701 9th Street North, Northwood, IA 50459 · Worth County · (641) 324-1712
42 certified beds, about 35 residents a day · Non profit - Church related · Medicare and Medicaid since 2003
CMS Care Compare ratings, data as of September 1, 2026 · CCN 165485 · See it on Medicare.gov · Compare with other homes
At its most recent standard inspection, on February 26, 2026, inspectors cited 4 health deficiencies (the Iowa average is 6.5, the national average 9.2).
Of 13 health citations since November 2023, 4 were rated as actual harm or immediate jeopardy to residents (3 immediate jeopardy).
CMS lists 1 fine totaling $24,922 in the last three years; the largest was $24,922, and the latest is dated August 19, 2024.
Nurses and nurse aides worked 4.57 hours per resident per day, against 3.82 across Iowa and 3.86 nationally. Registered nurses accounted for 1.10 of those hours.
41.9% of nursing staff left within the year CMS measured (Iowa average 44.0%).
Federal rules call for a standard inspection at least every 15 months, plus a visit whenever a complaint is filed. Each mark below is one citation, colored by how serious inspectors rated it. How to read a citation.
Under each citation, the quoted text is the inspector's own summary from the federal statement of deficiencies (CMS form 2567), word for word apart from a privacy scrub; CMS removes residents' and staff names before it publishes the text. The full notes are on Medicare.gov.
CMS rates every citation by how much harm it caused (rows) and how many residents it touched (columns). The count in each box is this home's, across all 13 health citations on file.
Inspectors wroteBased on observations, staff interviews, policy review, and the 2022 Food Code of the US Food and Drug Administration the facility failed to prevent the risk of cross contamination to potential bacterial accumulation and spread from jewelry worn while meal prepping and serving in the kitchen. The facility reported a census of 36 residents.
Inspectors wroteThe requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on clinical record review, staff interview and facility policy, the facility failed to properly assess and provide treatment as ordered to promote healing of, and prevent infection in, existing pressure ulcer for 1of 1 resident reviewed (Resident #12). Resident #12 area started on 9/16/25 and the facility failed to do the treatment as ordered 15 times from 1/27/25 to 2/24/26 in which the area deteriorated. The facility reported a census of 36 residents.
Inspectors wroteBased on clinical record review and staff interviews the facility failed to provide adequate supervision for a resident identified as a fall risk resulting in an unwitnessed fall in the shower room for 1 of 1 resident reviewed (Resident #13). The facility reported a census of 36 residents.
Inspectors wroteBased on facility record review, staff interview and policy review, the facility failed to have the minimum required members necessary at the Quality Assessment and Assurance (QAA) meetings to identify issues with respect to which quality assessment and assurance activities. The facility reported a census of 36 residents.
Inspectors wroteBased on resident interview, staff interviews and grievance policy the facility failed to provide prompt effort to resolve a grievance and failed to complete a grievance form related to missing items for 1 of 1 resident reviewed for missing property (Resident #34). The facility reported a census of 36 residents.
Inspectors wroteBased on observations, record review, staff interviews and policy review, the facility failed to follow physician orders to prevent further contractors for 1 of 1 residents reviewed (Resident #19). The facility reported a census of 36 residents.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, clinical record review, policy review, resident, and staff interview, the facility failed to ensure a resident received dental services for 1 of 1 Resident's (Resident #20) reviewed for dental services. The facility reported a census of 36 residents.
Inspectors wroteBased on clinical record review, staff interviews and policy review the facility failed to provide a bed hold notice to 2 of 3 residents reviewed (Residents #7 and #18). The facility reported a census of 36 residents.
Inspectors wroteBased on clinical record review, staff interview, policy and procedure review, the facility failed to provide an environment free from sexual abuse for residents who didn't have the mental capacity to consent to sexual contact for 1 of 30 residents Resident #1). In addition, the facility failed to prevent a cognitive resident from having sexually aggressive behavior, such as inappropriate touching, grabbing, and fondling for 1 of 30 residents (Resident #2). On three separate occasions reflected Resident #2 fondled and touched Resident #1 underneath her clothes with the staff unaware of the situation. The facility failed to separate the 2 residents after the first and second incidents (4/15/24, and 5/1/24 in the common area). The facility failed to put in interventions in place until 4/15/24. [...]
Inspectors wroteBased on clinical record review, staff interview, and facility policy/procedure the facility failed to report an allegation of abuse to the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) following the observation of a male resident putting a female resident's hand inside his bib overalls or the continued instances of him putting his hand down the female resident's shirt for 2 of 5 residents reviewed (Residents #1 and #2). The failure to report the incident resulted in an immediate jeopardy situation. See citation F600 for additional information. The facility reported a census of 36 residents. On 8/14/24 at 3:15 PM, the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) staff contacted the facility staff to notify them the Department staff determined an Immediate Jeopardy (IJ) situation existed at the facility. [...]
Inspectors wroteBased on clinical record review, policy review, staff interview, the facility staff failed to thoroughly investigate all allegations of abuse, and separate a possible abuser from other residents. The facility lacked documentation of thorough investigations. In addition, the facility failed to conduct resident and staff interviews to determine the extent of the allegations, and if other residents were involved. The facility failed to separate the two residents until the incident occurred a third time and the family had to request something be done. After the facility added an intervention to monitor first Resident #2, then Resident #1's location, the facility failed to document as indicated. The facility's failure to investigate and separate the alleged abuser from the alleged victim resulted in an immediate jeopardy situation. [...]
Inspectors wroteBased on clinical record review, policy and procedure review, and staff interviews the facility failed to recognize a resident as a victim prior to transferring them to a different unit, instead of their alleged abuser for 1 of 5 residents reviewed (Resident #1). It can be determined that the reasonable person in the resident's position would have experienced severe psychosocial harm (e.g., embarrassment, punishment, humiliation, anxiety) as a result of having to move after getting violated by another resident. The facility identified a census of 36 residents.
Inspectors wroteBased on clinical record review and staff interviews the facility failed to provide adequate supervision and follow physicians order's which resulted in a fall with injury for 1 of 1 residents reviewed (Resident #1). The facility reported a census of 33 residents.
16 fire safety citations on file: 4 on February 26, 2026, 2 on January 30, 2025, 10 on March 14, 2024.
| Date | Penalty | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| August 19, 2024 | Fine | $24,922 |
A payment denial means Medicare and Medicaid stopped paying for new admissions for that period.
Hours of care per resident per day, from the payroll records every home sends CMS. Higher means more staff time with each resident.
| Measure | This home | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| All nursing staff (RN, LPN and aides) | 4.57 | 3.82 | 3.86 |
| Registered nurses | 1.10 | 0.74 | 0.69 |
| All nursing staff on weekends | 3.78 | 3.37 | 3.42 |
| Nurse aides | 3.06 | ||
| Licensed practical nurses | 0.41 | ||
| Nursing staff turnover (share who left in a year) | 41.9% | 44.0% | 45.8% |
| Registered nurse turnover | 28.6% | 42.1% | 42.9% |
| Administrators who left | 0 |
CMS expects 3.21 hours a day for residents as sick as this home's (its case-mix figure). The staffing star compares the two.
Every nursing home sends CMS its staff hours for each day (the Payroll Based Journal). Here they are added up by quarter. The latest quarter is the one behind the figures above. In January to March 2026, nursing staff hours per resident were 4.89 on weekdays and 3.78 on weekends, 23% lower on weekends (nationally, weekends ran 15% lower). Contract or agency staff worked 7.1% of nursing hours, against 5.3% nationally. Total nursing hours per resident went from 4.37 in April to June 2025 to 4.57 in January to March 2026.
| Quarter | All nursing staff | Registered nurses | Weekdays | Weekends | Contract staff share | Days with no RN hours | Residents a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan to Mar 2026 | 4.57 | 1.10 | 4.89 | 3.78 | 7.1% | 0 of 90 | 35 |
| Oct to Dec 2025 | 4.30 | 0.88 | 4.55 | 3.65 | 11.9% | 0 of 92 | 33 |
| Jul to Sep 2025 | 4.53 | 0.87 | 4.82 | 3.80 | 8.6% | 0 of 92 | 33 |
| Apr to Jun 2025 | 4.37 | 0.87 | 4.64 | 3.68 | 5.9% | 0 of 91 | 35 |
| United States, Jan to Mar 2026 | 3.75 | 0.62 | 3.92 | 3.33 | 5.3% | 0.5% of days | |
| Iowa, Jan to Mar 2026 | 3.80 | 0.71 | 3.98 | 3.36 | 4.7% | 0.3% of days |
Hours per resident per day: staff hours in the quarter divided by resident days (the daily census CMS derives from resident assessments). Registered nurses include the director of nursing and RNs with administrative duties; aides include nurse aides in training and medication aides, as in CMS's own staffing measure. How these are calculated.
Staff pay reports
No staff pay figure for this home has passed review yet. A figure appears only after at least 5 reports from at least 3 different people, sent over at least 60 days, have passed review. If you work here, your report helps start one.
| Job | Median | Middle half | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa, all employers | |||
| CNAs (nursing assistants) | $18.92 | $17.96 to $21.95 | 22,670 |
| LPNs and LVNs | $30.11 | $27.12 to $34.06 | 5,510 |
| Registered nurses | $37.80 | $32.83 to $41.32 | 34,420 |
| United States, nursing care facilities | |||
| CNAs (nursing assistants) | $20.67 | $17.91 to $22.55 | 534,270 |
| LPNs and LVNs | $33.86 | $30.05 to $37.40 | 188,210 |
| Registered nurses | $41.11 | $37.85 to $47.68 | 142,270 |
Hourly wages; the middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. BLS has no separate estimate for medication aides. These are survey estimates for whole occupations, not figures for any one home.
The measures CMS uses for the quality star. Lower is better for every one of them.
| Measure | This home | Iowa | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 19.4 | 17.1 | 13.9 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.2 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 18.4 | 16.6 | 14.1 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 0.5 | 4.2 | 4.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 11.3 | 19.4 | 15.4 |
| Number of hospitalizations per 1000 long-stay resident days Long Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.9 |
| Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days Long Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 1.8 |
For a stay to recover after a hospital visit, these are the results CMS publishes for Lutheran Retirement Home's Medicare short-stay residents. On returning residents home or to the community, CMS rates it no different from the national rate (46.4% of residents, after adjusting for how sick they were). How to read these, and what Medicare pays for.
46.4% this home
No different from the national rate
US median of homes 51.5% · Iowa: 28 better, 21 worse
Rate of successful return to home or community from a SNF (risk-standardized discharge to community rate). Higher is better. October 2022 to September 2024. 25 eligible stays.
10.0% this home
No different from the national rate
US median of homes 10.7% · Iowa: 1 better, 1 worse
Rate of potentially preventable hospital readmissions 30 days after discharge from a SNF (risk-standardized rate). Lower is better. October 2022 to September 2024. 31 eligible stays.
Not reported
CMS note: The number of residents or resident stays is too small to report. Call the facility to discuss this quality measure.
US median of homes 7.1% · Iowa: 0 better, 0 worse
Percentage of infections residents got during their SNF stay that resulted in hospitalization (risk-standardized rate). Lower is better. October 2023 to September 2024. 17 eligible stays.
54.5% this home
Median of homes: Iowa56.7% · US 56.6%
Percentage of residents who are at or above an expected ability to care for themselves and move around at discharge. Higher is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 22 residents counted.
0.0% this home
Median of homes: Iowa0.0% · US 0.0%
Percentage of SNF residents who experience one or more falls with major injury during their SNF stay. Lower is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 23 residents counted.
5.6% this home
Median of homes: Iowa1.8% · US 1.7%
Percentage of residents with pressure ulcers or pressure injuries that are new or worsened (adjusted rate). Lower is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 23 residents counted.
Not reported
CMS note: The number of residents or resident stays is too small to report. Call the facility to discuss this quality measure.
Median of homes: Iowa100.0% · US 98.7%
Percentage of residents where the SNF provided a current medication list to the resident, family, and/or caregiver at final discharge. Higher is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 10 residents counted.
Source: CMS Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program - Provider Data, released 2026-09-30. Better, no different and worse are CMS's own comparisons with the national rate, after adjusting for how sick residents were. Medians of homes and the state counts are worked out by us from the same file.
Legal business name: LUTHERAN RETIREMENT HOME INC..
| Name | Role | Type | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nsb Bank | 5% or greater security interest | Organization | 06/29/2007 | |
| Bidne, Kevin | Corporate director | Individual | 06/01/2025 | |
| Brunsvold, Jerry | Corporate director | Individual | 01/01/2025 | |
| Knutson, Timothy | Corporate director | Individual | 01/20/2024 | |
| Kroneman, Mari | Corporate director | Individual | 01/01/2023 | |
| Loftaas, Carolyn | Corporate director | Individual | 01/20/2021 | |
| Steinberg, Josh | Corporate director | Individual | 01/20/2022 | |
| Davis, Lynn | Corporate officer | Individual | 01/01/2005 | |
| Julseth, Peter | Corporate officer | Individual | 01/20/2022 | |
| Nelson, Brian | Corporate officer | Individual | 01/10/2017 | |
| Davis, Cassie | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 04/02/2018 | |
| Lamp, Robert | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 03/25/2024 | |
| Merchant, Ruth | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 05/20/2025 | |
| Schrupp, Nancy | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 08/31/2009 | |
| Thofson, Katelyn | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 05/05/2014 | |
| Waletzko Bartz, Brittany | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 06/01/2022 | |
| Winter, Sharina | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 11/04/2024 | |
| Bcg Holdings Inc | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 10/01/2024 | |
| Brighton Consulting Group LLC | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 10/01/2024 | |
| Cattail Bcg LLC | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 10/01/2024 | |
| Cattail Inc | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 10/01/2024 | |
| Cliftonlarsonallen LLP | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 08/25/2021 | |
| Ecsi Inc | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 10/01/2024 | |
| Fox Rehab Ot Ia LLC | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 06/30/2024 | |
| Fox Rehab Pt Ia PLLC | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 06/30/2024 | |
| Fox Rehab Slp Ia PLLC | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 06/30/2024 | |
| Iowa Health Care Association | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 10/01/2024 | |
| Mercy Health Services- Iowa Corp | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 05/27/2021 | |
| Next Generation Technologies | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 11/02/2022 | |
| Nsb Bank | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 06/29/2007 | |
| Waletzko Bartz, Brittany | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 10/10/2025 | |
| Winter, Sharina | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 10/10/2025 |
As listed in the CMS ownership file, which names owners with a 5% or greater stake and the people and companies with operational or managerial control.
Chosen from this home's own inspection record.
These are the official offices in Iowa. NursingHomeClear cannot take or act on complaints.