Nursing home
Good Samaritan Society - Estherville
1646 Fifth Avenue North, Estherville, IA 51334 · Map
For profit - Corporation · Part of Good Samaritan Society (89 facilities) · 62 certified beds
Good Samaritan Society - Estherville is a Medicare-certified nursing home in Estherville, Iowa. CMS rates it 1 out of 5 stars overall (3/5 for staffing, 2/5 for health inspections). Nurse staffing is 3.49 hours per resident per day, below the Iowa average of 3.83. Its most recent inspection on Oct 31, 2024 cited 6 deficiencies.
CMS quality ratings
Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), updated monthly. 5 stars is the highest quality.
How Good Samaritan Society - Estherville compares
This facility vs. the Iowa and national averages, from CMS data. For staffing, higher is generally better; for turnover and deficiencies, lower is better.
| Metric | This facility | Iowa avg | National avg | Compared with the state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 3.49 | 3.83 | 3.89 | below avg |
| RN staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 0.98 | 0.73 | 0.68 | above avg |
| Aide staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 2.19 | 2.53 | 2.34 | below avg |
| Nursing staff turnover | 53.3% | 43.9% | 46.4% | above avg |
| Deficiencies cited, last inspection | 6.0 | 6.2 | 9.5 | below avg |
Staffing
Hours per resident per day as reported to CMS. Higher numbers indicate more direct care time.
Staff turnover
Lower turnover typically indicates better working conditions and continuity of care. National average for nursing staff is 46.4%.
Recent health inspection
CMS inspects nursing facilities regularly. Deficiencies are categorized by severity.
- Every deficiency from the January 15, 2026 inspection was corrected by February 5, 2026
What inspectors found at Good Samaritan Society - Estherville
Specific deficiencies cited in recent CMS health inspections, most recent first. Severity follows the CMS scope/severity scale. Source: CMS Care Compare.
- Potential for harm
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Jan 15, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Jan 15, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Jan 15, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Jan 15, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Prevent the use of unnecessary psychotropic medications or use medications that may restrain a resident's ability to function.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · Jan 15, 2026 · Full report (PDF)
Show all 12 deficiencies
- Potential for harm
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · Nov 10, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Electronically submit to CMS complete and accurate direct care staffing information, based on payroll and other verifiable and auditable data.
Administration Deficiencies · Oct 31, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Oct 31, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure food and drink is palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Oct 31, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Resident Rights Deficiencies · Oct 31, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Oct 31, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure meals and snacks are served at times in accordance with resident’s needs, preferences, and requests. Suitable and nourishing alternative meals and snacks must be provided for residents who want to eat at non-traditional times or outside of scheduled meal times.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Nov 30, 2023 · Full report (PDF)
Read the full inspection reports on Medicare.gov Each inspection there has a “Read the full report” link with the inspectors’ written findings.
About this facility
- Address
- 1646 Fifth Avenue North
Estherville, IA 51334 - CMS certification #
- 165192
- Ownership
- For profit - Corporation
- Certified beds
- 62
- Avg residents/day
- 52.6
- Provider type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- First certified
- 1993-12-01
- Chain
- Good Samaritan Society (89 facilities)
- Setting
- Rural
Part of Good Samaritan Society
Good Samaritan Society operates 89 nursing facilities across the United States. View all Good Samaritan Society facilities →
Not SLA enrolled. This facility hasn’t enrolled in resident survey verification. Learn about enrollment →
Location and nearby
Explore the area around Good Samaritan Society - Estherville using Google Maps.
Other public records
- Website says Nurse 24 hours a day, transportation, 1 meals a day
Full public records, with dates and sources
Care and services
From the community’s website
What Good Samaritan Society - Estherville says about itself, quoted from its own site. We have not checked these claims against licensing records. Ask about each one on a tour.
- Nurse on site: 24 hours a day.
A registered nurse is on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
(page, checked Oct 12, 2026) - Provides transportation.
Transportation
(page, checked Oct 12, 2026) - 1 meals a day.
One noon meal per day
(page, checked Oct 12, 2026) - Apartment types named: two-bedroom.
Our apartments feature one- or two-bedroom floor plans with a full kitchen and a spacious bathroom.
(page, checked Oct 12, 2026)
Location and nearby care
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- Avera Holy Family Hospital, Estherville. 0.6 miles away, straight line. CMS overall hospital rating: 2 of 5 stars.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Estherville Community Care Center, Estherville. 0.4 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- Avera @ Home, Estherville. 0.6 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- Hy-Vee Pharmacy. 0.4 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 51334 as small town (small town core).
- Dialysis within 15 miles
- Warner Dialysis Center, Spirit Lake, 13.3 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 2 of 5 stars)
- Hospice
- 4 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 51334.
Avera At Home, office in Estherville, 0.6 miles away, straight line
Gentiva, office in Spirit Lake, 13.3 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars)
St Croix Hospice, office in Spirit Lake, 14.1 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 4 of 5 stars) - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- Mayo Clinic Health System-Southeast Minnesota Region, Austin. 94.2 miles away, straight line. 1 geriatric medicine doctor listed there.
Distances are straight lines from the community, not driving distance. Hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors come from CMS provider data (CMS, hospital list updated Jul 22, 2026). Star ratings are CMS’s own.
Emergency and natural hazard risk
Public hazard maps for this location. Ask the community about its emergency plan, its generator and where residents would go in an evacuation.
- Flood zone
- Outside the high and moderate risk flood areas on FEMA's flood map (Zone X, minimal flood hazard, or not studied). (FEMA flood map)
- FEMA National Risk Index
- Overall: relatively high. By hazard: inland flooding relatively moderate, wildfire very low, tornado relatively high, heat wave relatively low, earthquake very low. These are FEMA’s ratings for the census tract, compared with tracts nationwide. (FEMA, December 2025)
A flood zone describes the map at this point, not the building's elevation. In an emergency, follow the local emergency management agency.
What we checked
Every public source we searched for this community. “Nothing on record” means we found no record that matched it. A record can be missed when a name or address differs.
| Source | Data as of | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Labor wage and hour cases | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| OSHA workplace safety inspections since 2016 | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| FEMA flood map | See above | |
| USDA wildfire risk | Apr 15, 2026 | Not shown: FEMA rates wildfire risk here very low |
| FEMA National Risk Index | See above | |
| CMS hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors; OpenStreetMap pharmacies | See above | |
| HUD Multifamily Properties - Assisted | Jul 6, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| State Veterans Homes (NASVH directory) | Sep 20, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Hospice - General Information | Aug 19, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Home Health Care Agencies | May 27, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| The community’s own website | See above |
Looking for assisted living or memory care instead?
Frequently asked questions
Is Good Samaritan Society - Estherville a good nursing home?
CMS gives Good Samaritan Society - Estherville an overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars, including 3/5 for staffing and 2/5 for health inspections. These ratings come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and are updated monthly.
How is Good Samaritan Society - Estherville staffed?
Good Samaritan Society - Estherville reports 3.49 total nurse hours per resident per day, compared with the Iowa average of 3.83.
Has Good Samaritan Society - Estherville had inspection problems?
Its most recent CMS inspection cited 6 deficiencies.
How many beds does Good Samaritan Society - Estherville have?
Good Samaritan Society - Estherville is certified for 62 beds.