NW Iowa News

In the fourth quarter of 2023, Lakeside Lutheran Home stood out as the largest nursing home in Palo Alto County, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Data shows that the nursing center had a total of 55 beds available, 11 more than the average in Palo Alto County as of the fourth quarter of 2023. They aided an average of 37.5 residents during that period.

Lakeside Lutheran Home had an overall rating of 3 from the CMS, which is higher than the average of 2.9 recorded for nursing homes in Iowa.

During the quarter, Emmetsburg Care Center stood out as the second largest nursing home in Palo Alto County, with 50 beds available. Ruthven Community Care Center came in third place, with 46 beds available.

As of the fourth quarter of 2023, Lakeside Lutheran Home has already spent a total of $39,212 in 12 fines and suffered 12 penalties.

In total, there were two non-profit nursing homes in Palo Alto 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	Lakeside Lutheran Home	3
2	Emmetsburg Care Center	4
3	Ruthven Community Care Center	3
4	West Bend Health and Rehabilitation	3
5	Palo Alto County Hospital	5