107 Best Medicaid Nursing Homes in Iowa

Nurse hours

3.41 /day

Staff turnover

40%

Serious cites

0

State Center Specialty Care runs 39 certified beds as a nonprofit operation, and its staffing sits at 3.41 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 12% under the national average of 3.86. Weekends dip about 7% below the home's own weekday coverage, so the thinnest shifts are predictable. Turnover lands at 40%, a bit better than the 45.8% national figure. Twenty deficiencies sit on the current record, none at harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, with the most recent inspection dated January 22, 2026. The quality and staffing stars both come in at 5 out of 5, while health inspections sit at 3. Worth asking how the home covers weekends and what those 20 deficiencies involved.

Nurse hours

4.65 /day

Staff turnover

41%

Serious cites

0

Mayflower Home runs on 4.65 nurse staffing hours per resident day, well above the national average, and weekends dip only about 10% below its own weekday level, a modest drop, not a staffing cliff. Turnover sits at 40.5%, better than the 45.8% typical elsewhere, and its six deficiencies include nothing at the harm level and nothing abuse-related, with the last inspection in May 2025. The church-affiliated nonprofit has 40 certified beds, so it's small enough that you can ask pointed questions about who covers nights and weekends. The numbers describe steady, well-staffed care without red flags, worth a visit to see whether the day-to-day matches.

Nurse hours

4.10 /day

Staff turnover

35%

Serious cites

0

Highland Ridge runs a nonprofit home in Williamsburg with 59 certified beds, and the staffing picture is the strongest thing it has going: 4.10 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 6% above the national average, with weekend coverage dipping about 9% below its own weekday level. Turnover sits at 34.9%, well under the national 45.8%, which suggests people tend to stay. The trouble is on the inspection side, 16 deficiencies on the current record, four of them at harm or jeopardy level and two tied to abuse, plus a $36,752 fine. The most recent inspection was September 2025. Good staffing doesn't erase a record like that.

Nurse hours

4.70 /day

Staff turnover

44%

Serious cites

0

Edgewater runs on a nonprofit model with 40 certified beds in West Des Moines, and the staffing numbers are the story here: 4.70 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 22% above the national average. Weekend coverage dips about 15% below its own weekday level, so care thins out on Saturdays and Sundays even though the overall floor is high. Annual turnover sits at 44%, essentially matching the national rate. The current record shows 10 deficiencies, none at the harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, with the most recent inspection completed June 19, 2025. Quality measures score strongly; health inspections are the softer spot.

Nurse hours

4.89 /day

Staff turnover

24%

Serious cites

0

Walnut Ridge runs on unusually generous staffing for a 60-bed for-profit home, 4.89 nurse hours per resident day, roughly a quarter above the national average, and that's the main reason it holds up well under scrutiny. Weekend coverage dips about 8% from weekday levels, so ask how that plays out on a Sunday. Turnover sits at 24.4%, well under the 45.8% national figure, which suggests people stay. The tradeoff is a longer deficiency record: 13 citations on file, including one tied to abuse, though none rose to actual harm or jeopardy. A July 2025 inspection means the state looked recently.

Nurse hours

4.19 /day

Staff turnover

26%

Serious cites

0

Buchanan County Health Center runs on county ownership, and the numbers that stand out most are the ones about people. Nurse staffing sits at 4.19 hours per resident day, roughly 8% above the national average, and the staff stays: turnover is 26.3% against a national rate near 46%. Weekends are leaner, though, about 19% below the home's own weekday coverage. The inspection record is mixed, 12 deficiencies, one serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, plus a single $4,011 fine, and the last inspection was fairly recent, in March 2026. Quality and inspection ratings both came in at 4 out of 5, but those 12 deficiencies and the thin weekend hours are what pull the overall picture down.

Nurse hours

3.48 /day

Staff turnover

26%

Serious cites

0

Riceville Family Care and Therapy Center is city/county owned, which is unusual, most Iowa nursing homes are for-profit, and that shows up in how it's run. Weekend nursing coverage drops about 14% below its own weekday level, and overall nurse staffing sits around 3.48 hours per resident day, roughly 10% under the national average. What stands out is retention: 25.9% turnover against a national 45.8% means aides and nurses tend to stay, which matters more for daily care than a staffing number alone. Five deficiencies on record, none involving harm or abuse, and a March 2026 inspection rounds out a record with real consistency behind it.

Nurse hours

3.49 /day

Staff turnover

26%

Serious cites

0

Prairie View Home runs on a smaller crew than most places, 3.49 nurse hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86, and weekends drop roughly 12% below what the home staffs during the week. That's the tradeoff worth watching if your family member needs help on a Saturday. What offsets it is stability: turnover here sits at 25.6%, well under the 45.8% national figure, so the people showing up are likely to keep showing up. The inspection record backs that up, five deficiencies on file, none at the harm level, none abuse-related, and the most recent survey was in July 2025.

Nurse hours

4.47 /day

Staff turnover

37%

Serious cites

0

Prairie Vista Village runs on 4.47 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 16% above the national average, and its weekend staffing holds about 16% below its own weekday level, a dip worth asking about if your family visits mainly on Saturdays and Sundays. Staff turnover sits at 37.3%, better than the 45.8% national figure, which matters for whether your parent sees the same faces month to month. Five deficiencies on the current record, none at harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, with the last inspection in May 2025. It's a for-profit LLC with 46 beds, small enough that you can reasonably expect the administrator to know your mother's name.

Nurse hours

4.33 /day

Staff turnover

31%

Serious cites

0

Franklin General Hospital runs a tight ship on the numbers that matter most. Nurse staffing sits at 4.33 hours per resident day, roughly 12% above the national average, and the 30.6% turnover rate is well under the national 45.8%, experienced caregivers tend to stay. Weekend coverage dips about 17% below weekday levels, which is worth asking about if your family visits on Saturdays or Sundays. The county-owned home carries 8 deficiencies, none at the harm level, though 2 are abuse-related and deserve a direct question. Inspectors were last on site in May 2025.

Nurse hours

4.37 /day

Staff turnover

46%

Serious cites

0

Humboldt County Memorial Hospital runs a small county-owned unit, 28 beds, and the staffing numbers back up the ratings: 4.37 nurse hours per resident day, about 13% above the national average. The catch is weekends, when coverage drops roughly 17% below its own weekday level, so a fall or a change in condition on a Saturday may get a slower response than on a Tuesday. Turnover sits at 45.9%, essentially identical to the national average of 45.8%, meaning the staff you meet are about as likely to still be there next year as anywhere else. Seven deficiencies on record, none at the harm level and none abuse-related, with an inspection dated February 2026.

Nurse hours

4.78 /day

Staff turnover

24%

Serious cites

0

The Klein Center has a lot working in its favor on paper: 4.78 nurse hours per resident day is roughly a quarter more staffing than the national average, and its 23.8% turnover is about half the national rate, which suggests a stable crew. Weekend coverage slips a bit, about 10% below weekdays, so ask how that plays out on Saturdays. The trouble is the inspection record, 14 deficiencies, including two at the harm level and three tied to abuse, plus two fines totaling $65,094. Quality measures score well, but that history is recent, from May 2025.

Nurse hours

3.98 /day

Staff turnover

24%

Serious cites

0

Chautauqua Guest Home #3 in Charles City runs a tight ship. Staffing sits at 3.98 nurse hours per resident day, just above the national average, and the weekend dip is modest at around 8 percent, not the steep drop-off you see at some homes. What stands out most is the 23.8 percent turnover rate, roughly half the national figure, which suggests people actually stay. The inspection record backs that up: six deficiencies on file, none causing harm, none tied to abuse, and the most recent state visit came in July 2025. For-profit corporate ownership, 57 beds, and quality measures scoring well enough to keep this one worth a look.

Nurse hours

3.86 /day

Staff turnover

35%

Serious cites

0

Valley Vue Care Center runs 40 certified beds in Armstrong under for-profit LLC ownership. Nurse staffing sits at 3.86 hours per resident day, essentially right at the national average, not above it, and weekends run about 11% leaner than weekdays, so coverage thins when families tend to visit. Staff turnover of 35% beats the 45.8% national figure, meaning caregivers here tend to stick around longer than at the typical home. Inspections produced 11 deficiencies with none at harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, and the most recent inspection was March 12, 2026, so the record is current. CMS gives it 4 stars for health inspections, 4 for quality measures, and 5 for staffing.

Nurse hours

4.26 /day

Staff turnover

26%

Serious cites

0

Methodist Manor in Storm Lake runs on a nonprofit model, and its staffing numbers show it. At 4.26 nurse hours per resident day, it sits about 10% above the national average, and it's one of the few homes where the 5-star staffing rating reflects real retention, 25.7% turnover against a national average of 45.8% is unusually steady. Weekends dip only about 6% below weekday coverage, which matters when you're thinking about who's actually on the floor on a Sunday. The caution is in the inspection record: 21 deficiencies, including one at harm level and one abuse-related, with the most recent survey in April 2026. Strong staffing and quality measures, but the compliance history is worth asking about directly.

Nurse hours

4.19 /day

Staff turnover

31%

Serious cites

0

Calvin Community in Des Moines runs on a nonprofit model with 59 certified beds, and the staffing numbers are its strongest suit: 4.19 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 8% above the national average, with a 5/5 CMS staffing star. Weekend coverage dips about 11% below its own weekday level, which is worth knowing if your visits fall on Saturdays or Sundays. Turnover sits at 31.3% against a national average of 45.8%, meaning workers tend to stay longer here than at most homes. The tradeoff is a 3/5 inspection star with 12 deficiencies on record, though none involved harm or abuse, and one fine totaling $4,233. The last inspection was in December 2025, so the record is recent.

Nurse hours

4.35 /day

Staff turnover

35%

Serious cites

0

United Presbyterian Home runs 4.35 nurse hours per resident day, about 13 percent above the national average of 3.86. Weekend coverage drops roughly 14 percent from its own weekday level, so ask how that plays out on a Saturday. Staff turnover sits at 35.1 percent against a national 45.8 percent, which matters for how well aides know your mother's routines. The current record shows 22 deficiencies, including one at the harm level and one abuse-related, with the most recent inspection in July 2025. This is a nonprofit with strong staffing and quality marks, but those two serious citations are the reason to read the inspection reports yourself before deciding.

Nurse hours

4.33 /day

Staff turnover

34%

Serious cites

0

West Ridge Care Center runs 60 beds in Cedar Rapids under corporate ownership, and the numbers behind its record are worth walking through. Nurse staffing sits at 4.33 hours per resident day, roughly 12% above the national average, though weekends dip about 9% below what the home staffs on weekdays. Turnover is 33.9%, well under the 45.8% national figure, which matters because consistent caregivers tend to know residents' routines. The inspection record is thin: one deficiency total, none at the harm level, none abuse-related, with the most recent survey dated January 29, 2026. For a for-profit home, that combination of low turnover, above-average staffing, and a nearly clean survey history is not typical.

Nurse hours

3.33 /day

Staff turnover

23%

Serious cites

0

Fonda Specialty Care runs leaner on nurse hours than the national average, about 3.33 per resident day, roughly 14% under, and weekends dip about 16% below its own weekday coverage, so staffing thinness is real, not a rounding error. What offsets it: turnover at 23.1% sits well below the 45.8% national figure, meaning the aides and nurses who are there tend to stay, which matters more for daily consistency than raw headcount. The 14 deficiencies on record include none at the harm or jeopardy level and none tied to abuse, and the last inspection was in March 2026.

Nurse hours

3.39 /day

Staff turnover

29%

Serious cites

0

Edgewood Convalescent Home holds 56 certified beds in Clayton County and is run by a for-profit corporation. Its recent inspection history is clean: three deficiencies on record, none at the harm or jeopardy level and none tied to abuse, with a survey completed in September 2025. Staff turnover sits at 29.4 percent, comfortably under the national 45.8 percent, which suggests people tend to stay. The trade-off is raw staffing volume, 3.39 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 12 percent under the national average, and weekends drop about 17 percent below the home's own weekday coverage. Those weekend gaps are worth asking about directly.