Elkader Care Center
116 Reimer Street SW, Elkader, IA 52043
Elkader, Iowa · CMS verdict
CMS rates Elkader Care Center at 4 of 5 stars overall - above-average on the federal scale, and above the Iowa average of 3.1.
The rating and the PlainElderCare Index below summarize federal inspection, staffing, and outcome data, they measure specific, documented dimensions of this facility, not a holistic verdict on the care your family member would receive. Visit in person, talk with staff and current residents' families, and weigh your family member's specific needs before choosing.
Elkader Care Center in Elkader, Iowa holds a CMS overall rating of 4 of 5 stars and a PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index of 73 of 100 (grade C). The 40-bed facility operates where a semi-private nursing-home room in Iowa runs a median of $9,277 per month. Figures are from CMS Nursing Home Compare.
PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index
A transparent composite of this facility's CMS Care Compare sub-ratings and its federal inspection record. It complements, and does not replace, the official CMS overall rating of 4 of 5 stars. How this is calculated.
How the 73 is built
Each segment is a dimension's weighted points toward the score, summing to 73.
Weights: health inspections 30%, staffing 25%, quality measures 25%, inspection record 20%; any dimension CMS has not published drops out and its weight redistributes (no silent deflation). Inspection record is benchmarked against all rated US nursing homes. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Data insights
Quality ratings
On Care Compare (data as of April 2026), Elkader Care Center carries an overall CMS quality rating of 4 out of 5 stars. That figure rolls up three sub-ratings tracked separately: health inspection (4/5), staffing (4/5), and quality measures (3/5).
What each sub-rating measures
The health inspection rating reflects on-site surveyor findings from the last three cycles. The staffing rating compares case-mix-adjusted nurse hours per resident day to national benchmarks, and quality measures aggregate 15 clinical indicators including pressure ulcers, falls with injury, and long-stay antipsychotic use.
Size and setting
Located in Elkader, Iowa, this facility operates 40 certified beds with an average daily census of roughly 25 residents - an occupancy rate of about 63%. The facility is classified under for profit - limited liability company ownership, a designation that can influence staffing patterns, reinvestment decisions, and admissions policy. At roughly 63% occupancy, this facility has meaningful open capacity relative to its certified bed count.
Same-ownership peers
Within Iowa, Elkader Care Center is one of 91 for profit - limited liability company nursing homes CMS rates. Its 4-star overall rating sits above the for profit - limited liability company-segment average of 2.7 stars, ahead of roughly 66% of same-ownership peers in the state. Same-segment comparisons like this one strip out the business-model factor, leaving a cleaner read on facility-level performance than a raw state average would give.
Inspection record
On the regulatory side, federal and state surveyors have documented a moderate number of deficiencies at this facility (4 total). CMS has levied no enforcement penalties over the equivalent window. This volume of findings is worth reading past the count: CMS's F-tag scale separates isolated, low-harm citations from widespread or immediate-jeopardy ones, and only the full report shows which this facility has.
Where these figures come from
The figures above come directly from the U.S. Centers for Medicare \& Medicaid Services Nursing Home Compare dataset for federal quality ratings, combined with the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey of more than 15,000 elder-care providers nationwide and U.S. Census American Community Survey income data. Cost figures are monthly medians, refreshed annually with each new CareScout release; quality ratings are refreshed quarterly from the CMS Provider Information File. Read these state and county medians as benchmarks, then verify current rates with individual providers and consult care managers before making placement decisions. See our methodology for source vintage.
How Elkader Care Center compares to Iowa
CMS five-star sub-ratings (0–5) for this facility against the Iowa facility-weighted average. Source: CMS Care Compare.
Bar = this facility's rating · vertical marker = Iowa state average. Higher is better on all four CMS measures.
Where Elkader Care Center ranks in Iowa
Among the 388 CMS-rated nursing homes in Iowa, Elkader Care Center’s 4-star overall rating is higher than 56% of them. The bars show how all Iowa homes spread across the CMS 1-to-5 scale; this facility’s band is highlighted.
85 Iowa homes share this 4-star rating. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Facility details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Beds | 40 |
| Residents | 25 |
| Ownership | For profit - Limited Liability company |
| County | Clayton |
| Penalties | 0 |
| Deficiencies | 4 |
Source: CMS Care Compare Nursing Homes (data as of April 2026)
What do families ask most?
What is the quality rating for Elkader Care Center? ▾
CMS rates Elkader Care Center at 4 out of 5 stars overall. The three sub-ratings behind that number: health inspection 4/5, staffing 4/5, quality measures 3/5.
How much does a nursing home cost per month in Iowa? ▾
The median cost for a semi-private nursing home room in Iowa is $9,277 per month ($111,325 annually). A private room averages $10,038 per month. Costs are from the CareScout 2025 survey.
What services does Elkader Care Center offer? ▾
With 40 beds with approximately 25 current residents, Elkader Care Center is a skilled nursing facility. It operates under for profit - limited liability company ownership, and CMS's inspection record shows 4 deficiencies and 0 penalties.
Does Elkader Care Center have any deficiencies or penalties? ▾
Elkader Care Center has multiple deficiencies (4 total) and 0 penalties recorded by CMS. A count in this range makes it worth asking staff or the facility directly which findings were minor paperwork versus resident-care issues.
What are the alternatives to a nursing home in Iowa? ▾
In Iowa, alternatives include assisted living ($5,381/mo), home health aides ($7,836/mo), and adult day care ($1,614/mo).
Elder Care Guides
Explore PlainElderCare
Related Resources
Compare cost and CMS quality across the state on the Iowa elder-care overview, or see how facilities rank nationwide in our highest-rated states ranking.
Weigh nursing care against assisted living, home health, and adult day care, with national median costs, on our care types comparison, and learn how to fund it in our paying for elder care guide.
Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare. Provider ID: 165391.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.