Best Senior Living in Council Bluffs, IA

Why trust this guide? Our editorial team analyzed 6 senior living communities in Council Bluffs, IA using IA Dept. of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing (DIAL) data, inspection records, complaints, amenities, and facility-level details. How we rank senior living in IA
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Last updated
We analyzed These are the facilities in Council Bluffs, IA our team has analyzed — not a count of every senior living provider in Council Bluffs, IA.
6 homes
Other senior care options in Council Bluffs:

Compare Senior Living around Council Bluffs

Info below is compiled from 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.

Care Types in This Table AL (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.
City and state of the facility. Used for mapping and state-average comparisons.
Licensed bed capacity (maximum allowed). Not the same as how many beds are currently filled.
Indicates whether residents are allowed to have pets in the facility.
Third-party neighborhood walkability score (0–100). Convenience/context metric, not a healthcare quality measure.
Description of bed or unit types offered (e.g. assisted living, memory care), as reported in state or facility disclosures.
Number of years the company has been in operation.
Reported or derived occupancy for the facility—typically how fully licensed capacity is utilized. Compare across peers in the same market.
Better Business Bureau grade for the operating company. Reflects complaint handling and business practices, not clinical care quality.
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.
Count of regulatory inspections in the reporting window. Higher volume can reflect more oversight visits, complaint-driven surveys, or routine licensure cycles.
Inspection events categorized as complaint-related by the state regulator.
Count of incident-based investigations (e.g. reported events) in the regulatory record for the reporting period.
Bethany Lutheran Home
IL
AL
MC
NH
SNF
Council Bluffs
112
Facility 112
IA AVG 76
Rank #16 / 241
Yes
77
Facility 77
IA AVG 43
Rank #37 / 260
-
51
Facility 51
IA AVG 15
Rank #6 / 119
80.4%
Facility 80.4%
IA AVG 63.2%
Rank #123 / 234
-D-3815-
Midlands Living Center LLC
IL
HOS
NH
RC
SNF
Council Bluffs
94
Facility 94
IA AVG 76
Rank #30 / 241
No
77
Facility 77
IA AVG 43
Rank #37 / 260
-
23
Facility 23
IA AVG 15
Rank #63 / 119
70.2%
Facility 70.2%
IA AVG 63.2%
Rank #171 / 234
A+A-2611-
Prairie Gate
IL
AL
MC
NH
SNF
Council Bluffs
36
Facility 36
IA AVG 76
Rank #147 / 165
No
6
Facility 6
IA AVG 43
Rank #208 / 222
Studio / 1 Bed / 2 Bed / Private / Companions Suite
6
Facility 6
IA AVG 15
Rank #94 / 131
94.4%
Facility 94.4%
IA AVG 63.2%
Rank #13 / 154
-?19
4
Facility 4
IA AVG 6
Rank #77 / 155
1
Facility 1
IA AVG 1
Rank #104 / 155
North Crest Living Center
IL
NH
SNF
Council Bluffs
62
Facility 62
IA AVG 76
Rank #107 / 241
No
77
Facility 77
IA AVG 43
Rank #37 / 260
-
25
Facility 25
IA AVG 15
Rank #55 / 119
91.9%
Facility 91.9%
IA AVG 63.2%
Rank #39 / 234
-C2410-
Amelia Senior Living
IL
AL
Council Bluffs (Ferndale)
62Yes 2 Studio / 1 Bed11 56.5% A+C621
Midlands Living Center
IL
HOS
NH
RC
SNF
Council Bluffs
-No
14
Facility 14
IA AVG 43
Rank #232 / 260
1 Bed
23
Facility 23
IA AVG 15
Rank #63 / 119
-A+----

Rank badges are statewide and care-type specific: each independent living community is ranked against every other IA independent living community we track that reports that metric, not just the 6 analyzed for Council Bluffs. See how we rank facilities

Bethany Lutheran Home

Seven Elliott Street, Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0297
Overview of Bethany Lutheran Home

Bethany Lutheran Home provides skilled nursing and nursing home care, assisted living, and memory care in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Skilled nursing includes licensed nursing care on site around the clock, while nursing home care includes long term care and rehabilitation. Assisted living supports daily tasks such as dressing, bathing, and medication while a resident keeps an apartment. Memory care provides a secured setting with supervision for someone at risk of wandering.

The home opened in 1975 and has 112 beds. Its Rehab to Home program and rehabilitation services support a resident working toward returning home after a stay or treatment, when that goal is part of the care plan. A Walk Score of 77 places the area in the very walkable range, so most errands can be done on foot; shops, a pharmacy, and cafes can be reached by a short walk for a resident who no longer drives. Bethany Lutheran Home allows pets, so a resident can keep a pet with them during the move.

Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted, giving families payment paths for covered care or residence costs. Total nurse staffing is 4 hours and 41 minutes per resident per day, representing the daily hands on nursing time allocated per resident. Chandra Gustafson serves as administrator. Bethany Lutheran Home may be a good fit for someone whose needs could change over time because its assisted living, memory care, nursing home, and skilled nursing services are available within one community.

Contact Bethany Lutheran Home

Midlands Living Center LLC

2452 North Broadway, Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0434
Overview of Midlands Living Center

Midlands Living Center is a nursing home in Council Bluffs, Iowa, offering skilled nursing, hospice care, and respite care. Short and long term care support residents who need either a temporary stay or ongoing nursing support, while skilled nursing provides licensed nursing care on site around the clock. Hospice care focuses on comfort for someone nearing the end of life, and respite care provides a short stay when a usual caregiver needs to travel or recover.

The community has 94 beds and accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay. Medicare can cover short term skilled care after a hospital stay, rather than a long term residence, while Medicaid may help families whose savings do not cover an extended stay. Total nurse staffing is 4 hours and 18 minutes per resident each day, representing the daily nurse time available for resident care.

Physical, occupational, and speech therapy are available for residents working on rehabilitation. Medical appointment transportation helps residents travel to those appointments. A salon and spa provide grooming services within the community, while recreational, spiritual, and restorative exercise programs offer structured activities. Jordan Tjaden serves as the administrator. Midlands Living Center may be a good fit for someone who needs short term rehabilitation, ongoing nursing care, or respite while a primary caregiver travels or recovers.

Contact Midlands Living Center LLC

Prairie Gate

16 Valley View Dr, Council Bluffs, IA 51503
Overview of Prairie Gate

Prairie Gate is a nursing home offering assisted living, independent living, memory care, nursing care, and skilled nursing in Council Bluffs, IA. Assisted living provides help with daily tasks such as dressing, bathing, and medication while a resident keeps a private apartment, while independent living offers private living with community services and no daily care. Memory care provides a secured setting with supervision for someone at risk of wandering, and skilled nursing provides licensed nursing care on site around the clock.

Prairie Gate has 36 beds, making it a smaller community where staff and residents can get to know each other. Housing options include studios, one-bedroom layouts, two-bedroom layouts, private accommodations, and companion suites; a two-bedroom or companion suite can suit a couple or someone moving with a companion. Several care levels may suit a resident whose needs grow over time and who can remain in the community as care needs change.

Payment options are Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, giving families those three ways to cover care. Benjamin Eddy serves as the administrator.

Contact Prairie Gate

North Crest Living Center

34 Northcrest Drive, Council Bluffs, IA 51503-1695
Overview of North Crest Living Center

A restorative exercise program gives residents at North Crest Living Center structured work on holding onto physical function. Speech therapy is available too. Both belong to a short-term rehabilitation track that assumes the stay ends.

Consider someone who fell and suffered serious injury. Weight-bearing limits are easy for a surgeon to state but harder for a family to consistently enforce at home. A recovery stay does the enforcing.

The home holds 62 beds, with occupancy at 92%. An opening may not arrive in the same week that the need for one arises. Nursing time lands at 4 hours and 45 minutes per resident daily.

No hour of any day passes her without there being licensed nursing on duty. Payment routes are Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay. Medicaid becomes the question once savings stop covering the monthly cost.

An in-house beauty and barber service handles haircuts without a trip out. Transportation to medical appointments is arranged, and recreational and spiritual activities are on the calendar. This suits an older adult needing steady nursing or a short recovery stay with an end date. Kelley Seitz serves as its administrator.

Contact North Crest Living Center

Overview of Amelia Senior Living

Ideally situated in the quiet neighborhood of West Ferndale Drive, Council Bluffs, IA, Amelia Senior Living is a respected senior living community providing assisted living. Helping seniors live a maintenance-free lifestyle by taking care of daily living activities around the clock, the community provides more opportunities for seniors to do the things they love. Residents and families can rest easy knowing a trusted community has their backs and their loved ones are well-cared for.

With a jam-packed calendar of fun activities and engaging programs, residents create lasting moments with friends and lead an active lifestyle. Healthy and delightful meals are also provided, ensuring hassle-free dining that satisfies dietary needs and preferences. Amelia Senior Living is dedicated to caring for seniors with its spacious and sophisticated campus with senior-friendly amenities.

Starting Price $4,600/Month

Contact Amelia Senior Living

Overview of Midlands Living Center

Midlands Living Center is a nursing home in Council Bluffs, Iowa, offering skilled nursing, hospice, and respite care. Skilled nursing provides licensed nursing care around the clock for residents with ongoing medical needs, while respite care offers a short stay when a usual caregiver needs to travel or recover.

Physical, occupational, and speech therapy are available for residents working on mobility, daily activities, or communication. Furthermore, a doctor is on staff, while recreational and spiritual activities offer organized ways to take part in interests, and a restorative exercise program supports continued movement and function.

Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted, providing a variety of options for eligible skilled care or a longer stay. Steve Chamley serves as director.

Contact Midlands Living Center

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
No paid rankings Communities cannot pay to influence placement.
How we're paid: If we help you find a community and you move in, that community may pay us a referral fee. This never affects where they rank or what you pay. Learn more
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Senior Living in Council Bluffs at a glance

Avg Walk Score: 42/ 100The average Walk Score across facilities in Council Bluffs, IA. A third-party neighborhood walkability score (0–100) measuring convenience and context, not healthcare quality. Individual facilities can vary widely from this average.
National Average: 50/ 100
Avg No. of Beds: 73The average licensed bed capacity across facilities in Council Bluffs, IA. Individual facilities can vary widely from this average.
National Average: 90
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Frequently Asked Questions about Senior Living in Council Bluffs, IA

What is senior living?

Senior living is an umbrella term covering independent living, assisted living, memory care, and nursing homes — communities and services designed for adults aged 55 or older.

How many senior living communities are listed on this page?

This page features 6 senior living communities in Council Bluffs, IA. Use the filters and comparison tools above to compare ratings, amenities, and pricing.

How do I choose the right senior living community in Council Bluffs, IA?

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 Council Bluffs, IA, 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 senior living communities in Council Bluffs, IA?

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.