adjusted for residents' care needs. Individual facilities can vary widely from this average.
National Average:3.4/ 5
Avg Health Insp. Rating:2.9/ 5The average Health Inspection Rating across all CMS-certified nursing homes in Iowa. Based on each facility's recent inspections and complaint investigations, weighing the number, scope, and severity of deficiencies. Individual facilities can vary widely from this average.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nursing Homes in Iowa
What's the difference between assisted living and a nursing home in Iowa?
Assisted living in Iowa is a residential model focused on housing, hospitality, and help with daily activities. Nursing homes (skilled nursing facilities) provide 24/7 medical care from licensed nurses for residents with significant health needs, and are regulated more strictly under both state and federal CMS rules.
Does Iowa Medicaid cover nursing home care?
Yes — Iowa Medicaid covers nursing home care for residents who meet income, asset, and medical-need eligibility requirements. Most CMS-certified nursing homes accept Medicaid as a primary payer once long-term-care eligibility is established.
What is nursing home care?
Nursing homes (also called skilled nursing facilities) provide 24/7 medical care from licensed nurses, rehabilitation services, and long-term custodial care for residents with significant health or functional needs.
How many nursing homes are listed on this page?
This page features 253 nursing homes in Iowa. Use the filters and comparison tools above to compare ratings, amenities, and pricing.
How do I choose the right nursing home 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 nursing homes 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.
If you move into a community through us, that community may pay us a referral fee. This never changes your cost or which options we recommend. Learn more
Need Help?
Let us help you or a loved one find the perfect senior home.
