12 Nursing Homes in
Des Moines, Iowa

CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) star ratings are the federal government's official quality rating system for nursing homes. Every Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the United States is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 5 being the highest quality. These ratings are based on three equally weighted categories: health inspections, staffing levels, and quality measures.

The overall rating starts with the health inspection rating, then adds or subtracts stars based on staffing and quality measures. A facility with much better than average staffing may gain a star, while one with quality measure concerns may lose one. The final rating is capped between 1 and 5 stars. CMS updates these ratings monthly.

• Health Inspections: Based on the three most recent annual inspections plus any complaint investigations. Inspectors evaluate infection control, medication management, resident rights, and overall care quality.
• Staffing: Measures the number of nursing hours per resident per day, including registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and certified nurse aides (CNAs). Higher staffing generally correlates with better care.
• Quality Measures: Tracks 15+ clinical outcomes like falls, pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections, use of physical restraints, and emergency room visits. These are based on clinical data reported by each facility.

The abuse icon () appears when CMS records show that a facility has been cited for abuse-related deficiencies during a health inspection. This may include physical abuse, verbal abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of resident property. The icon is based on official inspection reports and does not necessarily mean current conditions are unsafe, as facilities may have corrected the issue.

CMS releases updated nursing home data monthly. Our database is refreshed regularly to reflect the latest available CMS data. The "Last updated" date shown on each page indicates when our records were last synchronized with the CMS database. If you notice outdated information, the next data refresh will capture the most current CMS ratings.

The safety score shown on ElderVoice is our proprietary metric that combines the CMS overall rating, staffing levels, health inspection results, and abuse history into a single easy-to-understand score. It is designed to give families a quick snapshot of facility quality, but we recommend reviewing the individual CMS categories and visiting facilities in person before making a decision.

All nursing home ratings, inspection results, staffing data, and quality measures come directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This is the same data available on Medicare's Care Compare tool. Demographic data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Cost estimates are based on the Genworth Cost of Care Survey.