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The 10 Best Nursing Homes in Des Moines, IA for 2024

A growing community of older adults live in Iowa’s state capital of Des Moines. Over 12% of the city’s estimated 215,000 residents are seniors aged 65 and over. Des Moines is home to many medical facilities that may benefit its older population, including the UnityPoint Health and Mercy One hospitals. According to data from Genworth’s 2020 Cost of Care Survey, the average monthly price for a semiprivate nursing home room in Des Moines is $7,148, which is $608 per month lower than the U.S. average.

Skilled nursing facilities provide both short-term rehabilitation and long-term care for seniors who need 24/7 supervision, medical services and help with daily living tasks. Because of the around-the-clock medical care provided, nursing homes cost a lot more than other types of senior care. Depending on circumstances and specific needs, older adults may delay transitioning to a nursing home by first looking at more affordable options, such as home care services and assisted living communities.

In this guide, we discuss the cost of nursing home care in Des Moines and compare it with prices in nearby cities and other types of care. We’ve also included a list of helpful programs available to seniors in the city.

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Nursing Home Facilities in Des Moines, Iowa

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Nursing Home Costs in Des Moines, IA

A semiprivate room in a Des Moines nursing home costs $7,148, per month, while the equivalent price for a private room is $7,604.

The Cost of Nursing Home Care in Nearby Cities

The monthly price for a semiprivate room in a Des Moines nursing home is $578 more expensive than the state median, but it’s significantly under the U.S. average of $7,756. 

Compared to other cities in Iowa, the monthly cost for skilled nursing facilities in Des Moines is on the higher end of the spectrum. The most affordable median prices are in Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, where skilled nursing facilities cost $6,540 and $6,722, respectively. In Iowa City ($6,859) and Ames ($7,080), the average pricing is closer to Des Moines but still less expensive. 

Des Moines

$7,148

Iowa

$6,570

The United States

$7,756

Ames

$7,080

Iowa City

$6,859

Cedar Rapids

$6,540

Dubuque:

$6,722

The Cost of Other Types of Senior Care

While the price in Des Moines for a semiprivate room in a nursing home is $456 cheaper than a private room in the same type of facility, there are other less expensive care options for seniors. The most affordable is adult day health care at $1,517 per month. Another option is residential care in an assisted living community, which costs $5,005 on average. Seniors who prefer to remain in their own home may opt for home care or home health care services at the median cost of $5,148 per month. 

Home care

$5,148

Home health care

$5,148

Adult day health care

$1,517

Assisted living

$5,005

Nursing home (semiprivate room)

$7,148

Nursing home (private room)

$7,604

Financial Assistance for Nursing Home Care in Des Moines, IA

Many seniors and their families use some form of financial assistance to help them pay for nursing care. The main options available are Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans benefits. These programs can be complicated, especially when it comes to benefit terms. Below, we give a brief overview of how these programs may be used towards paying for skilled nursing care.

  • Medicare: Medicare will typically cover all skilled nursing costs for the first 20 days of one’s stay in a nursing home and a portion of the costs until day 100. After 100 days in a skilled nursing facility, Medicare will not cover any part of the cost of the stay. While this is adequate when short-term care is needed, those in need of long-term care will need to either pay out-of-pocket or use another source of financial assistance.
  • Medicaid: Medicaid covers most of the costs of living in a skilled nursing facility for those who qualify. Care, room, and board are covered with no time limit, but residents may be charged for extras like specially prepared food or cosmetic services. Medicaid eligibility standards are strict and complex, so not all seniors are eligible for Medicaid benefits.
  • Veterans Benefits: Veterans receiving a VA pension may also be eligible for the Aid and Attendance benefit administered by the VA. Aid and Attendance is a monthly allowance that beneficiaries may use to pay for their long-term care, including skilled nursing care.

If these options aren’t available to you, check if your loved one has long-term care insurance or contact your Area Agency on Aging to ask about any local financial assistance programs for seniors.

Free Resources for Seniors in Des Moines, IA

We’ve put together this list of free or low-cost resources available to seniors in De Moines. They may be useful in helping older adults remain in their homes for as long as possible, and provide seniors and their caregivers with a better understanding of the support available when they need to transition into nursing home care. 

ResourceContactService
Aging Resources of Central Iowa(515) 255-1310The Aging Resources of Central Iowa acts as the first point of contact for seniors who are trying to navigate the array of aging resources in Des Moines. Services include options counseling, referrals to other agencies and case management with ongoing support.  
Senior Health Insurance Information Program(800) 351-4664This program can help older adults and their family members understand and make informed decisions about Medicare coverage. SHIIP counselors offer unbiased advice and help seniors compare Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medigap and prescription drug coverage and provide options to help reduce their costs. 
The Polk County Commodity Supplemental Food Program(515) 286-3655Offered by Polk County and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this program provides food and nutrition counseling to adults who are at least 60 years old. Homebound seniors may receive regular deliveries of food items such as milk, pasta and canned goods along with dietary advice. 
The Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services Elderly Waiver(515) 256-4606This program helps Medicaid-eligible seniors who want to delay moving into a nursing facility receive the care they need at home. The waiver provides financial aid to cover the cost of homemaker, skilled nursing, respite and a number of other services.  
Long-Term Care Ombudsman(515) 725-3308The Long-Term Care Ombudsman is an independent state-funded agency that makes sure facilities such as nursing homes comply with care quality standards. Ombudsmen also investigate complaints filed by seniors and their loved ones and act as advocates on their behalf to get the issues resolved. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Reviews of Communities Nearby

Nursing Homes

Mark R.

I am a friend or relative of a current/past resident

Review of Valley View Village

Most of the daytime staff in memory care are attentive and want to help residents. Weekend and some night staff not so good -- maybe understaffed, maybe lazy and they wait for morning crew to...

Provider response

Thank you, Mark, for taking the time to leave a review. We would greatly appreciate learning more about your experience. Please contact us directly to address your concerns.

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Nursing Homes

Karen

I am a friend or relative of a current/past resident

Review of Luther Park Community

My mother is at The Trinity Center at Luther Park Community. She's been there for a couple of years. They had raised the price and I thought we would have to move her but we found a way to not move...

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Nursing Homes

Reviewer#RD1211e

I am a friend or relative of a current/past resident

Review of Valley View Village

My mom has moved into Valley View Village. It's an open, friendly, clean environment. However, the least part of it is the inability to make a connection phone-wise without all kinds of extra...

Provider response

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts about Valley View Village. We appreciate your insights, as they help us in our ongoing efforts to enhance our services. Should you have any...

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Caring.com

Caring.com is a leading online destination for caregivers seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones. We offer thousands of original articles, helpful tools, advice from more than 50 leading experts, a community of caregivers, and a comprehensive directory of caregiving services.

 

The material on this site is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, financial, professional, or medical advice or diagnosis or treatment. By using our website, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

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