The Best Nursing Home Communities in Mills County, IA

"My mom was a resident of North Crest Living Center. She needed help with getting herself toward the end, on and off the toilet, and combing her hair. The staff was wonderful. They were kind. They cared about my sisters and me, as well as our mother. I watched them interact with others who were residents there, and I just thought they were terrific. The cleanliness was pretty good. They had an area for watching television that people gathered in throughout the day, like the typical birdcage with birds flitting in and around, and being entertaining, and lots of people would sit and watch that. Our mom didn't participate much, but I believe there was bingo. There was a lady who came in once a week and played the piano very nicely over the lunch hour. I glanced in, but I didn't go into the bathroom and shower. It looked fine. It looked clean. It looked large so people could get in and out easily with wheelchairs and walkers. They have a physical therapy area where they had mom walking, trying to get her to use her arm more, and those people were kind and helpful. In that room, it looked completely like it had everything it needed. The front office staff were okay. They were good. The laundry facility was great. So I think on the whole, it was not as elegant as her assisted living place, but she had a room to herself, and we had it decorated and it was fine."

"My brother is in St. Joseph Villa Nursing Center in Omaha. He says they give him good care. They've all had their shots now, so they are able to assemble with safe distancing, of course, and I suppose masking, too. He's able to play his ukulele. He also plays other instruments like banjo, guitar, and clarinet. He says the food is excellent. He brags about the food all the time, and they bake a lot of stuff. He is not private pay, so it's hard to find a place that will take him because all he has is Social Security. He doesn't have any other money. He has a roommate, and there is a curtain between the two of them. He's by the window, and he can see out, but of course it's cold there, and it's snowy, but his family can come and stay outside and see him. He has a big-screen TV, and he has pictures on the wall. He's as content as he can be. We'd like him to have a private room, but that's not going to happen, I guess. He has occupational therapy and physical therapy there at St. Joe's. They have him walking with a cane now. They have helped him with rehab. He has nothing bad to say about the place. It's important that the food is good, because it's terrible to be in a place where you know the food is awful. I've never been there, and of course if I were there, I wouldn't be able to go in. He's a good person, and he's so complimentary and nice to people, so everywhere he goes, he says, "They're so good to me," so I couldn't really talk about how the staff is."

"Hillcrest was vibrant, and it’s like a resort. They have a full theater and another big room that they use for activity for people that come. There’s a university that comes twice a month with programs. It’s not as expensive as some of the others I’ve looked at. The girl that I have been working with has been very cordial and helpful. "

"Bethany Lutheran Home is a nursing home. The cleanliness was very good, and there was hardly ever any smell. We had a friend there, and we visited her quite frequently. We had been in some other nursing homes, and I feel the smell is very important. At Bethany Lutheran, there was very few times that you would even notice a smell which I consider outstanding. They were very caring. The activities are very good. My friend had two people in the same room. I didn't have any idea on what the financial cost was, but I would imagine if cost wasn't a factor you'd probably want to have your own room. She did have complaints about the food, but we ate several times with her, and I don't fault them for that. They are doing very well for the many people that they serve. "

"My mom has been at Omaha Nursing and Rehab for almost 3 yrs..i give them 10 stars.. My mom receives the best care from eveyone from nurses, aides, dietary staff, social director, volunteers etc..i would never have her anyplace else"

"My husband is in Midlands Living Center for long-term care. It's close to me, and it's VA-approved. The rooms are sufficient. They have church services. They have a pet rabbit. They get my husband involved, which is amazing. The staff is very good. The food is not my cooking, but it's sufficient. VA's paying for it. I think the price is about average compared to other places."

"Papillion Manor is a very clean facility. They have strived to give the nursing facility a very homey feeling. They have locked cabinets where they keep the residents special treasures, which gives the items security and give you a feeling of the resident. The facility features 3 dining areas and has multiple sitting areas for residents to congregate. Currently they are decorated with a Halloween type theme. The staff is very friendly and they seemed to have learned not only my mother's name, but the family's names as well. They do seem to be very busy, so sometimes you have to wait for help, but they try very hard to be prompt. They allow the patients to choose from several different menus. Food is good but not great. Sometimes the food isn't as warm as she would have liked. The therapy staff at the facility are extremely proficient, friendly and hard working. My mother feels that she has gained great strides in her physical abilities since coming to Papillion Manor. Since my mother was extremely concerned about going to the home, she feels she is receiving good treatment and is very glad she chose Papillion Manor. "

"I think she did marvelously at The Lutheran Home. She went there because she had a problem with her spine and they were able to work with her from that stage until she was able to go to an independent living apartment. I think they didn’t have not enough activities. I also observed that most of the residents really didn’t come out of the building. I was able to eat several times and I thought their food is pretty good. "

"Both my parents are residents here, and my mom had chronic issues with skin breakdown BEFORE she came in. I must say the staff has done an excellent job of keeping her skin in good condition and keeping her well-nourished. The activity program is well-developed. My dad recently went on hospice services, and the facility has been supportive of the additional support staff coming in. Only once in 6 years did the staff fail to notify me that one of my parents had been admitted to the hospital- and when that error was identified, the head nurse filed an incident report and took corrective action immediately. Overall, the facility is clean and well-kept. Staff turnover is a concern, as it is everywhere. I wish they had a day room or activity room, because residents usually hang out around the front desk area or in their rooms. As an occupational therapist, this facility was not my first choice but overall I have been happy with the care they have provided my parents. "

"The Douglas County Health Center is very clean. If I would compare it with other facilities in the area, I think the staff is a lot more caring and knowledgeable. The staff is highly trained to care for patients with Alzheimer's and Dementia. I haven't heard any complaints about the food. There are 4 people to a room. I would recommend this facility to others. "

"This is a small facility "” offering 12 rooms of assisted living and 20 of skilled nursing. The main street nearby is busy, but the facility itself is on a quieter street, and rather peaceful. There's nothing exciting about the exterior"”a small building that looks like an office building as opposed to being homey. There is an outside area for residents to use, but it's not too appealing. When you enter, there is a nurses' station, but no separate reception area. The whole place is clean and free of odors, but has the look and feel of a "regular nursing home." There are no common areas beyond a separate eating lunchroom and TV room at the end of end hall. There doesn't seem to be an activities director, although the nursing staff organizes occasional ice cream socials. Most residents seem to keep to themselves and the staff doesn't seem to do much to engage them. The food is offered in a variety of styles"”including pureed and fortified, and the staff accommodates requests as much as possible and helps feed those who need assistance. The food generally doesn't look too appetizing, but the residents don't complain about it much. The caregiving staff is a nice group"”certified nursing assistants, medication aides and LPNs. The nursing staff focuses on how to keep the residents safe and healthy"”and they work together and communicate well in this small facility. There is an adequate number of staff to care for the residents. No one complains about giving a helping hand. The best fit for Lindenwood might be someone in need of more longterm care, since there is not a lot of stimulation for those who are able to be more independent. Medicaid is accepted. "

"My dad was at Nebraska Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The staff was friendly when I visited. The rooms were pretty good. There was a bed, a couple of chairs, and a table. There was a little couch, a TV, and a dormitory size refrigerator in the room. The security and safety seemed to be good. They had cameras at the entrances. I would probably refer this facility to my friends. "

"In 2013, I broke my leg, and then I had surgery. I did rehab at the Ambassador in Omaha. I was there for about a month. They were helpful, yes. They helped me do all kinds of things. They helped me dress, eat, shower, go to the bathroom, do some physical therapy, those kinds of things. I had a private room. It was comfortable and came with most of the amenities you might expect -- a TV set, hospital bed, a chair and stuff for visitors. The food was OK. The dining room was a big room with many tables. They had, I believe, tablecloths on the tables. It was clean. The nursing staff was good. One thing was that I could not go outside without someone with me, and I thought that was a little restrictive. "

"I was at Maple Crest Care Center. It was very good. They treated me well. The food was good. The physical and occupational therapy was very good too. The services were fine and the staff was good. They were always cleaning. They had something going on everyday. We played Bingo twice a week and we had outings to Wal-Mart."