Home›Iowa›Shelby County›Salem Lutheran Home
D
Poor

Salem Lutheran Home

2027 College Avenue · Elk Horn, IA 51531

7127644201 · For profit - Corporation

64 beds57 residents153 staff
CMS Five-Star Ratings
Overall
★★★★★
Staffing
★★★★★
Quality
★★★★★
Inspections
★★★★★
Staffing Grades
D
Poor
Total Staff
B
Good
RN Staff
D
Poor
Overall
✗CMS Benchmark(≥ 3.48 HPRD)
✗RN Recommendation(≥ 0.75 HPRD)
✗Research Standard(≥ 4.10 HPRD)
📋

What This Means in Plain English

Salem Lutheran Home receives an overall staffing grade of D (Poor). With 2.9453 total nurse hours per resident per day, this facility falls below the CMS staffing benchmark of 3.48 HPRD and has RN staffing of 0.5758 HPRD, below the recommended 0.75. It is 0.95 HPRD below the national average.

Weekend staffing drops significantly — dropping 26.46% compared to weekdays. The facility relies heavily on temporary agency staff (28.62% of hours), suggesting potential workforce instability.

Staffing levels have been declining over recent quarters — worth monitoring.

🔍 Areas of Concern (5)

⚠️Had 2 days with zero registered nurse hours this quarter. While below the 4-day threshold for an auto 1-star rating, any zero-RN day is a concern.
🚨Does not meet the CMS staffing benchmark of 3.48 HPRD. Current: 2.9453 HPRD — needs 0.53 more hours per resident per day.
⚠️RN staffing (0.5758 HPRD) is below the research-recommended minimum of 0.75 HPRD. This means less clinical oversight per resident.
⚠️Weekend staffing drops 26.46% — significantly higher than average. Residents receive substantially less care on Saturdays and Sundays.
⚠️28.62% of nursing hours come from agency/contract workers. High contractor reliance often means less continuity of care — staff who don't know the residents.

✨ Strengths (0)

Limited strengths identified for this quarter.

Total Nurse HPRD
2.9453hrs/resident/day▼ 0.95
CMS benchmark: 3.48
RN HPRD
0.5758hrs/resident/day▼ 0.11
Recommended: 0.75
Weekend Drop-off
26.46%
3.1834 weekday → 2.3411 weekend
⚠ Significant weekend reduction
Agency Staff
28.62%
43.27% of RN hours from contractors
⚠ High contractor reliance
Days with Zero RN
2days this quarter
4+ days = auto 1-star
CNA HPRD
1.6763hrs/resident/day
Direct care aides
LPN HPRD
0.3625hrs/resident/day
Licensed practical nurses
Consistency
0.5033std dev
Lower = more predictable

HPRD Over Time

Total nurse staffing hours per resident per day, by quarter

Total HPRD (shaded area)RN HPRDCMS Benchmark (3.48) — staffing standardResearch Standard (4.10) — recommended level

How Does This Facility Compare?

Compared to county, state, and national averages for total nurse HPRD

vs. Shelby County Average-0.52 HPRD
3.47
02.95 HPRD
vs. Iowa State Average-0.87 HPRD
3.82
02.95 HPRD
vs. National Average-0.95 HPRD
3.90
02.95 HPRD
■ Colored bar = this facility · | Black line = average · Based on 2025Q3 data

Nearby Facilities

Compare with other nursing homes in the area

FacilityDistanceGradeTotal HPRDRN HPRDCMS Rating
Salem Lutheran Home ★
Elk Horn · This facility
—
D
2.94530.5758★☆☆☆☆
Friendship Home Association
Audubon
10.8 mi
B
3.69340.6987★★★★★
Elm Crest Retirement Community
Harlan
14.3 mi
B
3.9950.8869★★☆☆☆
Atlantic Specialty Care
Atlantic
14.3 mi
C
3.25250.5757★★★☆☆
Avoca Specialty Care
Avoca
17.9 mi
C
3.34460.7387★☆☆☆☆
Caring Acres Nursing and Rehab Center
Anita
18.6 mi
C
3.03990.8025★☆☆☆☆

Inspection History & Penalties

Health inspection results from state surveys — most recent first

7
Inspections
38
Total Deficiencies
$25,448
Fines Assessed
Dec 15, 2025Health
1 deficiency cited
▼
Oct 8, 2025Health
1 deficiency cited
▼
Jun 26, 2025Health
7 deficiencies cited
▼
Oct 22, 2024Health
2 deficiencies cited
▼
Aug 11, 2024Health
10 deficiencies cited
▼
May 15, 2024Health
2 deficiencies cited
▼
Jun 6, 2023Health
15 deficiencies cited· Includes actual harm
▼

Penalty History

Jun 6, 2023Fine
$25,448
CMS Severity Scale
A–C: No Harm / PotentialD–F: No Harm but ConcernG–H: Actual HarmI–L: Immediate Jeopardy

Source: CMS Staffing & Quality Data — 2025Q3 · data.cms.gov

Staffing grades are based on CMS-published thresholds and research recommendations. CMS is not affiliated with and does not endorse this website.