South DSM News

In the fourth quarter of 2023, West Ridge Specialty Care stood out as the second largest nursing home in Marion County, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Data shows that the nursing center had a total of 78 beds available, five more than the average in Marion County as of the fourth quarter of 2023. They aided an average of 69.3 residents during that period.

West Ridge Specialty Care had an overall rating of 2 from the CMS, which lags behind the average of 2.9 recorded for nursing homes in Iowa.

During the quarter, The Cottages stood out as the largest nursing home in Marion County, with 100 beds available. Accura Healthcare of Knoxville, LLC came in third place, with 60 beds available.

As of the fourth quarter of 2023, West Ridge Specialty Care has already spent a total of $102,545 in three fines and suffered three penalties.

In total, there were two non-profit nursing homes in Marion County, Iowa.

According to US Census data, in 2020, nearly 1 in 6 Americans were aged 65 years or older. Since 1920, the older population skyrocketed from 4.9 million to 55.8 million, reflecting a growth rate of roughly 1,000%, five times higher than the average growth for the overall U.S. population.

A 2021 study suggests that nearly half of this age group, roughly 28 million individuals, may require long-term services and support. Additionally, the study projects that over a third of them may eventually need nursing home care.

“Living a long life is something that many of us want and could get,” said Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, an insurance education group. “But when we live a long life, the chances of us needing long-term care increase exponentially. But when you need that type of care, there are limited options.”

Rank	Nursing Home	Overall Rating
1	The Cottages	4
2	West Ridge Specialty Care	2
3	Accura Healthcare of Knoxville, LLC	1
4	Accura Healthcare of Pleasantville, LLC	1