Des Moines Senior AdvisorWhich comparisons matter most under Iowa's rules?
The ones that follow the state's own lines: an assisted living program versus a nursing facility (does the person need more than part-time health care or two-person help), a general program versus a dementia-specific one, and paid help at home versus a move (how many hours, and what happens at night).
National websites often describe care in categories that do not match Iowa's certificates and programs, so we compare by certificate and payment path instead of brochure labels. Each comparison ends with a side-by-side table and links to the rules, costs and directory pages that back it up.
How should we use these comparisons?
Use them to settle the type of certificate and the payment route first, then use the directory to see which metro programs hold that certificate, and only then compare individual buildings on cost, staffing, last survey and fines.
The assisted living roster filters by county, city and type and sorts by units.
Comparisons: every guide
Assisted living or memory care for a parent with memory loss
How Des Moines families choose between a general assisted living program and a dementia-specific (memory care) program under Iowa rules: the Global Deterioration Scale, wandering, staffing, training and cost.
Open the guide →Assisted living or a nursing home in central Iowa
How Des Moines families decide between an Iowa assisted living program and a nursing facility: the 28-hour part-time care rule, two-person transfers, medical instability, hospice, costs and payment.
Open the guide →Paid help at home or a move to assisted living
How Des Moines families weigh home care against assisted living: Iowa's 2025 medians ($41 an hour vs. $5,100 a month), the break-even point, night-time needs, isolation and Elderly Waiver options for each.
Open the guide →Short-term rehab or long-term nursing home care
The difference between a Medicare-covered rehab stay and long-term nursing home care for Des Moines families: the three-day rule, how long Medicare pays, choosing a skilled nursing facility and what happens when rehab ends.
Open the guide →Home health care or private-duty aides
The difference between Medicare home health and private-duty home care for Des Moines families: who provides each, what Medicare covers, what the Elderly Waiver adds and how to use both after a hospital stay.
Open the guide →Hospice or palliative care
The difference between hospice and palliative care for Des Moines-area families: eligibility, what Medicare covers, where each is delivered, inpatient hospice houses and how to choose a hospice.
Open the guide →