Des Moines Senior AdvisorBy Des Moines Senior Advisor Care Team · September 9, 2026
Since January 2023, DIAL has fined 20 of the metro's 79 assisted living programs, 27 fines in all, mostly $500 to $6,000 each. Most programs have none. A fine tells you a serious or repeated problem was found; the monitoring report tells you what it was.
Iowa publishes its fines in bulk
Few states make it easy to see which assisted living buildings have been penalized. Iowa does: DIAL's Health Facilities database has a public Assessed Fines Report listing every state fine with the date the surveyors left the building, an enforcement number, and the amounts issued, adjusted, suspended, paid and owed. We pulled the report for visits ending from January 2023 on and matched each fine to a certified program in the six-county metro by name and certificate type.
The result: 20 programs with at least one fine, 27 fines in all, and 59 programs with none in the window.
The programs with state fines since 2023
| Program | City | Fines | Issued | After adjustment | Latest visit exit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Village of Ankeny AL | Ankeny | 2 | $10,000 | $10,000 | May 1, 2024 |
| Courtyard Estates at Hawthorne Crossing | Bondurant | 3 | $9,500 | $7,050 | August 13, 2026 |
| Meadowview of Johnston MC | Johnston | 1 | $6,000 | $6,000 | January 20, 2026 |
| Assisted Living at Copper Shores Village | Pleasant Hill | 1 | $7,500 | $4,875 | February 27, 2024 |
| Gardens at Luther Park | Des Moines | 2 | $7,500 | $4,875 | September 3, 2025 |
| Homesteaders at Holland Farms | Norwalk | 1 | $6,000 | $3,900 | June 29, 2026 |
| Holland Farms Senior Living | Norwalk | 1 | $5,000 | $3,250 | March 3, 2023 |
| StoryPoint Kettlestone (memory care) | Waukee | 1 | $3,000 | $3,000 | August 7, 2025 |
| Morningstar at Jordan Creek MC | West Des Moines | 3 | $4,000 | $2,600 | February 26, 2026 |
| StoryPoint Timberline (memory care) | Urbandale | 1 | $4,000 | $2,600 | June 5, 2025 |
| StoryPoint Ankeny (memory care) | Ankeny | 1 | $4,000 | $2,600 | April 6, 2026 |
| StoryPoint Riverwoods | Des Moines | 1 | $2,500 | $2,500 | July 23, 2026 |
| Heritage Court Assisted Living | West Des Moines | 2 | $3,000 | $2,125 | December 23, 2024 |
| Grand Living at Tower Place MC | West Des Moines | 1 | $2,000 | $2,000 | December 3, 2024 |
| Addington Place of Des Moines Memory Care | Des Moines | 1 | $3,000 | $1,950 | March 26, 2026 |
| Lakeside Village | Panora | 1 | $3,000 | $1,950 | September 8, 2025 |
| StoryPoint Altoona (memory care) | Altoona | 1 | $1,500 | $1,500 | December 18, 2023 |
| Bickford Cottage Urbandale | Urbandale | 1 | $2,000 | $1,300 | February 19, 2024 |
| Addington Place of Des Moines | Des Moines | 1 | $500 | $500 | August 7, 2024 |
| Regency Assisted Living | Norwalk | 1 | $500 | $325 | February 1, 2023 |
Source: Iowa DIAL Assessed Fines Report, visits ending January 2023 to November 2026, matched to the DIAL Entity Report.
Why the adjusted amount is usually lower
Iowa law cuts a civil penalty by 35 percent when a program does not contest it and pays within 30 days. That is why so many adjusted amounts are exactly 65 percent of the amount issued, for example $6,000 becoming $3,900. A fine that stays at the full amount usually means the program contested it, paid late, or the reduction did not apply.
The maximums are set in the rules: up to $10,000 when a problem creates imminent danger or a substantial probability of death or physical harm, up to $5,000 for failing to correct a problem on time or for retaliating against a tenant, family member or employee, and up to $1,000 for interfering with a monitor.
What a fine does and does not mean
A fine is a signal, not a verdict. It means DIAL found a regulatory insufficiency serious enough, or persistent enough, to penalize. It does not say whether the problem was a single medication error, a staffing failure or something more serious, and it does not say whether the problem was fixed. A program with no fines may still have had findings that ended with a plan of correction, which never appear in the fines report.
Nursing facilities are a different picture: 46 of the metro's 52 nursing facilities appear in the same report, with far larger totals, because federal and state enforcement for nursing homes is heavier and more frequent.
How Iowa decides the size of a fine
The rules list what DIAL weighs: how often and how long the problem occurred, whether it was isolated or widespread, the program's history with the same kind of problem, its culpability, the harm or risk to tenants, how it relates to other problems, what the program did afterward, and how accurate its records were. A program that found and fixed a problem quickly, with good documentation, should expect a smaller penalty than one that ignored repeated warnings.
How to use this on a tour
If a program you are considering appears in the table, ask the manager what the surveyors found on that visit, what changed afterward, and who checks that the fix holds. Then ask to read the monitoring report itself, which Iowa requires programs to share on request. A clear, specific answer is a good sign; a vague one is worth noting. Our facility pages list every fine with its amounts, alongside the approximate date of the program's last DIAL visit.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Iowa publish assisted living fines?
In DIAL's Health Facilities database, under Reports, in the public Assessed Fines Report.
Why are many Iowa fines reduced by 35 percent?
Iowa law reduces a civil penalty by 35 percent when the program waives a contest and pays within 30 days.
Does a fine mean a program is unsafe now?
Not necessarily; it means a serious or repeated problem was found on a past visit. Ask what changed and read the report.
Can a program be fined for retaliating against a family who complains?
Yes, up to $5,000 under 481 IAC 67.16.
Where do I file a complaint?
With DIAL through its online complaint portal or by calling (515) 381-7272; complainants' identities are kept confidential.
