12 of the 30 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Polk County, Iowa (40%) are independently owned, and all are listed below. Nurse staff turnover runs 39.2%, 10.9 points lower than the 50.1% across all homes there. 3 of the 12 graded homes earn an A and 1 earn a D or F. Childserve Habilitation Center in Johnston grades highest at A (95 out of 100).
How independently owned homes in Polk County, Iowa compare
This group set against every nursing home in Polk County, Iowa, from the current CMS release.
Nursing hours per resident per day
4.63
All homes in Polk County, Iowa: 4.22
Better than the local average
Nurse staff turnover
39.2%
All homes in Polk County, Iowa: 50.1%
Better than the local average
Average ElderGrade score
78.6/100
All homes in Polk County, Iowa: 75.8/100
Better than the local average
Grade spread
A
B
C
D
3 grade A, 7 grade B, 1 grade C, 1 grade D,
The best-graded independently owned home in Polk County, Iowa is
Childserve Habilitation Center
in Johnston, IA, grade A, 95/100.
Every independently owned nursing home in Polk County, Iowa
Childserve Habilitation Center runs on a level of nursing hours that's unusual even among well-staffed homes, 10.30 per resident per day, against a national average of 3.86. Weekend coverage dips below its own weekday pace, but the baseline is high enough that it stays well ahead of most places. State inspectors turned up 11 deficiencies on the current record, none at the harm or jeopardy level, though three involve abuse, which families should ask about directly. Annual turnover of 33.9% is meaningfully lower than the 45.8% national figure, so the people doing the work tend to stay. The last inspection was in May 2025, so the record is recent.
Scottish Rite Park runs on unusually steady staffing for a 51-bed nonprofit home in Des Moines. Nurses provide 5.15 hours per resident day, roughly a third more than the national average, and only 14% of staff left last year, against a national rate near 46%. Weekend coverage dips about 12% from weekday levels, which is worth asking about, but the bigger caution sits in the inspection record: nine deficiencies, three serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, and six fines totaling $60,726. The most recent state visit was June 2025, so the record is current. Strong care numbers paired with real compliance problems, that mix is what a B reflects.
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.
The Iowa Jewish Senior Life Center runs 46 certified beds as a nonprofit, and its last inspection came in April 2026, recent enough to trust the record is current. What that record shows: 13 deficiencies, none at the harm or jeopardy level and none tied to abuse, plus two fines totaling $18,349. Staffing is where the numbers get thin, CMS gives it 1 out of 5 stars, and annual turnover runs 52.9% against a national average of 45.8%, meaning more than half the staff leaves each year. Inspection and quality-measure ratings both sit at 3 out of 5.
Karen Acres runs a tight ship on inspections and quality measures, a four-star health inspection record and five stars on clinical quality, with no deficiencies at the harm level and nothing abuse-related. The trade-off sits in daily staffing: 3.27 nurse hours per resident, roughly 15% under the national average, and weekends run about 7% thinner than weekdays. That gap matters most when a resident needs help on a Saturday afternoon. Turnover is the bright spot, 37.5% versus 45.8% nationally, so caregivers tend to stick around, which helps in a 35-bed building where everyone knows everyone. One recent inspection, June 2025, with ten deficiencies on record but none serious.
Trinity Center At Luther Park runs on a nonprofit model with 120 certified beds in Des Moines, and its staffing numbers land close to the national average, 3.83 nurse hours per resident day against 3.86 nationally, though weekends dip roughly 10% below its own weekday coverage. What stands out more is retention: 26.3% turnover versus a national average of 45.8%, meaning workers here tend to stay. The trouble sits in inspections. Thirteen deficiencies are on record, including one at the harm level and two tied to abuse, plus a single fine of $162,205. The most recent inspection was December 23, 2025. Families weighing this home should ask directly about those abuse-related findings and what changed since.
Ramsey Village runs a nonprofit home of 78 beds in Des Moines, and its staffing is the strongest part of the picture: 4.05 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 5% above the national average. The catch is consistency, weekend coverage drops about 11% below weekday levels, and turnover sits at 47.1%, just above the national figure. The inspection record is where families should slow down. Thirty-one deficiencies are on file, including one at the harm level and two tied to abuse, and the last inspection was August 2025. A 2/5 health inspection rating alongside that count tells you the day-to-day care environment has drawn repeated federal scrutiny, even while direct care hours look adequate on paper.
Sunny View Care Center in Ankeny runs 94 certified beds under for-profit LLC ownership, and the staffing numbers are where I'd start. At 3.34 nurse hours per resident day, it sits about 14% under the national average of 3.86, and weekends dip roughly 15% below its own weekday levels, so coverage thins out exactly when families tend to visit. Turnover at 44.4% is essentially at the national average, meaning the workforce churns steadily without being an outlier either way.
The bigger concern is the inspection record: 42 deficiencies on file, one serious enough to reach harm or jeopardy level, with the last inspection dated January 2026. Quality and staffing measures land mid-range, but that inspection history is what pulls the overall picture down.
On With Life runs 28 certified beds in Ankeny under nonprofit ownership, and its inspection record is about as light as it gets: one deficiency total, none at the level of actual harm or jeopardy, and nothing abuse-related. The state visited in September 2025, so what you're seeing is current, not a stale five-star rating coasting on an old survey. Quality measures come in at 4 out of 5, meaning outcomes are good but not flawless next to the national pool. The honest caveat is size, with 28 beds, a single bad quarter can move the numbers more than it would at a 120-bed building, so read trends rather than one report.
Accura Healthcare of South Des Moines runs 89 beds under limited liability ownership, and its staffing numbers look decent on paper, 3.93 nurse hours per resident day, a hair above the national average, though weekends drop about 13% below its own weekday coverage. The trouble sits elsewhere: 67 deficiencies on the current record, including four at the harm or jeopardy level and seven tied to abuse, with two fines totaling $52,632. Staff turnover runs 47.6%, higher than the national average, and the health inspection rating sits at 1 out of 5. The most recent inspection was July 2025, so the record is current, not stale. Good weekday staffing alone doesn't offset that inspection history.
On With Life Long Term Care is small, 40 certified beds run by a nonprofit corporation, and its inspection record is genuinely strong: a five-star health inspection rating, seven total deficiencies, and none of them at the harm or jeopardy level or tied to abuse. That's the part families worry about most, and it's clean. The weaker signal sits in the quality measures, where it rates two stars, so the day-to-day clinical outcomes the federal data tracks don't look as good as the survey history. The most recent inspection was December 31, 2025, so the picture is current. A small nonprofit with a spotless harm record is worth a visit; ask specifically about the quality measures before deciding.
Pine Acres holds 140 certified beds in West Des Moines under for-profit LLC ownership, and the nurse staffing figure, 3.84 hours per resident day, sits roughly even with the national average, though weekends run about 7% thinner than weekdays. The record is where the trouble shows: 85 deficiencies, nine of them at harm or jeopardy level and three abuse-related, plus $353,109 in fines across three CMS actions. Staff turnover is 56.9% against a national 45.8%, and CMS has placed the home in its Special Focus Facility program, a designation reserved for the most persistently poor performers. The last inspection was January 8, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many independently owned nursing homes are there in Polk County, Iowa?
There are 12 independently owned Medicare-certified nursing homes in Polk County, Iowa, 40% of the 30 nursing homes there.
Are independently owned nursing homes better staffed?
In Polk County, Iowa they average 4.63 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 4.22 for all nursing homes in Polk County, Iowa, a difference of +0.41 hours. Staff turnover averages 39.2% against 50.1%.
Which independently owned nursing home grades best in Polk County, Iowa?