Elkader Care Center
116 Reimer Street SW, Elkader, IA 52043
Elkader, Iowa · CMS verdict
CMS places Elkader Care Center in the above-average range 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). Its CMS inspection record lists a moderate number of deficiencies. Figures are from CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Quality & Compliance Index (thinner bed book)
Its certified bed capacity sits in the lower U.S. bed tercile (≤80). 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 star rating shown at the top of the page. 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.
Elkader Care Center's thinner certified-bed book
Quality ratings
On Care Compare (data as of April 2026), the overall star is a roll-up of three separately tracked sub-ratings: health inspection, staffing, and quality measures. The comparison chart below shows where each one sits relative to Iowa.
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. Bed capacity and average daily census, where CMS reports them, are in Facility details below. Its ownership type, listed in Facility details, 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; the counts are in Facility details below. 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
Figures above come from CMS Nursing Home Compare (Care Compare, data as of April 2026) with state cost medians from the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey. See our methodology for 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. How its three sub-ratings compare with the Iowa average is charted above.
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? ▾
Elkader Care Center operates as a skilled nursing facility. For the specific care and therapy services, contact the facility: CMS data covers capacity, ownership, ratings, and inspections, not a service menu.
Does Elkader Care Center have any deficiencies or penalties? ▾
Elkader Care Center has multiple deficiencies and no penalties recorded by CMS; the counts are in the Facility details table. 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).
Keep reading
Also see the Iowa elder-care overview and highest-rated states. Provider ID: 165391.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.