Iowa Best Medicaid Nursing Homes 2026

Nurse hours

4.74 /day

Staff turnover

25%

Serious cites

0

The Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown runs 702 certified beds as a state government operation, and the numbers behind its record are unusually steady. Nurse staffing sits at 4.74 hours per resident day, about 23 percent above the national average of 3.86, and weekend coverage dips only about 14 percent below its own weekday level, a gap that's common but worth knowing if your visits fall on Saturdays or Sundays. Staff turnover is 24.7 percent against a national average of 45.8 percent, meaning caregivers here tend to stay. The home carries just two deficiencies on its current record, neither at the harm level and none abuse-related, with its last inspection dated April 16, 2026.

Nurse hours

4.85 /day

Staff turnover

28%

Serious cites

0

St Francis Manor runs on unusually deep staffing for a nursing home, 4.85 nurse hours per resident day, roughly a quarter above the national average, and its weekend coverage drops only about 12% from weekdays, which is a smaller dip than many homes show. Staff turnover sits at 27.6% against a national 45.8%, so the people caring for residents tend to stay. The inspection record is thin: two deficiencies total, none at the harm or jeopardy level, though one is abuse-related, which is worth asking about directly. The most recent inspection was in May 2026. As a nonprofit, there's no owner extracting a margin.

Nurse hours

4.79 /day

Staff turnover

29%

Serious cites

0

Story Medical Senior Care runs on county ownership, and the numbers back up what that stability usually buys: 4.79 nurse hours per resident day, roughly a quarter above the national average, with staff turnover at 29.3% against a national 45.8%. Five deficiencies on the current record, none at the harm or jeopardy level, though three are abuse-related, worth asking about directly. Weekend staffing drops about 18% below weekday levels, a common pattern but still a gap you'd want to know about. The last inspection was April 30, 2026, so the record is recent. Quality and staffing measures both sit at the top of CMS's scale.

Nurse hours

6.02 /day

Staff turnover

21%

Serious cites

0

Accura Healthcare of New Hampton runs on 6.02 nursing hours per resident day, roughly 56% above the national average, and its staff turnover sits at 21.4%, less than half the national rate. That stability matters more than any single inspection finding, since consistent caregivers tend to notice changes in a resident's condition sooner. The trade-off is a three-out-of-five on health inspections, with 18 deficiencies on record, including one abuse-related citation, though none rose to the level of actual harm or jeopardy. The most recent inspection was July 31, 2025, so the picture is current. For-profit corporate ownership, 52 beds, and weekend staffing that dips about 5% below weekday levels, worth asking about if your visits fall on Saturdays or Sundays.

Nurse hours

4.23 /day

Staff turnover

33%

Serious cites

0

Terrace Glen Village runs 4.23 nurse hours per resident per day, roughly 10% above the national average, but weekends dip about 10% below its own weekday coverage, worth asking how that gap gets covered. Staff turnover sits at 32.6%, well under the 45.8% national figure, which suggests people stay. Inspections in November 2025 turned up 10 deficiencies, 3 serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, though none abuse-related, and the 4/5 health inspection rating reflects that mixed record. Quality and staffing measures both came back 5/5. Corporate for-profit ownership of a 40-bed home means fewer layers between decisions and residents.

Nurse hours

5.21 /day

Staff turnover

37%

Serious cites

0

Spurgeon Manor runs on 5.21 nursing hours per resident per day, which is about a third more than the national average of 3.86. That extra coverage holds up on weekends too, down roughly 8% from its own weekdays, but still well above what most homes staff any day. Staff turnover sits at 36.6%, noticeably under the 45.8% national figure, so the people caring for residents tend to stick around. The nonprofit's inspection record shows 8 deficiencies, none at the harm level and none abuse-related, with a state survey completed in September 2025. Its staffing and quality ratings both come in at 5 out of 5.

Nurse hours

4.92 /day

Staff turnover

41%

Serious cites

0

Nurse staffing at Meth-Wick runs 4.92 hours per resident day, about 27% above the national average, and the weekend dip is modest, roughly 11% below its own weekday level, which is smaller than what many homes show. Staff turnover sits at 40.5%, below the national 45.8%, and the inspection record is thin: two deficiencies total, none at the harm level and none abuse-related, with the most recent inspection in July 2025. This is a nonprofit home in Cedar Rapids with a stable workforce, recent clean surveys, and staffing that holds up on weekends, the things that tend to matter most when you're choosing care for someone you love.

Nurse hours

4.44 /day

Staff turnover

41%

Serious cites

0

Woodland Terrace runs a hundred beds in Waverly as a nonprofit, and its staffing is the strongest part of the picture: 4.44 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 15 percent above the national average of 3.86. Weekend hours dip about 6 percent below its own weekday level, and staff turnover sits at 40.9 percent, a few points better than the 45.8 percent national figure. The record isn't clean, though. Fourteen deficiencies are on file, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and two tied to abuse. Inspectors last visited in May 2025. So you're weighing generous daily staffing and strong quality measures against a citation history that includes serious findings, worth asking the administrator directly how those were resolved.

Nurse hours

4.14 /day

Staff turnover

12%

Serious cites

0

Sunrise Terrace runs a tight ship on paper, and the numbers hold up. Staffing sits at 4.14 nurse hours per resident day, about 7% above the national average, and weekend coverage dips only slightly below weekdays, a modest gap that suggests the schedule doesn't fall apart on Saturdays. The standout is turnover: 12.1% against a national average near 46%, which means the people caring for your family member are more likely to still be there next year. One deficiency on the current record, none involving harm or abuse, and the most recent inspection was in July 2025. A for-profit corporation owns it, so watch the margins, but the state survey results are recent and clean.

Nurse hours

10.30 /day

Staff turnover

34%

Serious cites

0

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.

Nurse hours

4.15 /day

Staff turnover

25%

Serious cites

0

Titonka Care Center runs on a nonprofit model with 26 beds, and the staffing numbers are its strongest card: 4.15 nurse hours per resident day, about 7% above the national average. Turnover sits at 25% against a national 45.8%, which matters in a small rural home where knowing residents is half the job. The catch is weekends, when coverage drops roughly 22% below its own weekday level. Nine deficiencies are on record, none involving harm or abuse, and the most recent inspection was April 2026, so the picture is current. Quality and inspection ratings both land at 4 out of 5, staffing at 5.

Nurse hours

4.45 /day

Staff turnover

36%

Serious cites

0

Heartland Care Center runs 38 beds in Marcus under nonprofit ownership, and the staffing numbers are the first thing that stands out: 4.45 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 15 percent above the national average. Weekend coverage dips about 20 percent below its own weekday level, which is common but worth knowing if your visits fall on Saturdays or Sundays. Staff turnover sits at 35.5 percent, better than the 45.8 percent national figure, so the people caring for residents tend to stick around longer than elsewhere. The inspection record shows 18 deficiencies, none at harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, with the most recent inspection in May 2026.

Nurse hours

5.36 /day

Staff turnover

28%

Serious cites

0

Wilton Retirement Community runs a small 34-bed nonprofit home in Muscatine County, and the staffing numbers stand out: 5.36 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 39% above the national average. Weekend coverage dips about 10% below its own weekday level, which is worth knowing if you're planning visits or worrying about Saturday care. Staff turnover sits at 28.3% against a national 45.8%, so the people caring for residents tend to stay. On the record: seven deficiencies, none at harm or jeopardy level, one abuse-related, with the most recent inspection dated December 31, 2025. Five stars on health inspections, five on staffing, four on quality measures.

Nurse hours

5.15 /day

Staff turnover

14%

Serious cites

0

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.

Nurse hours

3.58 /day

Staff turnover

30%

Serious cites

0

Clarence Nursing Home runs 46 certified beds under corporate for-profit ownership, and its recent inspection history is genuinely clean, a July 2025 survey with seven deficiencies on record, none of them rising to harm or jeopardy. The two abuse-related citations are worth asking about directly, since those tend to describe how the home handles incidents rather than the incidents themselves. Staffing sits at 3.58 nurse hours per resident day, about 7% under the national average, and weekends run roughly 10% thinner than weekdays, so coverage isn't perfectly even. What offsets that is retention: 30% turnover against a national 45.8% means aides and nurses here tend to stay.