NW Iowa News

In the fourth quarter of 2023, Sanford Senior Care Sheldon stood out as the largest nursing home in Obrien County, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Data shows that the nursing center had a total of 70 beds available, 15 more than the average in Obrien County as of the fourth quarter of 2023. They aided an average of 46.6 residents during that period.

Sanford Senior Care Sheldon had an overall rating of 2 from the CMS, which lags behind the average of 2.9 recorded for nursing homes in Iowa.

During the quarter, Community Memorial Health Center stood out as the second largest nursing home in Obrien County, with 68 beds available. Prairie View Home came in third place, with 61 beds available.

As of the fourth quarter of 2023, Sanford Senior Care Sheldon has spent a total of $4,712 in two fines and suffered two penalties.

In total, there were three non-profit nursing homes in Obrien County, Iowa.

According to US Census data, in 2020, nearly 1 in 6 Americans were aged 65 years or older. Since 1920, the older population skyrocketed from 4.9 million to 55.8 million, reflecting a growth rate of roughly 1,000%, five times higher than the average growth for the overall U.S. population.

A 2021 study suggests that nearly half of this age group, roughly 28 million individuals, may require long-term services and support. Additionally, the study projects that over a third of them may eventually need nursing home care.

“Living a long life is something that many of us want and could get,” said Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, an insurance education group. “But when we live a long life, the chances of us needing long-term care increase exponentially. But when you need that type of care, there are limited options.”

Rank	Nursing Home	Overall Rating
1	Sanford Senior Care Sheldon	2
2	Community Memorial Health Center	1
3	Prairie View Home	5
4	Aspire of Primghar	1
5	Aspire of Sutherland	1