The 10 Best Nursing Homes in Ankeny, IA for 2023
With its attractive downtown and capital city amenities, Ankeny has all of the charm of a small village with many of the services that a larger city typically provides. A suburb of Des Moines, the Ankeny metro area is home to about 56,000 residents and is considered one of the most secure areas to live in the entire United States. Persons aged 65 and over account for 10% of the population. Seniors living in Ankeny can access many medical services, both within the town and in nearby Des Moines. The Iowa Clinic Ankeny Campus provides an array of medical care options in addition to handling urgent care needs. The Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines is a state-of-the-art health care center that offers specialty clinics, support groups and balance classes.
According to the Genworth 2020 Cost of Care Survey, nursing home costs in Ankeny are somewhat cheaper than the national average of $7,756 per month. Ankeny’s average costs are $7,148 a month for a semiprivate room in a nursing home.
Nursing homes offer 24-hour emergency care and supervision, room and board, medication monitoring and personal care services, all of which can become expensive. This level of care may not be necessary for individuals who choose to live in a less restrictive environment by utilizing home health care or assisted living arrangements.
Directory of Nursing Homes in Ankeny, IA
Mill-Pond
1201 Southeast Mill Pond Court, Ankeny, IA, 50021
Mill-Pond is a facility in Ankeny, Iowa that provides both nursing home and assisted living services for its residents. Relatives, guests, and residents all express happiness with the level of comfort
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Mill-Pond is a facility in Ankeny, Iowa that provides both nursing home and assisted living services for its residents. Relatives, guests, and residents all express happiness with the level of comfort and care provided by the nurses and staff. Guests comment favorably on the homey and friendly the community and frequently mention the delicious food and the big helpings. There are a wide variety of activities for residents to enjoy, including ice cream socials, tea parties, Wii bowling, baseball and field trips; often there are at least two events scheduled each day.
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Mill-Pond is a facility in Ankeny, Iowa that provides both nursing home and assisted living services for its residents. Relatives, guests, and residents all express happiness with the level of comfort
… (read more)
Mill-Pond is a facility in Ankeny, Iowa that provides both nursing home and assisted living services for its residents. Relatives, guests, and residents all express happiness with the level of comfort and care provided by the nurses and staff. Guests comment favorably on the homey and friendly the community and frequently mention the delicious food and the big helpings. There are a wide variety of activities for residents to enjoy, including ice cream socials, tea parties, Wii bowling, baseball and field trips; often there are at least two events scheduled each day.
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The Bridges At Ankeny
3510 Northwest Abilene Road, Ankeny, IA, 50023
My husband was at The Bridges at Ankeny, and he received excellent care. I was very happy with the care, and I was especially happy with their discharge planning because they were very clear about wha
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My husband was at The Bridges at Ankeny, and he received excellent care. I was very happy with the care, and I was especially happy with their discharge planning because they were very clear about what his needs were and that kind of thing. They have a very nice and wonderful staff. My husband was on soft food, and they had to grind up all the food and everything. He was on a special diet, and as far as I could tell, it was fine. But my husband didn’t like having to be on a special diet. His room was private, and it was good. The facility was beautiful, very well kept, and new. I didn’t see any activities, and my husband didn’t want any. But he did have physical therapy, so that kept him occupied. Medicare paid for this at this point because he came from a hospital.
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My husband was at The Bridges at Ankeny, and he received excellent care. I was very happy with the care, and I was especially happy with their discharge planning because they were very clear about wha
… (read more)
My husband was at The Bridges at Ankeny, and he received excellent care. I was very happy with the care, and I was especially happy with their discharge planning because they were very clear about what his needs were and that kind of thing. They have a very nice and wonderful staff. My husband was on soft food, and they had to grind up all the food and everything. He was on a special diet, and as far as I could tell, it was fine. But my husband didn’t like having to be on a special diet. His room was private, and it was good. The facility was beautiful, very well kept, and new. I didn’t see any activities, and my husband didn’t want any. But he did have physical therapy, so that kept him occupied. Medicare paid for this at this point because he came from a hospital.
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Bishop Drumm Retirement Center
5837 Winwood Drive, Johnston, IA, 50131
I walked through Bishop Drumm Retirement Center. It looked good. It was pretty clean. There were quite a few people around, and it seemed rather pleasant. The staff that gave the tour was great. He wa
… (read more)
I walked through Bishop Drumm Retirement Center. It looked good. It was pretty clean. There were quite a few people around, and it seemed rather pleasant. The staff that gave the tour was great. He was really good. The dining area looked really nice. The rooms were basically like hospital rooms with just a curtain between them, so I didn’t care too much for that. They said that in the mornings, they have a coffee break in a particular room. They have music outside when the weather permits, and they have a nice patio area. Inside, they would have different activities and different people would come in. While I was there, no one was there. There were two or three of them sitting visiting.
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I walked through Bishop Drumm Retirement Center. It looked good. It was pretty clean. There were quite a few people around, and it seemed rather pleasant. The staff that gave the tour was great. He wa
… (read more)
I walked through Bishop Drumm Retirement Center. It looked good. It was pretty clean. There were quite a few people around, and it seemed rather pleasant. The staff that gave the tour was great. He was really good. The dining area looked really nice. The rooms were basically like hospital rooms with just a curtain between them, so I didn’t care too much for that. They said that in the mornings, they have a coffee break in a particular room. They have music outside when the weather permits, and they have a nice patio area. Inside, they would have different activities and different people would come in. While I was there, no one was there. There were two or three of them sitting visiting.
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Valley View Village
2571 GUTHRIE AVENUE, Des Moines, IA, 50317
My mother stayed at this facility from April 1 to June 3rd 2021 for physical rehab for 2 broken wrists. So my experience has nothing to do with there long term care.
The facility is clean and well m
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My mother stayed at this facility from April 1 to June 3rd 2021 for physical rehab for 2 broken wrists. So my experience has nothing to do with there long term care.
The facility is clean and well maintained, and the desk staff and nurse are all very nice. But the Admin staff is a nightmare regarding communications or just to try and speak to someone to ask questions about why our mother wasn’t receiving adequate care. Days would pass before we would even receive a response and this occurred every time.
Night staff is cut to a minimum for maximize profit, your loved ones will wait 15-20 min. after the call bell is pushed. I stayed several overnights and it was just due to low staffing for to many residents.
This was not a good experience and it did not end well. I cannot recommend this place for any type of rehab.
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My mother stayed at this facility from April 1 to June 3rd 2021 for physical rehab for 2 broken wrists. So my experience has nothing to do with there long term care.
The facility is clean and well m
… (read more)
My mother stayed at this facility from April 1 to June 3rd 2021 for physical rehab for 2 broken wrists. So my experience has nothing to do with there long term care.
The facility is clean and well maintained, and the desk staff and nurse are all very nice. But the Admin staff is a nightmare regarding communications or just to try and speak to someone to ask questions about why our mother wasn’t receiving adequate care. Days would pass before we would even receive a response and this occurred every time.
Night staff is cut to a minimum for maximize profit, your loved ones will wait 15-20 min. after the call bell is pushed. I stayed several overnights and it was just due to low staffing for to many residents.
This was not a good experience and it did not end well. I cannot recommend this place for any type of rehab.
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Azria Health Park Place
2401 East 8th Street, Des Moines, IA, 50316
My mom has moved into Azria Health Park Place. The one thing I like about them is I loved how quickly they acted on getting admitted. They worked hard and diligently into keeping in contact with mysel
… (read more)
My mom has moved into Azria Health Park Place. The one thing I like about them is I loved how quickly they acted on getting admitted. They worked hard and diligently into keeping in contact with myself, my brother, and the hospital because she was coming from the hospital. I enjoyed the conversations with the people there because you feel like they are not just health care professionals, but it felt like they cared like a family member. They truly hit home with the concerns that I had for my mom. That’s what I liked about them. There’s nothing that I hate about them, yet, at all. They have just been great.
It’s really cute. It’s an older place, but they modernized it. They make sure it’s up to date, and they have state of the art equipment there. One things that my mother loves about them is their beds. I laid down on it, and I said, "Oh, my goodness." They care so much about the people. Even the bed and the mattresses that they have for these people are top of the line. My mom was in a skilled nursing center after surgery back in January and February, and the beds were horrible because you could tell she was crying. But this nursing home, wow, their beds are wonderful. All modern, and I love it.
They have a salon for their folks. They have lots of activities there. Their calendar is full. I looked at their activity calendar. These people don’t play around. There’s something going on for their folks each and every day. They’re interacting with their people. You never look at the nurses and say, "Oh, I don’t want to bother them because they’re so busy." They completely smile at you and take the time. I don’t believe it’s a front; I believe these people are genuine. I just love them. They keep their people busy.
I have seen them with the carts. I know their kitchen is in the basement, so I see the food people going in and out. They have a huge eating area for these people, and I’ve seen them taking the food in there. I was going out the door. As far as I know, it’s pretty good. They give them a lot of different options. So, if something’s not to their liking on the menu, they always have another choice. It’s so nice. I like that they do that for the people there. They don’t just throw that in and say, this is what it is, so here you go.
These places that I toured gave me a lot of hope for my mom. What I’m trying to convey to other people is, no one’s saying you’re a bad person because you’re doing this. There are people out there that really do care and really do help. I just want people to be able to go talk to these places if they need help because they’ll help them.
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My mom has moved into Azria Health Park Place. The one thing I like about them is I loved how quickly they acted on getting admitted. They worked hard and diligently into keeping in contact with mysel
… (read more)
My mom has moved into Azria Health Park Place. The one thing I like about them is I loved how quickly they acted on getting admitted. They worked hard and diligently into keeping in contact with myself, my brother, and the hospital because she was coming from the hospital. I enjoyed the conversations with the people there because you feel like they are not just health care professionals, but it felt like they cared like a family member. They truly hit home with the concerns that I had for my mom. That’s what I liked about them. There’s nothing that I hate about them, yet, at all. They have just been great.
It’s really cute. It’s an older place, but they modernized it. They make sure it’s up to date, and they have state of the art equipment there. One things that my mother loves about them is their beds. I laid down on it, and I said, "Oh, my goodness." They care so much about the people. Even the bed and the mattresses that they have for these people are top of the line. My mom was in a skilled nursing center after surgery back in January and February, and the beds were horrible because you could tell she was crying. But this nursing home, wow, their beds are wonderful. All modern, and I love it.
They have a salon for their folks. They have lots of activities there. Their calendar is full. I looked at their activity calendar. These people don’t play around. There’s something going on for their folks each and every day. They’re interacting with their people. You never look at the nurses and say, "Oh, I don’t want to bother them because they’re so busy." They completely smile at you and take the time. I don’t believe it’s a front; I believe these people are genuine. I just love them. They keep their people busy.
I have seen them with the carts. I know their kitchen is in the basement, so I see the food people going in and out. They have a huge eating area for these people, and I’ve seen them taking the food in there. I was going out the door. As far as I know, it’s pretty good. They give them a lot of different options. So, if something’s not to their liking on the menu, they always have another choice. It’s so nice. I like that they do that for the people there. They don’t just throw that in and say, this is what it is, so here you go.
These places that I toured gave me a lot of hope for my mom. What I’m trying to convey to other people is, no one’s saying you’re a bad person because you’re doing this. There are people out there that really do care and really do help. I just want people to be able to go talk to these places if they need help because they’ll help them.
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Trinity Center at Luther Park
1555 HULL AVENUE, Des Moines, IA, 50316
My sister-in-law moved into Trinity Center ay Luther Park. It was just right down the road from where we live, so it was just really handy. And we knew some people that had some family members there,
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My sister-in-law moved into Trinity Center ay Luther Park. It was just right down the road from where we live, so it was just really handy. And we knew some people that had some family members there, and they were all really happy with it. So that was kind of why we went that way.
I think she is getting really good care, and they are in contact with us constantly about things. She quit eating and everything, so they contacted us, and we just put her on hospice this morning. I really can’t say anything bad except for COVID. They can’t go back to their rooms because of COVID, but that’s not their fault. We haven’t run into anybody that we haven’t liked.
Anytime I’m there, the food smells wonderful. From what she has eaten, which is not much, she said it was good. The facility was clean and homey. It doesn’t look like a nursing home. It was pretty presentable. I’m happy with it. The staff members that I’ve met were all very nice and very accommodating.
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My sister-in-law moved into Trinity Center ay Luther Park. It was just right down the road from where we live, so it was just really handy. And we knew some people that had some family members there,
… (read more)
My sister-in-law moved into Trinity Center ay Luther Park. It was just right down the road from where we live, so it was just really handy. And we knew some people that had some family members there, and they were all really happy with it. So that was kind of why we went that way.
I think she is getting really good care, and they are in contact with us constantly about things. She quit eating and everything, so they contacted us, and we just put her on hospice this morning. I really can’t say anything bad except for COVID. They can’t go back to their rooms because of COVID, but that’s not their fault. We haven’t run into anybody that we haven’t liked.
Anytime I’m there, the food smells wonderful. From what she has eaten, which is not much, she said it was good. The facility was clean and homey. It doesn’t look like a nursing home. It was pretty presentable. I’m happy with it. The staff members that I’ve met were all very nice and very accommodating.
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Bishop Drumm Skilled Nursing
5837 Winwood Drive, Johnston, IA, 50131
After my life altering accident, the cnas, nurses and staff were caring and have put me on a great road to recovery. They created a comfortable, healing environment & helped me set up my room and
… (read more)
After my life altering accident, the cnas, nurses and staff were caring and have put me on a great road to recovery. They created a comfortable, healing environment & helped me set up my room and electronics to feel as close to home as possible. Thank you all so much! This place has an outstanding therapy dept. They have given me the most wonderful gift of teaching me to walk again! Thank you everyone!
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After my life altering accident, the cnas, nurses and staff were caring and have put me on a great road to recovery. They created a comfortable, healing environment & helped me set up my room and
… (read more)
After my life altering accident, the cnas, nurses and staff were caring and have put me on a great road to recovery. They created a comfortable, healing environment & helped me set up my room and electronics to feel as close to home as possible. Thank you all so much! This place has an outstanding therapy dept. They have given me the most wonderful gift of teaching me to walk again! Thank you everyone!
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Polk City Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
1002 West Washington Avenue, Polk City, IA, 50226
We found Polk City Nursing & Rehabilitation Center for my brother. It’s a care center also. He’s been there probably about five weeks now. His situation has improved. The skilled care there has be
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We found Polk City Nursing & Rehabilitation Center for my brother. It’s a care center also. He’s been there probably about five weeks now. His situation has improved. The skilled care there has been exceptional. They’ve really helped him improve his situation. He’s much better than he was when we first took him in. I’m very impressed with the staff. He is on Medicaid, so his room is a typical Medicaid room. It’s a little bit bigger than what we have looked at other places. It meets what we expected. The food seems fine; I know he’s very, very happy with it. The place is very clean. You can tell that they try to keep the public areas, the sitting areas, and everything clean.
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We found Polk City Nursing & Rehabilitation Center for my brother. It’s a care center also. He’s been there probably about five weeks now. His situation has improved. The skilled care there has be
… (read more)
We found Polk City Nursing & Rehabilitation Center for my brother. It’s a care center also. He’s been there probably about five weeks now. His situation has improved. The skilled care there has been exceptional. They’ve really helped him improve his situation. He’s much better than he was when we first took him in. I’m very impressed with the staff. He is on Medicaid, so his room is a typical Medicaid room. It’s a little bit bigger than what we have looked at other places. It meets what we expected. The food seems fine; I know he’s very, very happy with it. The place is very clean. You can tell that they try to keep the public areas, the sitting areas, and everything clean.
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is a Caring Star Community
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Nursing Home Costs in Ankeny, IA
A semiprivate room in an Ankeny nursing home averages $7,148 a month. The corresponding price for a private room is $7,604.
The Cost of Nursing Home Care in Nearby Cities
When comparing the monthly average costs of semiprivate nursing home rooms in Ankeny with those of other areas, Ankeny’s costs are $608 cheaper than that of the average U.S. city. However, Ankeny’s nursing home costs are $578 more expensive than the state average. Seniors living in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City pay $608 and $289 less a month, respectively, for nursing home care than they do in Ankeny, while equivalent care in the Waterloo area is just $30 cheaper per month.
The Cost of Other Types of Senior Care
Other types of senior care in Ankeny are important to consider when comparing costs. Adult day care services are the least expensive option at $1,517. Home care and home health care cost $5,148 a month each, with assisted living facilities slightly less pricey at $5,005. Nursing homes are more expensive, with a semiprivate room averaging $7,148 and a private room costing $7,604 per month.
Note: Data for Ankeny was unavailable, so data for the nearest city, Des Moines Area, was used instead.
Financial Assistance for Nursing Home Care in Ankeny, 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 Ankeny, IA
This table of resources may be helpful for seniors living in Ankeny. Some of the services and programs listed make it easier for the elderly to age in place in their own homes, delaying or completely avoiding nursing home placement. Other resources help seniors better understand and get the nursing home care they need.
| Resource | Contact | Service |
| Polk County Senior Services | 515-286-3484 | Polk County offers senior citizen services at the Ankeny Senior Citizen Center. Transportation to community dining sites is available, as are rides for weekly grocery shopping trips. A Meals on Wheels program delivers lunches to homebound seniors; a financial management counseling service is also offered to seniors and others with low incomes. Other Polk County services include fitness classes, tai chi lessons and bingo games. An annual Senior Fest & Health Fair is held each May at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. |
| Ankeny Service Center | 515-965-1976 | This organization coordinates and provides services such as the Our Daily Bread program, which offers baked goods twice weekly to Ankeny seniors in need. The Ankeny Service Center also provides transportation assistance for medical appointments and errands, food vouchers for perishable items, and referral services to other service organizations. |
| Aging Resources of Central Iowa | 515-255-1310 | This Area Agency on Aging serving Polk County helps seniors live independent and dignified lives in their homes and neighborhoods. The organization helps older adults connect with useful services and programs, such as the Arthritis Foundation’s Walk With Ease program, which helps keep seniors active and prevent falls. A family caregiver program answers questions and provides emotional support to loved ones. A variety of nutrition and wellness programs include hot-meal delivery, congregate meals, nutrition education and similar assistance. |