The Best Nursing Home Communities in Dallas County, IA

"This community offered both a senior living community and an assisted living center complete with doctor and nursing staff. The amenities are fabulous and the staff is caring and always pleasant, even the high school kids working in the dining center. My 90-year-old grandmother has plenty of activities to be involved in, and they took great care of my grandfather as he became ill and eventually passed. I can't think of a better place for them to be. "

"Each time I visited the Rowley Masonic Home, the staff greeted me cheerfully and inquired about my family. Each team member offered assessments from her / his own unique perspective (nurse, medication aide, dining attendant, CNA) and this gave me a much clearer picture about my grandmother's physical and emotional well-being. I never felt like I had to pry in order to obtain information nor was I made to feel like a bother. The staff were very kind. Even my grandmother -- who is accustomed to living independently and prefers to be alone -- remarked at how caring and lovely everyone was to her. They never patronized her and always engaged her in lively, intelligent conversations. The medication aide was very patient on those few occasions when grandmother would repeatedly ask about whether it was time for her pills, forgetting that she had taken them earlier in the day. The CNAs would encourage grandmother when she was doing her physical therapy exercises and would marvel about the great shape she was in for her age. The dining staff would drop by to remind her of meal times and give a brief overview of what choices were on the menu. Each time I was present at meal time, I was impressed with the quality and presentation of the food. It always looked and smelled delicious and was certainly not the stereotypical bland, boring hospital food! The dining room was comfortable and the meals were served restaurant-style. Although the lodgings were a bit small, they were cozy and residents were encouraged to bring items from home to make the stay more comfortable. Staff even assisted our family while we moved in a favorite chair, coffee table, reading lamp, and television. When it came time for my grandmother to leave, the staff seemed genuinely sad to see her go, but they also were very supportive of her desire to get back to her own home. I would not hesitate to recommend this facility to others who are considering assisted living facilities for their loved ones. "

"My mother is in Eden Acres in Perry. She likes it there, but she's too independent, too cognizant, too outgoing to feel tied up. She was there with my dad and my dad passed. She was in assisted living with my father and then he went to long term care in the same facility, so she stayed in assisted living to be close to my dad who was just down the hall. The facility is extremely clean and well taken care of. My mom's assisted living apartment is almost as big as my 800 sq ft house. She paid $2800 and everything is included. If she moved 20 miles closer to Des Moines, it would have cost her $4400, so the price is definitely right. A $1500 difference is a lot of money for someone that's retired. They cover everything. I know that it's tiered; as far as the assisted living. My mom is in tier 1 because she doesn't really need a lot of help, they just come in for temperature checks every day. She gets her food, too, because the price includes everything. It's very clean. The long-term place that my dad was also in were single rooms. He didn't have to share rooms with anybody. The rooms also include an ensuite bathroom, which you don't find in many places. I've eaten there with her before as well. They have 3 different chefs there and I can honestly say that the food was exceptional. It's just a beautiful facility and it's 28 miles from Des Moines so I would highly recommend it to everyone."

"My dad is in Brio of Johnston, and that place is like the Taj Mahal. They provide physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and some cognitive help. His room is basically one room. It is very clean. He has a bed that looks like a supersized bed. He has a window, a dresser, and a nice bathroom with a walk-in shower. Their staff is wonderful. They're very attentive. Their main thing there is to let the residents live their lives, like having their own say in what they do or don't do. Their food is excellent. They even have a restaurant in that place. They have plenty of activities to do, too. We're not actually paying for it because it's insurance. However, we did try to get him in there, and they've got a waiting list, so I would say the value for their money is top-notch."

"We really like Arbor Springs of West Des Moines and the people there. It's such a good experience. Mom always says she likes the food. We haven't had a problem with them at all. "

"My mom was at Edgewater for six weeks. Her experience there was wonderful, but we had to leave because Medicare wouldn't pay for it any more. I loved the staff that were there, they were very helpful, and my mom liked them. She liked the food there better than where she's at now. Her room was adequate and definitely nice. There was a bed, a chair, and a restroom facility. If she would've stayed longer, she could have had some of her own things in there to help make it feel more like home."

"The first thing that I can say is "Wow." UHCC has a great staff and right after walking in through the front doors, it is very opening and welcoming and home like. I visited for my grandfather and while he did not go to this facility for distance reasons, I know he would have been happy. They offer a diverse menu, several activities and lots of lounging areas so families can come and visit as much and whenever they would like to. I am disappointed that he could not go as Urbandale Health Care Center would have been the closet thing to home with all of the amenities and caring staff to be there to help him 24/7. "

"My mom is staying in Karen Acres Health Care Center. They have several different wings for different care types. They've got one big community room where everybody gathers for their meals, or for any of the activities that they have. They do have a section that's kind of set off to the end that's more of a quiet section. There's sofas and they can sit by the windows. The employees are all very attentive. They're very caring, very personable, and they keep in touch with me as to what's going on with her, and how she's doing. It's a small facility, so they're very well staffed, and everybody is so friendly. Mom participates in some of the activities. She enjoys playing bingo with them. Some of the other activities, she just likes to sit and watch, and compliment everything everybody else is doing."

"My brother has been at Polk City for about 5 years now, he loves the staff and says the food is really good. My brother and his wife joined our brother for a Thanksgiving dinner they said the food was excellent. My brother loves all the activities and we have had no issues with his stay so far."

"My parents will move into Bishop Drumm Retirement Center. The apartment building that they're moving into is not ready yet. It was a faith-based decision. We have dealt directly with one staff member, she's apparently in-charge of bringing in people, and she was amazing. The room has got nice, big windows, very bright, it's a lot smaller than what they have been used to, but that's to be expected. They have a maintenance staff who will spruce things up, and whatever they want to do in terms of putting things on the wall, mounting a television, they can do any of that. The staff will add additional outlets if they need them, so they're very accommodating."

"My grandma is at Bishop Drumm. The staff is nice and accommodating. I think they just need to focus on teamwork. She says that the food is too bland. They do things like ice cream outings, bingo, and different stuff for the residents to enjoy. "

"The apartments are nice and require no buy in. The staff is helpful and very friendly. You receive that small town care and friendliness, as if you are family. The staff call to check on you every day and are on call for emergencies. They are connected through an underground hallway with the Nursing Home. When my father was in the home, my mother could walk over to visit him without worrying about the weather. I would recommend the Madrid Home Community to anyone looking for care in Central Iowa. "

"My mother was placed at Fountain West November of 2016. While the staff was at times short handed , the full time staff we always found to be caring and compassionate from the kitchen, laundry, nursing staff to the administration. We are grateful for the love our Mother was shown during the time she was there. "

"My initial experience or thought about manor care was negative the first staff member just seem unhappy and not pleasant at all. As we went on I can honestly say how I was become truly intrigued and eager to see more. The rest of the staff was pleasant and eager to help, even the residents we saw seem to be not only cheery but interacting with staff. The place itself was fairly new and seemed to be in great shape. The rooms were of nice size and comfortable form having phone,TV and internet. I was shocked to see game rooms, community rooms and was really wowed when they showed us the beauty parlor and a small exercise area . Beside the first mentioned staff, the only thing I found unpleasant was the exterior seemed to me plain Jane and boring. All in all I would rate this a really nice place and would feel OK having a family member staying there. "