Des Moines Senior AdvisorBy Des Moines Senior Advisor Care Team · September 16, 2026
Across 48 senior-serving certified nursing facilities in the six counties, total nurse staffing runs from 2.92 to 5.86 hours per resident per day, median 4.00. The highest-staffed homes are not always the highest-rated, and CMS's ratings spread widely: 11 five-star and 17 one-star homes.
Why staffing hours matter
When families ask how a nursing home really works, they are usually asking about staffing: how many people are on the floor, how often the same aide comes back, whether a call light gets answered. CMS answers part of that with payroll-based data every certified home must submit. The headline figure is total nurse staffing hours per resident per day, which adds registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and nurse aides and divides by the number of residents.
It is not a ratio for a given shift, and it does not say who is on duty at night. But it is reported the same way everywhere, which makes it the best single number for comparing homes in the Des Moines metro.
The most and least staffed homes in the metro
| Highest staffed | City | Total hours | RN hours | Turnover % | CMS stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deerfield Health Care Center | Urbandale | 5.86 | 1.60 | 28.9 | 5 |
| Newton Village Health Care Center | Newton | 5.69 | 1.62 | 54.3 | 4 |
| Arbor Springs of West Des Moines LLC | West Des Moines | 5.67 | 0.42 | 96.8 | 1 |
| Scottish Rite Park Health Care Center | Des Moines | 5.47 | 1.25 | 14.0 | 5 |
| Spurgeon Manor | Dallas Center | 5.09 | 0.98 | 38.3 | 5 |
| Walnut Ridge | Clive | 4.94 | 1.23 | 30.4 | 5 |
| Lowest staffed | City | Total hours | RN hours | Turnover % | CMS stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accura HealthCare of Carlisle | Carlisle | 3.25 | 0.49 | 52.0 | 1 |
| Traditions Memory Care of Newton | Newton | 3.23 | 0.30 | 30.3 | 3 |
| Azria Health Winterset | Winterset | 3.21 | 0.47 | 45.1 | 1 |
| Valley Vista for Nursing and Rehabilitation | Newton | 3.11 | 0.68 | 69.1 | 2 |
| Adel Acres | Adel | 2.98 | 0.62 | n/a | 1 |
| Panora Specialty Care | Panora | 2.92 | 0.51 | 47.2 | 4 |
Source: CMS Care Compare Provider Information, data as of October 1, 2026. Excludes facilities that mainly serve children or younger adults with brain injury.
Turnover is the other half
Nursing staff turnover, the share of nursing staff who left over a year, has a metro median of 47.2 percent. High turnover means more unfamiliar faces, more agency staff and more chances for small changes in a resident's condition to be missed. A home with average hours but low turnover often feels steadier than one with high hours and constant churn.
Ask any home you are considering what share of shifts are covered by agency staff and how long its charge nurses have worked there. The answer tells you more than a brochure.
How staffing connects to the star ratings
CMS's overall rating combines health inspections, staffing and quality measures. Inspections carry the most weight, which is why a well-staffed home can still hold a low overall rating after a bad survey. In the six-county metro, CMS rates 11 homes at five stars, 10 at four, 8 at three, 5 at two and 17 at one.
Read the staffing star and the health inspection star separately. A home with a strong staffing star and a weak inspection star may have had a specific problem it has since fixed; the reverse pattern deserves careful questions.
Weekend staffing and the RN share
CMS also publishes weekend staffing, and in many homes it drops noticeably on Saturdays and Sundays, when fewer administrative and therapy staff are in the building. If your parent is admitted on a Friday for rehab, the weekend is when gaps show. Ask how many nurses and aides are scheduled on weekend evenings, and whether therapy continues on weekends.
The registered nurse share matters too. RNs assess changes in condition, manage complex medications and supervise licensed practical nurses and aides. The metro median for RN time is 0.64 hours per resident per day. A home with low RN hours may still be well run, but ask who assesses a resident at 3 a.m. when something changes.
Questions to bring on a visit
How many aides work the evening and night shifts on the hall where my parent would live? How many residents does each aide care for? What share of last month's shifts were covered by agency staff? Who is the charge nurse at night, and how long have they been here? How quickly are call lights answered, and does the home track it? Each nursing home page on our site shows its CMS staffing hours and turnover against the metro median, so you can walk in knowing where it stands.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good staffing level for a Des Moines nursing home?
There is no single cutoff; the metro median is 4.00 total nurse hours per resident per day, and higher is generally better.
Where does CMS staffing data come from?
From payroll records each certified nursing home must submit to CMS, published on Care Compare.
Does Iowa set a staffing ratio for nursing homes?
Federal and state rules require sufficient staffing and licensed nurses around the clock, but families should compare the actual hours each home reports.
Why does turnover matter?
Familiar staff notice changes in a resident sooner; high turnover means more unfamiliar and agency staff.
Where can I see each home's figures?
On each nursing home's page in our directory, which repeats the CMS figures with CMS's data date.
