The Highlands
Nursing home in Decorah, Iowa, CMS certification number 165178
607 Highland Drive, Decorah, IA 52101 · Winneshiek County
- CMS overall rating
- 2 of 5 stars
- Certified beds
- 86
- Certified for
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Last standard inspection
- July 22, 2026
- Deficiencies at that inspection
- 5
- Fines in 3 years
- $93,839 (2)
Does The Highlands take Medicare and Medicaid?
Yes to both. The Highlands 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 | 4 of 5 |
| Quality of resident care | 3 of 5 |
| Long-stay quality | 2 of 5 |
| Short-stay quality | 4 of 5 |
Nurse staffing hours and turnover
These are the hours The Highlands 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
- 3.96
- Registered nurse hours
- 0.49
- Licensed practical nurse hours
- 0.70
- Nurse aide hours
- 2.77
- Weekend total hours
- 3.62
- Nursing staff turnover
- 56.9%
- Registered nurse turnover
- 40%
- Administrators who left
- 1
Health inspections and complaints
Inspectors last made a standard visit on July 22, 2026 and cited 5 deficiencies, plus 1 from complaint visits.
The visit before, on June 12, 2025, found 3.
Read every citation on the CMS Care Compare page.
Fines and payment denials
CMS fined The Highlands 2 times in the past 3 years, for $93,839 in total.
It also had 1 payment denial, when Medicare stopped paying for new admissions for a time.
Beds and residents
On an average day 74.2 residents live here, about 86% of its 86 certified beds.
- Certified beds
- 86
- Average residents per day
- 74.2
- Certified since
- January 1, 1993
- Part of a continuing care community
- Yes
- Resident or family council
- Resident
Who owns The Highlands
- Legal business name
- Aase Haugen Homes, Inc.
- Ownership type
- Non profit - Corporation
Other nursing homes near The Highlands
- Wellington Place2479 River Road, Decorah 52101
- Ossian Care Center114 Fisher Street, Ossian 52161
- Northgate Care Center960 4th Street NW, Waukon 52172
- Good Samaritan - Waukon21 East Main Street, Waukon 52172
- Evans Senior Living Community1010 North Elm Street, Cresco 52136
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 The Highlands, 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 The Highlands
What is the CMS star rating of The Highlands?
2 out of 5 stars overall.
Does The Highlands accept Medicaid?
Yes, it is Medicaid certified.
What did inspectors find at The Highlands?
5 cited at the last standard visit.
Who owns The Highlands?
Aase Haugen Homes, Inc., non profit - corporation.
From the federal record: CMS Care Compare and the CMS Provider Information dataset, October 2026 release.