St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home

Nursing Home, Assisted Living, Independent Living & Skilled Nursing · Spencer, IA

CMS overall rating

1301 St Luke Drive, Spencer, Ia 513016043 View map

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St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay.

Calculator: See prices in your area

St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay.

Overview of St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home

Owned by St Luke Homes, St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home is a facility that provides skilled nursing and rehabilitation care. The 79-bed home is well integrated into its neighborhood, with a Walk Score of 81, so most errands and services are within walking distance. Its occupancy rate of 86% shows that there is strong community trust in the setting.

Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted, giving families flexibility in their coverage arrangements. Residents stay an average of 182 days, including post-acute rehabilitation residents and those receiving longer-term nursing care.

Clinically, the home offers structured rehabilitation services and nursing care. It’s a practical choice for residents recovering from surgery or hospitalization. Total nurse staffing averages roughly 4 hours and 54 minutes per resident each day, with registered nurses available 54 minutes per day per resident, nursing aides providing 2 hours and 28 minutes of hands-on care, and licensed practical nurses contributing an additional 30 minutes.

Dining is traditional in the facility. There are continental and hot breakfast choices alongside lunch and dinner served in the main dining room. Residents have a variety and opportunity for structured meals.

State inspections identified areas where the home has worked to improve procedures, including response times to resident requests and the integrity of care protocols. A re-inspection in fall 2025 documented that prior concerns had been corrected. The facility has been operating in substantial compliance.

Facility Direct Line (712) 262-5931 stlukelh@stlukelh.com

Quality ratings

Measured by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

Staffing hours breakdown

Hours per resident per day — compared to state averages

Total nursing care / resident

4h 54m per day

vs avg

3 of 6 metrics below state avg

Standout metric Weekend RN is +32% above state avg

Staff type	Hours / Day / Resident	vs state avg
Registered Nurse (RN) RNs hold the highest nursing license and can assess residents, interpret test results, and direct care plans. More RN hours per day often signals stronger clinical oversight and faster response to health changes.	54m per day	▲ 22% State avg: 44m per day · National avg: 41m per day
LPN / LVN Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) or Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) deliver routine hands-on care — medication administration, wound dressing, and monitoring vital signs. They work under RN supervision and make up a large share of daily bedside care.	30m per day	▼ 11% State avg: 34m per day · National avg: 52m per day
Nurse Aide Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs) provide the most direct day-to-day assistance: bathing, dressing, feeding, and mobility. Nurse aide hours are typically the largest staffing category and directly affect residents' quality of life.	2h 28m per day	▼ 3% State avg: 2h 32m per day · National avg: 2h 20m per day
Weekend Total Nursing Combined nursing hours (RN + LPN + Nurse Aide) per resident per day on weekends. Staffing often drops on weekends — this figure reveals whether the facility maintains adequate coverage outside of weekday hours.	3h 34m per day	▲ 7% State avg: 3h 21m per day · National avg: 3h 26m per day
Physical Therapist Hours per resident per day provided by licensed Physical Therapists (PTs) or PT Assistants. PT services help residents recover mobility after injury or illness and are especially important for post-acute (short-stay) rehabilitation.	2m per day	▼ 22% State avg: 2m per day · National avg: 4m per day
Weekend RN Registered nurse hours specifically on weekends. Facilities sometimes reduce RN presence on Saturdays and Sundays — a low weekend RN figure compared to weekday hours can indicate reduced clinical oversight when most administrative staff are absent.	40m per day	▲ 32% State avg: 30m per day · National avg: 28m per day

Capacity and availability

182 days

79-bed community

A larger shared setting that may offer more common spaces and organized community services.

Walk Score: 81 / 100

Very walkable. Most errands can be accomplished on foot, and many essentials are within a short walk.

About this community

Occupancy

Occupancy rate

86%

Higher than the Iowa average: 75.4%

Occupied beds

68 / 79

Average occupied beds in Iowa homes 51 beds

Facility TypeFree Standing Nursing Facility / Skilled Nursing Facility

StatusActive

IssuanceFebruary 7, 1967

ExpirationJanuary 31, 2027

CountyClay

License Number210409

CMS Certification Number165484

Certification TypeFALSE

St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home is administered by Ken Nelson.

Owner NameRiverview Terrace(Alp) | S0040

Rehabilitation Services

Email ken.nelson@stlukelh.com

Fax7122624743

Pets not allowed

Since 2020 · 6 years of data 52 deficiencies 21 inspections

Inspection Scorecard This scorecard compares key inspection, deficiency, and complaint metrics at this facility against the Iowa state average. Metrics rated ≥15% worse than average are highlighted in red; those ≥15% better are highlighted in green.

Since 2020 vs. Iowa state average

Overall vs. IA average

Latest Inspection October 28, 2025

Deficiencies Deficiencies are formal regulatory issues recorded during state inspections.	This Facility	IA Average	vs. IA Avg
Total deficiencies Formal regulatory issues recorded by inspectors across all inspection types.	52	27	This facility has 93% more total deficiencies than a typical Iowa assisted living residence (52 vs. IA avg 27).↑ 93% worse
Deficiencies per year Average deficiencies per year since 2020.	8.7	4.5	This facility has 93% more deficiencies per year than a typical Iowa assisted living residence (8.7 vs. IA avg 4.5).↑ 93% worse
Deficiencies per inspection Average deficiencies per inspection.	2.5	1.8	This facility has 39% more deficiencies per inspection than a typical Iowa assisted living residence (2.5 vs. IA avg 1.8).↑ 39% worse

Inspections State inspections evaluate whether the facility meets health and safety standards.	This Facility	IA Average	vs. IA Avg
Total inspections Combined count of all routine and focused inspections. Excludes complaint investigations.	21	15	This facility has had 40% more total inspections than the Iowa average (21 vs. IA avg 15). More inspections can mean more regulatory scrutiny rather than worse care.↑ 40% more

Inspection Reports Summary An editor-reviewed summary of the themes and findings across this facility's recent inspection reports.

The October 28, 2025 re-inspection found all prior deficiencies corrected and the facility in substantial compliance as of September 17, 2025, with no substantiated allegations in incident #2631743-I.
The April 25, 2024 complaint investigation substantiated failures in timely abuse reporting, abuse investigation, call light response, and food safety, resulting in four cited deficiencies.
The August 17, 2023 annual inspection cited four deficiencies including failure to follow physician orders, infection prevention lapses, inadequate call light response, and unsafe food temperatures.

Show Inspection Reports

Inspections since 2023

Total health inspections 5

State average N/A

Last Health inspection on Sep 2025

Total health citations

State average N/A

Citations per inspection

State average N/A

Health citations are formal notices following inspections when they fail to comply with safety and care standards.

15 of 25 citations resulted from standard inspections; 5 of 25 resulted from complaint investigations; and 5 of 25 came from combined inspections (standard and complaint).

Breakdown of citation severity (last 3 years)

Critical health citations

In line with State average

State average: N/A

Serious health citations

In line with State average

State average: N/A

2 critical citations State average: N/A

0 serious citations State average: N/A

23 moderate citations State average: N/A

0 minor citations State average: N/A

Citations history (last 3 years)

Abuse/Neglect moderate citation Sep 04, 2025

Corrected

Abuse/Neglect moderate citation Sep 04, 2025

Corrected

Abuse/Neglect moderate citation Sep 04, 2025

Corrected

Infection Control moderate citation Sep 04, 2025

Corrected

Total staff 97

Employees 87

Contractors 10

Staff to resident ratio 1.43 : 1

0% compared with State average

State average ratio: 0 : 0

Avg staff/day 38

Average shift 8.1 hours

0% compared with State average

State average: 0 hours

Total staff hours (quarter) 28,337

Nursing staff breakdown

9.4 hours

9.1 hours

8.3 hours

Contractor staffing

751 contractor hours this quarter

Respiratory Therapy Technician: 2 Speech Language Pathologist: 2 Physical Therapy Assistant: 1 Medical Director: 1 Dental Services Staff: 1 Occupational Therapy Aide: 1 Qualified Social Worker: 1 Occupational Therapy Assistant: 1

Staff by category


Certified Nursing Assistant	47	0	47	15,654	92	100%	8.3
Registered Nurse	12	0	12	4,210	92	100%	9.4
Licensed Practical Nurse	13	0	13	3,224	92	100%	9.1
Other Dietary Services Staff	4	0	4	1,150	79	86%	7.6
Clinical Nurse Specialist	3	0	3	1,041	63	68%	8.2
Dietitian	1	0	1	488	64	70%	7.6
Mental Health Service Worker	1	0	1	472	61	66%	7.7
Therapeutic Recreation Specialist	1	0	1	471	61	66%	7.7
Nurse Practitioner	1	0	1	454	58	63%	7.8
Administrator	1	0	1	361	56	61%	6.4
Physical Therapy Assistant	0	1	1	206	64	70%	3.2
Speech Language Pathologist	0	2	2	202	48	52%	4.2
Respiratory Therapy Technician	0	2	2	166	49	53%	3.3
Dental Services Staff	0	1	1	76	20	22%	3.8
Medication Aide/Technician	3	0	3	62	5	5%	8.8
Occupational Therapy Aide	0	1	1	46	12	13%	3.8
Occupational Therapy Assistant	0	1	1	37	11	12%	3.4
Medical Director	0	1	1	13	13	14%	1
Qualified Social Worker	0	1	1	6	13	14%	0.5

47 Certified Nursing Assistant

% of Days 100%

12 Registered Nurse

% of Days 100%

13 Licensed Practical Nurse

% of Days 100%

4 Other Dietary Services Staff

% of Days 86%

3 Clinical Nurse Specialist

% of Days 68%

1 Dietitian

% of Days 70%

1 Mental Health Service Worker

% of Days 66%

1 Therapeutic Recreation Specialist

% of Days 66%

1 Nurse Practitioner

% of Days 63%

1 Administrator

% of Days 61%

1 Physical Therapy Assistant

% of Days 70%

2 Speech Language Pathologist

% of Days 52%

2 Respiratory Therapy Technician

% of Days 53%

1 Dental Services Staff

% of Days 22%

3 Medication Aide/Technician

% of Days 5%

1 Occupational Therapy Aide

% of Days 13%

1 Occupational Therapy Assistant

% of Days 12%

1 Medical Director

% of Days 14%

1 Qualified Social Worker

% of Days 14%

View All Staffing Data

Total fines amount $134K

179% higher than State average

State average: $48K

Number of fines 2

18% more fines than State average

State average: 1.7

Payment Denials 1

88% more payment denials than State average

State average: 0.5

Fines amount comparison

This facility $134K

State average $48K

Penalty History

Penalties are imposed by CMS for violations of federal nursing home regulations.

3 penalties in the past 3 years

Multiple penalties were reported in the last 3 years.

Civil Money Penalty Sep 4, 2025

$126K

Civil Money Penalty Aug 22, 2024

$8K

Payment Denial Aug 22, 2024

21 days

Last updated: Jan 2026

High-risk clinical events score 11.7

14% worse than State average

State average: 10.2

Functional decline score 19.6

9% better than State average

State average: 21.6

Long-stay resident measures

Above average State avg: 3.3

Need for Help with Daily Activities Increased 21.0%

12% worse than State average

State average: 18.8%

Walking Ability Worsened 20.2%

In line with State average

State average: 19.7%

Low Risk Residents with Bowel/Bladder Incontinence 17.4%

34% better than State average

State average: 26.2%

Falls with Major Injury 1.8%

49% better than State average

State average: 3.6%

High Risk Residents with Pressure Ulcers 5.2%

20% worse than State average

State average: 4.4%

Urinary Tract Infection 4.6%

84% worse than State average

State average: 2.5%

Lost Too Much Weight 10.2%

104% worse than State average

State average: 5.0%

Depressive Symptoms 1.2%

70% better than State average

State average: 3.9%

Antipsychotic Use 12.8%

33% better than State average

State average: 19.0%

Pneumococcal Vaccine 89.3%

5% worse than State average

State average: 94.4%

Influenza Vaccine 90.8%

5% worse than State average

State average: 95.3%

Hospitalizations per 1,000 days 1.54

In line with State average

State average: 1.48

ED visits per 1,000 days 1.66

21% better than State average

State average: 2.09

Short-stay resident measures

Significantly above average State avg: 2.6

Pneumococcal Vaccine 85.3%

In line with State average

State average: 85.1%

Antipsychotic medication increase 2.3%

23% worse than State average

State average: 1.8%

Influenza Vaccine 58.3%

20% worse than State average

State average: 73.3%

Re-hospitalized after SNF stay 20.1%

6% better than State average

State average: 21.3%

Emergency department visits 3.7%

72% better than State average

State average: 13.1%

Falls with major injury 1.2%

49% worse than State average

State average: 0.8%

Ability to care for self at discharge 28.2%

47% worse than State average

State average: 53.7%

Successful return to home or community 55.3%

9% better than State average

State average: 50.6%

Breakdown by payment type

Medicare

63% of new residents, usually for short-term rehab.

Typical stay 1 months

Private pay

22% of new residents, often for short stays.

Typical stay 1 years

Medicaid

16% of new residents, often for long-term daily care.

Typical stay 1 years

Total residents 68

Medicare

2.9% of residents

Medicaid

45.6% of residents

Private pay or other

51.5% of residents

Programs & Services

Residents Group

Residents meet regularly to discuss policies, care quality, and activities

CCRC

Part of a Continuing Care Retirement Community offering multiple care levels

Active Resident Council

Organized group of residents that meets regularly to discuss facility policies, quality of life, and activities.

Financial Trends

Historical financial and operational data for St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home from 2011–2023, based on CMS SNF Cost Reports.

Key figures below are for fiscal year ending in 12/2023.

Occupancy Rate 69.6% ↑ 1.5pp vs 2022

Net Patient Income -$572.2K ↓ ~$87.1K vs 2022

Payroll Costs $4.8M ↑ ~$523.4K vs 2022

Operating Margin -8.3% ↓ 0.3pp vs 2022

Metric	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Occupancy %	91.2%	94.1%	95.6%	97.3%	91.6%	90.3%	87.1%	85.2%	83.7%	76.5%	70.8%	68.0%	69.6%
Beds	99	99	99	99	99	99	99	99	99	89	89	89	89
Net Income	$240,091	$160,390	$96,167	$330,251	-$210,948	-$484,133	-$86,221	$405,236	-$146,432	-$376,342	$874,313	-$321,125	-$627,348
Gross Revenue	$5,563,134	$5,766,960	$5,893,487	$6,380,353	$6,331,755	$6,811,616	$7,336,156	$7,547,361	$7,449,906	$6,963,682	$6,287,576	$6,434,231	$7,408,376
Operating Expenses	$5,777,567	$5,937,811	$5,624,198	$5,893,709	$6,315,228	$6,894,218	$7,085,084	$6,630,725	$7,185,878	$7,528,992	$6,530,089	$6,572,641	$7,498,475
Net Patient Income	-$308,013	-$424,530	$34,906	$238,632	-$290,394	-$556,598	-$280,185	$406,255	-$121,923	-$876,257	-$568,609	-$485,161	-$572,224
Net Patient Revenue	$5,469,554	$5,513,281	$5,659,104	$6,132,341	$6,024,834	$6,337,620	$6,804,899	$7,036,980	$7,063,955	$6,652,735	$5,961,480	$6,087,480	$6,926,251
Payroll Costs	$3,918,043	$4,155,593	$4,003,117	$4,155,378	$4,227,955	$4,456,145	$4,966,792	$4,828,159	$5,015,337	$5,352,625	$4,733,416	$4,281,756	$4,805,134
Operating Margin %	-5.6%	-7.7%	0.6%	3.9%	-4.8%	-8.8%	-4.1%	5.8%	-1.7%	-13.2%	-9.5%	-8.0%	-8.3%
Medicare %	6.5%	5.3%	4.9%	4.5%	5.0%	7.4%	7.1%	6.9%	5.5%	6.9%	7.1%	8.1%	11.1%
Medicaid %	44.3%	48.3%	43.2%	39.4%	32.1%	32.1%	32.4%	32.3%	36.0%	39.1%	41.4%	37.0%	39.8%
Private %	49.2%	46.4%	51.9%	56.1%	62.9%	60.4%	60.5%	60.8%	58.5%	54.0%	51.5%	54.9%	49.0%
Net Patient Revenue/Day	$166	$162	$164	$174	$182	$194	$216	$228	$233	$248	$259	$275	$307
Cost/Day	$175	$174	$163	$168	$191	$211	$225	$215	$238	$281	$284	$297	$332
Avg Length of Stay	166.4 days	183.3 days	186.8 days	209.3 days	226.6 days	208.5 days	155.9 days	167.4 days	156.8 days	281.9 days	182.6 days	170.0 days	182.2 days

Finances and operations

Based on CMS SNF Cost Report for fiscal year ending in 12/2023.

Net patient revenue

$6.9M

Net patient income

-$572.2K

Nonprofit Nonprofit Corporation

Net patient revenue

$6.9M

Net patient income

-$572.2K

Other income

$54.8K

Payroll costs

$4.8M 69.4% of net patient revenue

Other operating costs

$2.7M

Total costs

$7.5M

TYPE OF STAY

Mostly short-term rehab stays

Most residents typically stay for a few weeks or months before returning home or moving on.

Most new residents arrive under Medicare (63% of admissions), and a typical Medicare stay runs around 1 months.

Coverage residents most often arrive under.

Medicare 63%

Private pay 22%

Medicaid 16%

Coverage residents most often leave under.

Medicare 60%

Private pay 28%

Medicaid 12%

0.0 miles from city center Estimated distance in miles from Spencer's city center to St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home's address, calculated via Google Maps.

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The information below is reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing.


Bethany Home Retirement Center	NH IL MC SNF	Dubuque (Eagle Point District)	-	66	-	69	1 Bed / 2 Bed
Friendship Village	NH AL IL MC SNF	Waterloo	-	72	-	52	2 Bed / 3 Bed
Prairie Vista Village	NH AL IL SNF	South Altoona	-	68	A	29	-
St Francis Manor	NH AL HOS SNF	Grinnell	-	78	-	82	-
St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home	NH AL IL SNF	Spencer	-	79	-	81	-

Nursing Home Explorer

Who is the owner of St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home?

St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home is legally operated by Riverview Terrace(ALP) | S0040, and administered by Ken Nelson.

Is St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home in a walkable area?

St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home has a walk score of 81. Very walkable. Most errands can be accomplished on foot, and many essentials are within a short walk.

What is the license number of St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home?

According to IA state health department records, St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home's license number is 210409.

When does St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home's license expire?

According to IA state health department records, St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home's license expires on January 31, 2027.

What is the occupancy rate at St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home?

St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home's occupancy is 86%.

Are pets allowed at St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home?

No, St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home has a no-pet policy.

What is the best email address for St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home?

The team at St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home can be reached at ken.nelson@stlukelh.com.

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St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home

Overview of St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home

Quality ratings

Staffing hours breakdown

Capacity and availability

About this community

Occupancy

License Details

Ownership & Operating Entity

Therapy & Rehabilitation

Contact Information

Additional Policies & Features

Contact St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home

Inspection History

Inspection Scorecard This scorecard compares key inspection, deficiency, and complaint metrics at this facility against the Iowa state average. Metrics rated ≥15% worse than average are highlighted in red; those ≥15% better are highlighted in green.

Deficiencies Deficiencies are formal regulatory issues recorded during state inspections.

Inspections State inspections evaluate whether the facility meets health and safety standards.

Inspection Reports Summary An editor-reviewed summary of the themes and findings across this facility's recent inspection reports.

Health Inspection History

Inspections since 2023

Breakdown of citation severity (last 3 years)

Citations history (last 3 years)

Staffing Data

Nursing staff breakdown

Registered Nurse

Licensed Practical Nurse

Certified Nursing Assistant

Contractor staffing

Staff by category

47 Certified Nursing Assistant

12 Registered Nurse

13 Licensed Practical Nurse

4 Other Dietary Services Staff

3 Clinical Nurse Specialist

1 Dietitian

1 Mental Health Service Worker

1 Therapeutic Recreation Specialist

1 Nurse Practitioner

1 Administrator

1 Physical Therapy Assistant

2 Speech Language Pathologist

2 Respiratory Therapy Technician

1 Dental Services Staff

3 Medication Aide/Technician

1 Occupational Therapy Aide

1 Occupational Therapy Assistant

1 Medical Director

1 Qualified Social Worker

Penalties and fines

Fines amount comparison

Fines amount comparison

Penalty History

Quality of care over time

Long-stay resident measures

Short-stay resident measures

Breakdown by payment type

Medicare

Private pay

Medicaid

Facility Characteristics

Programs & Services

Residents Group

CCRC

Active Resident Council

Financial Trends

Financial Performance

Payroll & Labor Costs

Payer Mix (percentage)

Finances and operations

Who this home usually serves

Mostly short-term rehab stays

Admissions

Discharges

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