All states › Iowa › Creston › Creston Specialty Care
1001 Cottonwood Drive Creston, IA 50801 · Union County
All 2 nursing homes in Creston, IA (2 take Medicaid)
CMS certification number 165199 · See this home on Medicare Care Compare
Is Creston Specialty Care a good nursing home? Reviews, ratings and inspection record
There are no official resident reviews of nursing homes: Medicare's Care Compare publishes inspections, staffing and quality data instead. Here is what that record shows for Creston Specialty Care as of October 2026.
CMS rates it 3 out of 5 stars overall, about the same as the Iowa average of 3.1.
Online reviews from families and residents are on Google Maps and other sites; they reflect individual experiences and aren't checked by CMS. The full inspection reports, including what inspectors observed, are on Medicare Care Compare.
Staffing
Nursing staff spend about 3.38 hours per resident per day at Creston Specialty Care, below the Iowa median of 3.76 (US median: 3.72). About 0.54 of those hours are from registered nurses. On weekends it falls to 2.89 hours, 14% below its all-week average. 41.8% of nursing staff left within a year (Iowa median 41.7%).
About this nursing home
Paying for care at Creston Specialty Care: Medicare and Medicaid
Creston Specialty Care is certified for both Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare Part A can cover a short skilled-nursing or rehab stay here after a qualifying hospital stay of at least three inpatient days (observation days don't count), for up to 100 days per benefit period. Medicaid can pay for long-term care for residents who meet Iowa's income and asset rules. Being certified doesn't guarantee a Medicaid bed is open, so ask whether the home accepts residents whose Medicaid application is still pending.
In 2026 Medicare covers days 1–20 in full after the Part A deductible ($1,736 per benefit period); for days 21–100 you pay $217 a day; after day 100 you pay all costs. Medicare doesn't pay for long-term custodial care. Medicare's coverage rules.
Health inspections
The most recent standard inspection was on July 1, 2026 and found 4 deficiencies, plus 4 from complaint inspections in the same period. In total, inspectors issued 19 citations in the last three years.
Each citation has a scope and severity letter from A to L. A–C: potential for minimal harm. D–F: potential for more than minimal harm. G–I: actual harm. J–L: immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety.
What the inspections found
Over the last three years, inspectors issued 19 citations at Creston Specialty Care across 6 inspection dates, 7 of them from complaint investigations. 2 were at the actual-harm level (G–I), most recently on June 20, 2024. The most common areas cited were resident assessment and care planning (5) and nutrition and dietary (4). The most serious was cited under the CMS rule to "ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents" (tag F0689, level G, June 20, 2024).
July 1, 2026 · 6 citations · includes complaint inspection
EEnsure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs.
EEnsure menus must meet the nutritional needs of residents, be prepared in advance, be followed, be updated, be reviewed by dietician, and meet the needs of the resident.
EEnsure food and drink is palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature.
EProcure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
DEnsure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
DEnsure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
October 9, 2025 · 2 citations · includes complaint inspection
DEnsure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
DProvide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
May 8, 2025 · 3 citations · includes complaint inspection
EAssess the resident when there is a significant change in condition
DHonor the resident's right to and the facility must promote and facilitate resident self-determination through support of resident choice.
DEducate residents and staff on COVID-19 vaccination, offer the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible residents and staff after education, and properly document each resident and staff member's vaccination status.
December 31, 2024 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DEnsure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
June 20, 2024 · 6 citations, includes actual harm
GEnsure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
EProcure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
ESafeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
EProvide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
DHonor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
DEnsure medication error rates are not 5 percent or greater.
January 4, 2024 · 1 citation, includes actual harm · includes complaint inspection
GProvide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Questions to ask on a tour of Creston Specialty Care
- Inspectors cited the home at the actual-harm level on June 20, 2024 under the rule on quality of life and care. What changed afterwards, and can I see the plan of correction?
- Do you have a Medicaid bed open now, and will you admit someone whose Medicaid application is still pending?
- When is the first care-plan meeting, and can family attend?
Questions come from this home's CMS data: its inspections, staffing and ownership record.
Fines and payment denials
2 penalties in the last three years, including $19,663 in fines.
| Date | Type | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 2024 | Fine | $12,048 |
| Jan 4, 2024 | Fine | $7,615 |
Rating history
| CMS month | Overall | Inspection | Staffing | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| August 2026 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
Add this rating badge to your websiteFree. Shows Creston Specialty Care's Medicare star rating and updates itself.
Size and colour
Preview
Paste it where the badge should appear: in WordPress, a Custom HTML block or a footer widget; on other sites, any spot that accepts HTML. The badge updates itself when CMS publishes new ratings.
Location
Hospitals near Creston Specialty Care
The Medicare-certified hospitals closest to this nursing home, with their CMS data. Ask the home which hospital it usually sends residents to.
-
0.1 mi
Greater Regional Medical Center CrestonEmergency room ★★★☆☆ Medicare overall 3 of 5Median ER visit 1h 41m for patients treated and sent home
-
16.6 mi
Adair County Memorial Hospital GreenfieldEmergency roomMedian ER visit 2h 20m for patients treated and sent home
-
19.7 mi
Alegent Health Mercy Hospital CorningEmergency room ★★★☆☆ Medicare overall 3 of 5Median ER visit 2h 4m for patients treated and sent home
Hospital ratings, ER visit times and more at Hospitals In Each State
Source: CMS Care Compare. Distances are approximate.
Nearby nursing homes
More nursing homes near Creston Specialty Care › All nursing homes in Creston ›
Compare Creston Specialty Care with the 3 closest homes side by side ›
Other Care Initiatives nursing homes in Iowa
- Sibley Specialty Care · Sibley · 5 stars
- Lamoni Specialty Care · Lamoni · 5 stars
- Fonda Specialty Care · Fonda · 5 stars
- Wapello Specialty Care · Wapello · 5 stars
- Mechanicsville Specialty Care · Mechanicsville · 5 stars
- Laporte City Specialty Care · La Porte City · 5 stars
Affiliation comes from CMS's affiliated-entity data, October 2026. All 43 Care Initiatives nursing homes ›
Source: CMS Provider Data Catalog (provider information, health deficiencies, penalties), October 2026. Inspection citations and penalties cover the last three years. Nursing Homes In Each State is independent and not affiliated with CMS or Medicare. About the data · Report a problem with this listing. Is this your nursing home? Feature it here.