ElderGrade
D

51/100

Below average

Bethany Lutheran Home

Seven Elliott Street, Council Bluffs, IA 51503

CMS 1/5 stars #6 of 7 in Pottawattamie County (712) 328-9500
Certified beds
112
Occupancy
84%
Ownership
Non-profit
Accepts
Medicare + Medicaid

What to ask about before you visit

These are findings in the public CMS record for this home. They are not our opinion — each one comes straight from a federal inspection or enforcement file.

  • 5 citation(s) involving actual harm or immediate jeopardy

    Inspectors found violations at scope/severity G or above, meaning residents were harmed or placed in immediate jeopardy.

  • $46,914 in federal fines

    CMS has fined this facility across 3 penalty action(s).

How this grade was calculated

Every point is shown. Nothing is weighted behind the scenes — the full formula is on How we grade.

Inspection 0/30 Staffing 22/30 Stability 15/15 Outcomes 9/15 Enforcement 5/10

A full pentagon is full marks. The shape shows what kind of good or bad a home is — two homes can share a score and look nothing alike.

Inspection safety

0/30

Citations from state health inspections over the last three surveys, weighted by how much harm CMS says they caused.

  • -20 for 2 immediate-jeopardy citation(s) in the last 3 years
  • -8 for 2 actual-harm citation(s) in the last 3 years
  • -4.2 for 29 total citations against a national median of 17

Staffing

22/30

Nursing hours per resident per day, adjusted for how sick the residents are, plus RN cover and weekend consistency.

  • 4.68 total nurse hours per resident per day (national median 3.77)
  • 0.3 RN hours per resident per day
  • Weekend staffing drops 7% against weekdays

Staff stability

15/15

How much of the nursing team leaves in a year. High turnover means a resident rarely sees the same face twice.

  • 30% of nursing staff left in the last year

Resident outcomes

9/15

The CMS quality-measure rating, built from resident outcomes like falls, pressure ulcers, infections and antipsychotic use.

  • 3 of 5 stars on the CMS quality-measure rating

Enforcement history

5/10

Fines and payment denials CMS has imposed. A denial of payment means CMS stopped paying for new admissions.

  • $46,914 in federal fines across 3 action(s)

Grade ceiling applied

  • Capped at 64 (grade C) — immediate-jeopardy citation in the last 3 years

Staffing, against the national average

Full detail

Hours of nursing care each resident receives per day. The marker on each bar is the national average.

Total nurse hours per resident per day 3.99 hrs
National average 3.86 hrs Better than average
Registered nurse (RN) hours 0.30 hrs
National average 0.69 hrs Below average

RNs are the licence level most likely to catch a resident deteriorating.

Weekend nurse hours 3.70 hrs
National average 3.42 hrs Better than average

The shift most families visit, and the one thinned first.

Nursing staff turnover 30.40%
National average 45.80% Better than average

The share of nursing staff who left over the last year.

Recent inspection findings

All 43 citations

Last standard health inspection: October 2, 2025 (10 months ago).

D May 21, 2026 F0602 From a complaint

Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies

Protect each resident from the wrongful use of the resident's belongings or money.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

J Oct 2, 2025 F0689 From a complaint

Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.

Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety

F Oct 2, 2025 F0880

Infection Control Deficiencies

Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

E Oct 2, 2025 F0725 From a complaint

Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies

Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Oct 2, 2025 F0637

Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies

Assess the resident when there is a significant change in condition

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Oct 2, 2025 F0644

Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies

Coordinate assessments with the pre-admission screening and resident review program; and referring for services as needed.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Oct 2, 2025 F0656

Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies

Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Oct 2, 2025 F0658

Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies

Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

Who owns this home

Full record
Owner Type Role Since
CARLON, DIANE Individual CORPORATE DIRECTOR
EILTS, SUSANNE Individual CORPORATE DIRECTOR
GOODELL, ALICE Individual CORPORATE DIRECTOR
KRAUL-HENKEL, BECKY Individual CORPORATE DIRECTOR
STEENSLAND, GREG Individual CORPORATE DIRECTOR
SWALWELL, JOHN Individual CORPORATE DIRECTOR
WORTHINGTON, SHARON Individual CORPORATE DIRECTOR
CARLON, DIANE Individual CORPORATE OFFICER
STEENSLAND, GREG Individual CORPORATE OFFICER
SWALWELL, JOHN Individual CORPORATE OFFICER
WORTHINGTON, SHARON Individual CORPORATE OFFICER
BISHOP, ANDREW Individual OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL

What families say

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Common questions about Bethany Lutheran Home

What is the ElderGrade for Bethany Lutheran Home? +

Bethany Lutheran Home holds an ElderGrade of D (51 out of 100), which we describe as "below average". The grade combines its inspection citations, nurse staffing levels, staff turnover, resident outcomes and enforcement history from the federal CMS record.

How many nursing hours does each resident get at Bethany Lutheran Home? +

Residents receive an average of 3.99 nursing hours per day across all nursing staff, against a national average of 3.86 hours.

Has Bethany Lutheran Home been cited for harming residents? +

Yes. 5 of the 43 citations on record were scored at scope and severity G or above, meaning inspectors found actual harm to a resident or immediate jeopardy to resident safety.

Does Bethany Lutheran Home accept Medicaid? +

Yes, Bethany Lutheran Home is certified to accept Medicaid, which is the programme that pays for long-term custodial care once a resident meets their state's income and asset limits.