Des Moines Senior AdvisorWesleylife Hospice is a Medicare-certified hospice based at 4328 114th Street in Urbandale, IA 50322. It has been certified since 2007. It cares for about 106 patients on an average day, making it a mid-sized hospice. It scores 10 out of 10 on Medicare's Hospice Care Index; the Iowa average is 9.5. Family caregivers rate it 4 out of 5 stars. The index flags 3 areas where it is worse than the Iowa average, starting with patients discharged alive after 180 days or more.
What is Wesleylife Hospice's Medicare record?
| Hospice | Wesleylife Hospice |
|---|---|
| Address | 4328 114th Street, Urbandale, IA 50322 |
| Phone | (515) 271-6777 |
| Medicare provider number (CCN) | 161587 |
| Ownership | Non-Profit |
| Medicare-certified since | 11/05/2007 |
How does Wesleylife Hospice score on Medicare's Hospice Care Index?
Wesleylife Hospice scores 10 out of 10 on the Hospice Care Index, which counts how many of ten visit, discharge and staffing indicators a hospice meets. Against the Iowa average it is better on 1 of the indicators below and worse on 3.
| Indicator | Wesleylife Hospice | Iowa average | U.S. average | vs. Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaps in nursing visits longer than 7 days (lower is better) | 24.4% | 33.1% | 52.4% | Better |
| Patients discharged alive within 7 days (lower is better) | 6.6% | 7.7% | 7.3% | About the same |
| Patients discharged alive after 180 days or more (lower is better) | 39.3% | 35.5% | 37.4% | Worse |
| Live discharge followed by a hospital stay and readmission to hospice (lower is better) | 8.2% | 4.6% | 8.5% | Worse |
| Live discharge followed by death in hospital (lower is better) | 0.8% | 1.3% | 2.1% | About the same |
| Nurse minutes per routine home care day | 15.5 min | 19.6 min | 19.9 min | Worse |
| Share of skilled nursing minutes given on weekends | 6.8% | 8.9% | 9.6% | About the same |
| Patients visited by a nurse in the last 3 days of life | 97.3% | 96.2% | 89.3% | About the same |
Separately, 98.4% of its patients received all seven recommended care steps at admission (Iowa average 97.2%) and 75.4% were visited by a nurse or social worker on at least two of their last three days (Iowa average 73.1%).
What do families say about Wesleylife Hospice?
85% of family caregivers said they would definitely recommend Wesleylife Hospice; the Iowa average is 88%. The survey goes to the family member who was the main caregiver, after the patient has died.
| Survey question | Wesleylife Hospice | Iowa average | U.S. average | vs. Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team always communicated well | 78% | 83% | 82% | Worse |
| Team always provided timely help | 81% | 80% | 78% | About the same |
| Team always treated the patient with respect | 92% | 93% | 91% | About the same |
| Right amount of emotional and spiritual support | 93% | 93% | 91% | About the same |
| Patient always got help for pain and symptoms | 75% | 77% | 76% | About the same |
| Caregivers rated the hospice 9 or 10 | 84% | 86% | 83% | About the same |
| Would definitely recommend the hospice | 85% | 88% | 85% | Worse |
Where does Wesleylife Hospice deliver care, and to whom?
56% of wesleylife hospice's care is delivered in a nursing facility and its largest patient group by diagnosis is dementia (26%). It has provided levels of care beyond routine home visits, such as continuous care at home or inpatient stays, in the last three years.
| Where care is delivered | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| In a nursing facility | 56% |
| At home | 33% |
| In assisted living | 10% |
| In a skilled nursing facility | 1% |
| Other locations | 1% |
| Primary diagnosis | Share of patients |
|---|---|
| Dementia | 26% |
| Other conditions | 26% |
| Cancer | 20% |
| Heart and circulatory disease | 19% |
| Respiratory disease | 9% |
| Stroke | 4% |
Which Des Moines-area ZIP codes does Wesleylife Hospice serve?
Wesleylife Hospice tells Medicare it serves 56 ZIP codes in Des Moines and Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper, Madison and Guthrie counties.
- 50001
- 50003
- 50009
- 50021
- 50023
- 50028
- 50035
- 50047
- 50054
- 50063
- 50072
- 50073
- 50109
- 50111
- 50125
- 50127
- 50131
- 50135
- 50139
- 50153
- 50161
- 50166
- 50167
- 50168
- 50169
- 50170
- 50208
- 50210
- 50211
- 50218
- 50220
- 50226
- 50228
- 50229
- 50251
- 50261
- 50263
- 50265
- 50266
- 50273
- 50309
- 50310
- 50311
- 50312
- 50313
- 50314
- 50315
- 50316
- 50317
- 50320
- 50321
- 50322
- 50323
- 50324
- 50325
- 50327
What should you ask Wesleylife Hospice before choosing it?
Ask how eligibility is reviewed
39.3% of its live discharges came after six months or more of care (Iowa average 35.5%). Ask how often the doctor recertifies eligibility and what support is offered if a patient is discharged.
Ask how a crisis at home is handled
8.2% of its live discharges were followed by a hospital stay and a return to hospice (Iowa average 4.6%). Ask who comes to the house in a symptom crisis and how fast.
Ask how long nursing visits last
Its nurses average 15.5 minutes per routine care day, against 19.6 minutes across Iowa. Ask how long a typical visit lasts and whether the same nurse comes each time.
Ask where inpatient care happens
When symptoms cannot be managed at home, hospice provides short inpatient stays. Ask which facility they use and how far it is from the family.
Which other hospices serve Urbandale, IA?
- Unitypoint Hospice — Hospice Care Index 10 of 10
Last verified: November 2026, against the Medicare hospice data release dated 2026-08-07.
Common questions
Is Wesleylife Hospice Medicare-certified?
Yes. Wesleylife Hospice is certified by Medicare under provider number 161587 and has been since 2007.
What is Wesleylife Hospice's Hospice Care Index score?
10 out of 10 in the current Medicare data. The Iowa average is 9.5.
How large is Wesleylife Hospice?
It cares for about 106 patients on an average day.
