Des Moines Senior AdvisorCare that comes to the home in Des Moines and Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper, Madison and Guthrie counties falls into three kinds, and Medicare publishes detailed records on two of them. This section holds those records for 20 home health agencies and 12 hospices, 13 and 9 of which have published scores.
What kinds of in-home care are there in Des Moines, and who pays?
Home health is medical care in visits, hospice is comfort care near the end of life, and non-medical home care is hourly help with daily living. They are licensed and paid for differently.
| Home health | Hospice | Non-medical home care | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Nursing and therapy visits ordered by a doctor | Comfort care for a terminal illness | Help with bathing, meals, company and supervision |
| What it is not | Not shifts or round-the-clock help | Not treatment aimed at a cure | Not nursing or medical care |
| Who usually pays | Medicare | Medicare | The family, long-term care insurance or a Medicaid waiver |
| Records here | 20 agencies | 12 hospices | Ask an advisor |
Which Des Moines home health agencies does Medicare rate 4 stars or higher?
4 of the 13 rated agencies in Des Moines and Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper, Madison and Guthrie counties hold 4 stars or more for quality of patient care. The highest rated are:
- Aveanna Healthcare, West Des Moines — 5 of 5 stars, patient survey 4 of 5
- Centerwell Home Health, Urbandale — 5 of 5 stars, patient survey 4 of 5
- Good Samaritan Society-Home Care, Indianola — 5 of 5 stars
- Mercyone Des Moines Home Care, Des Moines — 4 of 5 stars, patient survey 4 of 5
See all 20 home health agencies
Which Des Moines hospices score a full 10 on Medicare's Hospice Care Index?
8 of the 9 scored hospices in Des Moines and Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper, Madison and Guthrie counties meet all ten of the index's visit and discharge indicators. They include:
- Suncrest Hospice, LLC, West Des Moines — index 10 of 10, family survey 4 of 5, about 303 patients a day
- Everystep, Des Moines — index 10 of 10, family survey 4 of 5, about 172 patients a day
- Hospice of the Midwest, LLC, Johnston — index 10 of 10, family survey 4 of 5, about 135 patients a day
- Unitypoint Hospice, Urbandale — index 10 of 10, family survey 4 of 5, about 114 patients a day
- St Croix Hospice, Ankeny — index 10 of 10, family survey 4 of 5, about 113 patients a day
- Wesleylife Hospice, Urbandale — index 10 of 10, family survey 4 of 5, about 106 patients a day
- Care Initiatives Hospice - West Des Moines, West Des Moines — index 10 of 10, family survey 3 of 5, about 49 patients a day
- Mercyone Des Moines Hospice, Des Moines — index 10 of 10, family survey 3 of 5, about 35 patients a day
Last verified: November 2026, against Medicare provider data released 2026-09-21.
Common questions
How many home health agencies are in Des Moines?
20 Medicare-certified home health agencies are based in Des Moines and Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper, Madison and Guthrie counties, and 13 have a published quality star rating.
How many hospices are in Des Moines?
12 Medicare-certified hospices are based in Des Moines and Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper, Madison and Guthrie counties, and 9 have a published Hospice Care Index score.
Does Medicare pay for a caregiver at home?
Not on its own. Medicare pays for skilled home health visits and for hospice. Hourly help with bathing, meals and supervision is paid privately, by long-term care insurance, or by Medicaid.
