Iowa

Iowa’s nursing home ranking improved from No. 46 to No. 37; that’s the state’s highest rating in any report card and the first time that the state scored another grade besides an “F”.
Iowa’s direct care staffing hours pushed higher for the third consecutive reporting period; the 13 minutes of reported additional direct care per resident daily lifted the state’s initial failing staffing grade to a “C” this year.
Iowa’s nursing home residents may be hard pressed to receive care from a licensed nurse when needed; at 85 minutes of care per resident daily, Iowa still ranks among the lowest in professional nursing hours (No. 47) when compared to other states.
The percentage of Iowa nursing homes cited a severe deficiency still ranked among the nation’s worst states (No. 41), despite the state showing a modest decline of nearly 12 percent since the last report card.
Iowa’s ombudsman record improved by more than 10 percent since the last reporting period, but the state’s 75 percent verification of registered complaints indicates widespread problems continue in far too many facilities.
Iowa nursing home care ranked near the bottom among the Central Plains Region’s four states.

Criteria	DATA	GRADE	RANK		PREVIOUS DATA	PREVIOUS GRADE	PREVIOUS RANK
Direct Care Staffing Above Average
Direct Care Staffing Hours per Resident
Facilities With Deficiencies
Facilities With Severe Deficiencies
Health Inspections Above Average
Professional Nurse Staffing Above Average
Professional Nursing Hours per Resident
Verified Ombudsman Complaints