10 of the 80 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Idaho (13%) are government-run, and all are listed below. 5 of the 10 graded homes earn an A and 0 earn a D or F. They average 4.89 nursing hours per resident per day, 0.85 hours above the 4.04 for every home in Idaho. Oneida County Hospital & Long Term Care Facility in Malad grades highest at A (99 out of 100).
How government-run homes in Idaho compare
This group set against every nursing home in Idaho, from the current CMS release.
Oneida County Hospital & Long Term Care runs on county money in a small Idaho town, and the numbers back up the setup. Nurse staffing sits at 5.85 hours per resident day, roughly half again the national average, and weekend coverage dips only about 10% below its own weekday level, a smaller drop than many homes manage. Staff turnover is 26.8% against a national 45.8%, so the people caring for residents tend to stay. Inspectors found 13 deficiencies, none involving harm or abuse, and the most recent visit was in May 2026. Five stars across inspections, quality measures, and staffing, with 33 certified beds, tells you this is a stable, well-run county operation.
The Idaho State Veterans Home in Pocatello runs on state government ownership and 66 certified beds, and its nurse staffing sits at 4.95 hours per resident day, roughly 28% above the national average of 3.86. That number carries real weight, though weekends dip about 14% below the home's own weekday levels, so coverage isn't perfectly even across the week. Turnover runs 48.6%, a bit above the national 45.8%. The current inspection record shows 23 deficiencies, none at the harm or jeopardy level, but 4 are abuse-related, which families should ask about directly. The last inspection was in August 2025, so the record is recent.
Syringa Chalet runs on state government ownership in Blackfoot, and the numbers show a home that's mostly getting the fundamentals right. Nurse staffing sits at 5.79 hours per resident day, roughly half again the national average, and weekend coverage dips only about 9% below weekdays, so care doesn't fall off a cliff on Saturdays and Sundays. Turnover runs 37.3%, better than the 45.8% national figure, which matters because familiar faces tend to know residents' routines. The tradeoff: 22 deficiencies on the current record, two of them serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, and one fine of $13,923. Inspectors were last in on January 22, 2026, so that picture is current.
The Idaho State Veterans Home in Lewiston runs on state money and 66 beds, with nurse staffing at 4.72 hours per resident day, roughly 22% above the national average, and weekend coverage holding fairly steady, down only about 14% from weekdays. Staff turnover sits at 26.9%, well under the national 45.8%, which matters for residents who need consistent faces. But the inspection record is where this home gets complicated: 15 deficiencies, two of them serious enough to endanger residents, five tied to abuse, and a single fine that climbed to $186,850. The most recent inspection was July 2025, so the picture is current. Strong staffing and low turnover are real strengths; those deficiency numbers are equally real.
Bear Lake Memorial runs on thin staffing for a 36-bed county-owned home: 3.74 nurse hours per resident day, a bit under the national average, and weekends drop about 16% below its own weekday coverage. That gap shows up in the federal staffing rating. What offsets it is consistency, 35.3% turnover against a national 45.8% means the aides and nurses who are there tend to stay, which matters more in a small rural facility than raw hours. The inspection record carries 22 deficiencies, one serious enough to involve harm, though none tied to abuse. Quality measures score well; the last survey was February 2026.
Power County Skilled Nursing Facility is a small, government-run home, a hospital district operation with just 21 certified beds in American Falls. The staffing numbers are its strongest card: 4.63 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 20% above the national average, though weekend coverage drops about 17% below its own weekday level, so care may thin out on Saturdays and Sundays. The inspection record is where the concern sits. Forty deficiencies on the current record is a lot for a home this size, even with none at the harm level and none abuse-related. The most recent inspection was June 9, 2026, so the findings are fresh.
The Idaho State Veterans Home in Boise runs on remarkably strong nurse staffing, 4.23 hours per resident day, about 10% above the national average, with a CMS staffing rating that reflects it. The trouble shows up elsewhere. State inspectors recorded 27 deficiencies on the current record, including two at the harm level and four tied to abuse, and the health inspection rating sits at 1 out of 5. That gap between staffing strength and inspection problems is the whole story here. Staff also thin out on weekends, dropping roughly 19% below weekday coverage, so care may look different depending on when you visit. Annual turnover, about 45%, is essentially in line with the national average.
Countryside Care runs on county money in a small Idaho town, and the staffing number is the headline: 5.66 nurse hours per resident day, well above the national average, with a four-star CMS staffing rating to back it. Look closer and the picture muddies. Nearly every employee turned over last year, 97.9% against a national 45.8%, and weekend coverage drops about 11% below weekdays, so the people delivering that care keep changing. Nineteen deficiencies sit on the current record, including one tied to abuse, though none reached the harm level, and the most recent inspection came in September 2025. Quality measures rate two stars, which doesn't square neatly with the staffing advantage.
Franklin County Transitional Care runs on 5.01 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 30 percent above the national average, and its staff turnover of 27.1 percent sits well under the national 45.8 percent, people tend to stay here. Inspectors were in the building recently, in May 2025, and found 17 deficiencies, none of them serious enough to put a resident in immediate harm, though one was abuse-related, which is worth asking about directly. Weekend staffing dips about 10 percent below weekdays, a common pattern but one that matters if your family member needs help on a Saturday.
The state-run veterans home in Post Falls has real nursing hours behind it, 4.27 per resident day, roughly 11% above the national average, but that staffing drops about 13% on weekends, when families often visit. The bigger concern is who's providing that care: turnover runs at 69.8%, well above the national rate of about 45.8%, meaning nearly seven in ten staff left over the past year. Inspections tell a harder story. The home's most recent inspection was August 2025, and its record carries 19 deficiencies, including 2 at the harm level and 3 tied to abuse. Two fines total $36,855. Strong staffing numbers, unstable workforce, and serious inspection findings, weigh those together.
Frequently asked questions
How many government-run nursing homes are there in Idaho?
There are 10 government-run Medicare-certified nursing homes in Idaho, 13% of the 80 nursing homes there.
Are government-run nursing homes better staffed?
In Idaho they average 4.89 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 4.04 for all nursing homes in Idaho, a difference of +0.85 hours. Staff turnover averages 46.1% against 50.3%.
Which government-run nursing home grades best in Idaho?