Salem Lutheran Home
Nursing home in Elk Horn, Iowa, CMS certification number 165155
2027 College Avenue, Elk Horn, IA 51531 · Shelby County
- CMS overall rating
- 2 of 5 stars
- Certified beds
- 64
- Certified for
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Last standard inspection
- August 13, 2026
- Deficiencies at that inspection
- 18
- Fines in 3 years
- $15,260 (1)
Does Salem Lutheran Home take Medicare and Medicaid?
Yes to both. Salem Lutheran Home is certified for Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare can pay for a short skilled stay after a qualifying hospital stay; Medicaid can pay for long-term care once you qualify.
Certification isn't a promise of an open bed. Ask how many Medicaid beds it has free and whether it keeps residents who move from Medicare to Medicaid. Our guide explains what Medicare pays for.
CMS star ratings
CMS rates every certified nursing home from 1 to 5 stars. The overall rating starts from health inspections, then moves up or down for staffing and quality. These come from the CMS Provider Information, October 2026 release.
| Measure | CMS stars |
|---|---|
| Overall | 2 of 5 |
| Health inspections | 2 of 5 |
| Staffing | 3 of 5 |
| Quality of resident care | 3 of 5 |
| Long-stay quality | 3 of 5 |
| Short-stay quality | 3 of 5 |
Nurse staffing hours and turnover
These are the hours Salem Lutheran Home reported to CMS, split across residents and days. More hours per resident usually means more hands at the bedside.
- Total nurse hours per resident per day
- 3.92
- Registered nurse hours
- 0.54
- Licensed practical nurse hours
- 0.76
- Nurse aide hours
- 2.63
- Weekend total hours
- 3.17
- Nursing staff turnover
- 63.2%
- Registered nurse turnover
- 83.3%
Health inspections and complaints
Inspectors last made a standard visit on August 13, 2026 and cited 18 deficiencies, plus 10 from complaint visits.
The visit before, on June 26, 2025, found 7.
Read every citation on the CMS Care Compare page.
Fines and payment denials
CMS fined Salem Lutheran Home 1 time in the past 3 years, for $15,260 in total.
Beds and residents
On an average day 46.5 residents live here, about 73% of its 64 certified beds.
- Certified beds
- 64
- Average residents per day
- 46.5
- Certified since
- May 1, 1990
- Resident or family council
- Resident
Who owns Salem Lutheran Home
- Legal business name
- American Lutheran Church
- Ownership type
- Non profit - Church related
- Chain
- 92 homes nationally under Good Samaritan Society, 3-star chain average
Other nursing homes near Salem Lutheran Home
- Exira Care Center411 South Carthage, Exira 50076
- Friendship Home Association714 Division, Audubon 50025
- Heritage House1200 Brookridge Circle, Atlantic 50022
- Elm Crest Retirement Community2104 12th Street, Harlan 51537
- Atlantic Specialty Care1300 East 19th Street, Atlantic 50022
Who inspects nursing homes in Iowa
Iowa's state survey agency licenses nursing homes and carries out the federal inspections for CMS. A home must keep its state licence and meet the federal rules to take Medicare or Medicaid.
Compare all nursing homes in Iowa, or see how assisted living and nursing homes differ.
Is this your facility?
If you run Salem Lutheran Home, email contact@assistedlivingaccess.com from your work address. We can add your own rates, photos and contact details next to the state record, or take the listing down.
Questions about Salem Lutheran Home
What is the CMS star rating of Salem Lutheran Home?
2 out of 5 stars overall.
Does Salem Lutheran Home accept Medicaid?
Yes, it is Medicaid certified.
What did inspectors find at Salem Lutheran Home?
18 cited at the last standard visit.
Who owns Salem Lutheran Home?
American Lutheran Church, non profit - church related.
From the federal record: CMS Care Compare and the CMS Provider Information dataset, October 2026 release.