Best Senior Living in West Des Moines, IA

Why trust this guide? Our editorial team analyzed 12 senior living communities in West Des Moines, 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 West Des Moines, IA our team has analyzed — not a count of every senior living provider in West Des Moines, IA.
12 homes
Other senior care options in West Des Moines:

Compare Senior Living around West Des Moines (Metro Area)

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. ADC (Adult Day Care): Daytime supervision, health monitoring, and social activities for seniors who live at home.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cedar Ridge Village
IL
AL
NH
SNF
West Des Moines (Heritage Bend)
40
Facility 40
IA AVG 76
Rank #127 / 165
?Yes
5
Facility 5
IA AVG 43
Rank #210 / 222
1 Bed / 2 Bed
5
Facility 5
IA AVG 15
Rank #94 / 131
95.0%
Facility 95.0%
IA AVG 63.2%
Rank #9 / 154
A+16
3
Facility 3
IA AVG 6
Rank #57 / 155
1
Facility 1
IA AVG 1
Rank #104 / 155
Grand Living At Tower Place
IL
AL
MC
West Des Moines
76
Facility 76
IA AVG 76
Rank #58 / 165
A-Yes
63
Facility 63
IA AVG 43
Rank #49 / 222
Studio / 1 bed / 2 bed
5
Facility 5
IA AVG 15
Rank #94 / 131
47.4%
Facility 47.4%
IA AVG 63.2%
Rank #104 / 154
-7
3
Facility 3
IA AVG 6
Rank #57 / 155
1
Facility 1
IA AVG 1
Rank #104 / 155
Arbor Springs-West Des Moines
IL
MC
NH
RC
SNF
West Des Moines
56
Facility 56
IA AVG 76
Rank #127 / 237
B-No
30
Facility 30
IA AVG 43
Rank #191 / 253
-
22
Facility 22
IA AVG 15
Rank #66 / 116
82.1%
Facility 82.1%
IA AVG 63.2%
Rank #116 / 227
A+2563
Pine Acres Rehabilitation & Care Center
IL
NH
SNF
West Des Moines
140
Facility 140
IA AVG 76
Rank #7 / 237
FNo
25
Facility 25
IA AVG 43
Rank #203 / 253
-
50
Facility 50
IA AVG 15
Rank #9 / 116
57.9%
Facility 57.9%
IA AVG 63.2%
Rank #201 / 227
-44173
Edgewater, a WesleyLife Community for Healthy Living
IL
ADC
AL
MC
NH
SNF
West Des Moines
40
Facility 40
IA AVG 76
Rank #127 / 165
?Yes
7
Facility 7
IA AVG 43
Rank #205 / 222
1 Bed / 2 Bed-
97.5%
Facility 97.5%
IA AVG 63.2%
Rank #8 / 154
-22
3
Facility 3
IA AVG 6
Rank #57 / 155
5
Facility 5
IA AVG 1
Rank #147 / 155
Bickford of West Des Moines
IL
AL
MC
West Des Moines
66A+Yes 59 Private Rooms27 54.5% -12157
MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at Jordan Creek
IL
AL
MC
RC
West Des Moines
93AYes 58 Studio / 1 bed / 2 bed8 54.8% -76-
Heritage Court Assisted Living
IL
AL
West Des Moines
56ANo 31 -27 35.7% -971
Fairmeadows Village
IL
West Des Moines
--Yes
27
Facility 27
IA AVG 43
Rank #162 / 222
1 Bed / 2 Bed
32
Facility 32
IA AVG 15
Rank #9 / 131
-----
Valley West Apartments
IL
West Des Moines
--Yes
59
Facility 59
IA AVG 43
Rank #65 / 222
1 Bed------

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 12 analyzed for West Des Moines. See how we rank facilities

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Cedar Ridge Village

8950 Coachlight Dr, West Des Moines, IA 50266
Overview of Cedar Ridge Village

Cedar Ridge Village, situated in the delightful West Des Moines, Iowa, provides a diverse range of senior living options, including independent living and assisted living including care for disabled adults. This community effortlessly combines elegance and comfort, with inviting spaces, high ceilings, and carefully chosen furnishings, ensuring an exceptional living experience for residents.

Residents here can engage in a variety of activities, from card games and book clubs to arts and crafts and movie nights. The community also organizes off site excursions, such as concerts, theater outings, museum visits, and more, enriching the lives of its residents. Their spacious apartments are thoughtfully designed to accommodate different care needs, offering tailored, top-tier services in a meticulously maintained environment. Count on Cedar Ridge Village for superior senior living options, whether you’re seeking assisted or independent living near you.

Starting Price $3,280/Month

Contact Cedar Ridge Village

Overview of Grand Living at Tower Place

Grand Living at Tower Place is an assisted living community in West Des Moines, Iowa, in an average walkable neighborhood where some daily errands can be finished on foot. Operating for five years, it’s housed in a mid-rise building. It offers an array of housing configurations: studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units to cater to different preferences and care needs. The 76-bed facility currently maintains a 47 percent occupancy rate, with 36 residents in place. This lower occupancy may give new families a chance to tour the home and experience the setting with more availability and attention to queries.

The Iowa authorities’ regulatory inspections have identified areas for improvement across policies and procedures, including medication management, emergency response protocols, background verification processes, and activity programming. These are operational areas that families must discuss directly with management during a tour to know how it’s addressing and fortifying such practices.

An in-person visit by prospective residents and their families would be valuable to learn about the specific services, care offerings, amenities, dining, and daily activities offered at Grand Living at Tower Place, plus to better understand its approach to resident support and engagement.

Starting Price $4,545/Month

Contact Grand Living At Tower Place

Overview of Arbor Springs-West Des Moines

Arbor Springs West Des Moines in West Des Moines, IA, provides skilled nursing, long-term nursing home care, memory care, and respite stays. Nursing services deliver continuous clinical support, while specialized memory care focuses on individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Short-term respite stays allow temporary care when family caregivers require time away, enabling residents to access dedicated dementia support during brief visits.

Administrator Eric Klouse oversees the 56-bed community, where total nurse staffing averages 6 hours per resident per day. Financial arrangements include Medicare coverage alongside private payment. On-site amenities include a beauty shop, rehabilitation services, Montessori-based programming, and family support resources.

Surrounding the property, a walk score of 30 indicates a car-dependent neighborhood where non-driving residents rely on personal or arranged transportation for off-site trips and local errands.

Prospective residents seeking specialized memory care or skilled nursing in Polk County can reach out to Arbor Springs West Des Moines to learn more about admissions or tour the campus.

Contact Arbor Springs-West Des Moines

Overview of Pine Acres Rehabilitation & Care Center

Pine Acres Rehabilitation & Care Center is a nursing home in West Des Moines, IA, offering skilled nursing and nursing care. Skilled nursing includes licensed nursing care on site around the clock, while rehabilitation services support residents recovering through short term rehab.

Respite care offers a short stay when a usual caregiver needs time to travel or recover. The community may suit families seeking rehabilitation or temporary support. The home has 140 beds.

Total nurse staffing is 4 hours and 2 minutes per resident each day, representing the daily hands on nursing time allocated to each resident. A doctor is on staff, giving residents access to physician care at the facility.

Payment options include Medicaid, Medicare and private pay. Residents can use the salon and spa for personal care, while the outdoor patio and gazebo provide places to spend time outside. Chasity Coover serves as the administrator.

Contact Pine Acres Rehabilitation & Care Center

Overview of Edgewater, a WesleyLife Community for Healthy Living

Edgewater, a WesleyLife Community for Healthy Living, in West Des Moines, IA, handles skilled nursing and nursing home care. Memory care, assisted living, independent living, and adult day care fill in the remainder of what it offers.

Independent living includes a community’s services but not any daily care. Staff step in to help with bathing, dressing, and managing medication at the assisted living level. Memory care combines watchful staff with a secured space. Licensed nurses carry out the clinical work on the nursing home and skilled nursing side.

Day participants spend the day at Edgewater and head home for the night when it’s over. At 40 beds, the community is small enough for residents and staff to know one another well. Two-bedroom units give a couple, or a person living with a companion, the extra room, and one-bedroom units are the other option for people moving in alone.

Nursing time per resident reaches 4 hours and 56 minutes daily. Payment is by Medicare or by private pay. A caregiver’s own surgery and recovery is one reason families book a short respite stay, and rehabilitation services cover the therapy side of getting better.

A resident who arrives for independent living may later need memory care or nursing, and every one of those levels is already on the service list here. Pets can live here as well. Abby Harlacher serves as administrator.

Contact Edgewater, a WesleyLife Community for Healthy Living

Overview of Bickford of West Des Moines

Bickford of West Des Moines offers assisted living and memory care in West Des Moines, Iowa. Assisted living includes help with daily tasks such as dressing, bathing, and medication while the resident has a private room. Memory care provides a secured setting with supervision for someone at risk of wandering.

Both care levels are available on one campus, so a resident whose needs grow can move from assisted living to memory care without leaving the community or starting over socially. That makes Bickford of West Des Moines a potential fit for someone whose care needs may change over time. The community has 66 beds and offers private rooms, giving each resident an individual room rather than shared accommodation.

Respite care provides a short stay when a family’s usual caregiver needs to travel or recover. Pets are allowed, so residents may keep a pet in the community, and salon services provide grooming on site. Dining includes homestyle food made from scratch. West Des Moines has a Walk Score of 59 out of 100 and is described as somewhat walkable, so some errands can be done on foot and a resident who no longer drives may be able to get out independently. Tesse Lester serves as the administrator.

Starting Price $155/Day

Contact Bickford of West Des Moines

Overview of MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at Jordan Creek

MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at Jordan Creek provides assisted living, memory care, and short-term respite stays in West Des Moines, IA. Assisted living gives residents personal care support like bathing, dressing, and medication tracking while maintaining apartment living. Memory care delivers supervised care in a secured setting designed for individuals prone to wandering, and respite stays offer temporary assistance when primary caregivers travel or rest.

Paula Spidell serves as administrator for the 93-bed community, which opened in 2003. Floor plans include studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments, accommodating both single occupants and couples moving together. Features include rehabilitation services, a fitness center, wellness programming, a bistro, restaurant-style dining rooms, and enclosed courtyards with walking paths. Pets are permitted on the property, and the location holds a walk score of 58, indicating a moderately walkable area for nearby errands.

Interested individuals seeking flexible care options or memory support can contact MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care to inquire about availability and arrange a visit.

$5,425/Month

Contact MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care at Jordan Creek

Overview of Heritage Court Assisted Living

Heritage Court Assisted Living is an assisted living community in West Des Moines, IA, with 56 beds in a defined residential setting. Assisted living provides help with daily tasks such as dressing, bathing, and medication while allowing a resident to maintain a private living space.

The area has a Walk Score of 31, making it a car-dependent setting where most errands require a car or a ride. A resident who no longer drives would need transportation for routine errands.

Patricia Wiltfang serves as the administrator.

Contact Heritage Court Assisted Living

Overview of Fairmeadows Village

Fairmeadows Village is an active 55+ retirement home that heeds a home-like atmosphere. Its management encourages residents to live vibrantly by socializing and making meaningful memories with people their age. Families of residents can trust that Fairmeadows is committed to maintaining loving and dignified care and supervision for their loved ones.

Community services and amenities center on residents’ comfort and stability– restaurant-style dining with private dining options, engaging events and entertainment, enriching programs, transportation, arts and crafts, library, and wellness centers.

Contact Fairmeadows Village

Overview of Valley West Apartments

Ideally situated in the thriving neighborhood in West Des Moines, IA, Valley West Apartments is a specially designed 62+ community that offers independent living. Beautifully furnished and spacious one-bedroom floor plans are provided in a nurturing and welcoming environment, ensuring residents feel at ease during their stay. The community provides income-based rents, alongside paid utilities, to ease financial burdens.

Residents have easy access to their necessities and leisure opportunities, with thriving local amenities and recreational opportunities. Kitchens are also available, allowing residents to prepare meals on their own terms. Pets are also welcome to accompany residents to ease their loneliness. With its state-of-the-art amenities and convenient location, residents are guaranteed the finest retirement experience.

Contact Valley West Apartments

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 West Des Moines at a glance

Avg Walk Score: 38/ 100The average Walk Score across facilities in West Des Moines, 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: 71The average licensed bed capacity across facilities in West Des Moines, IA. Individual facilities can vary widely from this average.
National Average: 90
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Frequently Asked Questions about Senior Living in West Des Moines, 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 12 senior living communities in West Des Moines, IA. Use the filters and comparison tools above to compare ratings, amenities, and pricing.

How do I choose the right senior living community in West Des Moines, 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 West Des Moines, 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 West Des Moines, 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.