Nursing home safety in Iowa
Iowa has 161 Medicare-certified nursing homes. They average 2.86 out of 5 CMS stars (0.12 worse than the national average), carry 23.9 health-inspection citations each, and 10 are flagged in the records analyzed by CMS for abuse. Federal penalties total $3,992,027. Every flagged and top-rated home is named below.
Source: CMS Care Compare records in Haven’s directory, which may lag CMS updates. Free to cite with attribution to Haven.
Staffing in Iowa averages 3.96 nurse hours per resident per day (0.07 better than the national average). Citations average 23.9 per home (6.5 better than the national average)— though citation counts reflect how aggressively a state's survey agency inspects, so they compare poorly across state lines.
Iowa homes CMS currently flags for abuse
CMS applies this icon when a facility was cited for abuse-related deficiencies on a recent inspection. It is a serious signal, not a verdict — read the specific citations, which are on each facility's page, and ask the administrator directly.
- Regency Care Center — Norwalk · 1★
- Greater Southside Health and Rehabilitation — Des Moines · 1★
- Allure of Moline — East Moline · 1★
- Ridgecrest Village — Davenport · 1★
- Avenues at Royal Oak — Kewanee · 1★
- Arcadia Care Aledo — Aledo · 1★
- Allure of the Quad Cities — Moline · 1★
- Hope Creek Nursing & Rehab — East Moline · 1★
- Harmony Waterloo — Waterloo · 1★
- Parkview Manor — Wellman · 1★
- Embassy Rehab and Care Center — Sergeant Bluff · 1★
- Perry Lutheran Homes Eden Acres Campus — Perry · 2★
- Accura Healthcare of Cascade LLC — Cascade · 2★
- Hammond-Henry District Hsp — Geneseo · 4★
- Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Care Center — West Des Moines
Special Focus Facilities in Iowa
CMS's own list of homes with a persistent record of poor care. They are inspected about twice as often as other facilities and can be terminated from Medicare and Medicaid if they do not improve.
- Bishop Drumm Retirement Center — Johnston · SFF Candidate
- Azria Health Park Place — Des Moines · SFF Candidate
- Royal Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center — Urbandale · SFF Candidate
- Adel Acres — Adel · SFF Candidate
- Greater Southside Health and Rehabilitation — Des Moines · SFF Candidate
- Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Care Center — West Des Moines · SFF
- Ivy at Davenport — Davenport · SFF Candidate
- Harmony House Health Care Center — Waterloo · SFF Candidate
Highest-rated nursing homes in Iowa
Four and five-star homes with no abuse flag and no Special Focus status, ordered by Haven's Scout Score (federal ratings, staffing, and inspection history). Rankings cannot be purchased.
| Community | City | CMS stars | Nurse hrs/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deerfield Health Care Center | Urbandale | 5 | 5.31437 |
| Meth-Wick Health Center | Cedar Rapids | 5 | 4.91632 |
| West Ridge Care Center | Cedar Rapids | 5 | 4.32949 |
| The Suites at Western Home Communities | Cedar Falls | 5 | 4.55668 |
| Mercyone Dyersville Senior Care | Dyersville | 5 | 4.05866 |
| Spurgeon Manor | Dallas Center | 5 | 5.2068 |
| Newton Village Health Care Center | Newton | 5 | 5.0127 |
| Prairie Vista Village | Altoona | 5 | 4.47447 |
| St Luke's Helen G Nassif Transitional Care Center | Cedar Rapids | 5 | 4.21196 |
| Terrace Glen Village | Marion | 5 | 4.23372 |
Largest federal penalties in Iowa
Civil monetary penalties follow serious deficiencies. A large fine history is a question to raise, not an automatic disqualification — some homes correct course, and the citations tell you which.
- St Anthony's Nsg & Rehab Ctr · Rock Island$557,075
- Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Care Center · West Des Moines$478,835
- Avenues at Royal Oak · Kewanee$458,614
- Royal Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center · Urbandale$434,825
- Hope Creek Nursing & Rehab · East Moline$386,400
- Allure of the Quad Cities · Moline$356,380
- Bishop Drumm Retirement Center · Johnston$258,177
- Greater Southside Health and Rehabilitation · Des Moines$252,963
- Arcadia Care Kewanee · Kewanee$201,299
- Westwood Specialty Care · Sioux City$181,086
Browse Iowa by area
Iowa nursing homes: common questions
How many nursing homes in Iowa have been flagged for abuse?
10 of 161 CMS-certified nursing homes in Iowa (6.2%) carry the federal abuse icon in the records analyzed, which CMS applies when a facility has been cited for abuse-related deficiencies on a recent inspection. The national rate is 9.9%. Every flagged home is named on this page.
What is the average nursing home rating in Iowa?
Iowa nursing homes average 2.86 out of 5 on the CMS overall star rating, across 160 rated facilities. The national average is 2.98. Staffing averages 3.96 total nurse hours per resident per day versus 3.89 nationally.
Which nursing homes in Iowa are on the Special Focus list?
9 Iowa facilities are designated a Special Focus Facility or candidate — CMS's list of homes with a persistent record of poor care, which face roughly double the normal inspection frequency and possible termination from Medicare and Medicaid. They are listed by name on this page.
How much have Iowa nursing homes been fined?
Federal civil monetary penalties against Iowa nursing homes total $3,992,027 in the current CMS release. Fines follow serious deficiencies, so a large penalty history is worth asking a facility about directly — they are required to discuss their inspection record with you.
Worried about a specific home in Iowa?
Every facility page shows that home's own inspection record — what inspectors found, how severe, and when — alongside staffing and pricing. If you need help sorting real options fast, a Haven advisor is free to your family.