Nursing home
Lutheran Retirement Home
701 9Th Street North, Northwood, IA 50459 · Map
Non profit - Church related · 42 certified beds
Lutheran Retirement Home is a Medicare-certified nursing home in Northwood, Iowa. CMS rates it 3 out of 5 stars overall (5/5 for staffing, 2/5 for health inspections). Nurse staffing is 4.53 hours per resident per day, above the Iowa average of 3.83. Its most recent inspection on Jan 30, 2025 cited 4 deficiencies.
- 1 fine totaling $24,922In CMS records: 1 total penalty.
CMS quality ratings
Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), updated monthly. 5 stars is the highest quality.
How Lutheran Retirement Home 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) | 4.53 | 3.83 | 3.89 | above avg |
| RN staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 0.87 | 0.73 | 0.68 | above avg |
| Aide staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 3.06 | 2.53 | 2.34 | above avg |
| Nursing staff turnover | 27.9% | 43.9% | 46.4% | below avg |
| Deficiencies cited, last inspection | 4.0 | 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 February 26, 2026 inspection was corrected by March 17, 2026
Penalties in CMS records: 1 fine totaling $24,922, 1 total penalty.
What inspectors found at Lutheran Retirement Home
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 · Feb 26, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Administration Deficiencies · Feb 26, 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 · Feb 26, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Feb 26, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide or obtain dental services for each resident.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Jan 30, 2025 · Full report (PDF)
Show all 12 deficiencies
- Potential for harm
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Jan 30, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Honor the resident's right to voice grievances without discrimination or reprisal and the facility must establish a grievance policy and make prompt efforts to resolve grievances.
Resident Rights Deficiencies · Jan 30, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Minimal
Notify the resident or the resident’s representative in writing how long the nursing home will hold the resident’s bed in cases of transfer to a hospital or therapeutic leave.
Resident Rights Deficiencies · Jan 30, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Immediate jeopardy
Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · Aug 19, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Immediate jeopardy
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · Aug 19, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Immediate jeopardy
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · Aug 19, 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 · Aug 19, 2024 · 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
- 701 9Th Street North
Northwood, IA 50459 - CMS certification #
- 165485
- Ownership
- Non profit - Church related
- Certified beds
- 42
- Avg residents/day
- 32.9
- Provider type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- First certified
- 2003-05-01
- Setting
- Rural
Not SLA enrolled. This facility hasn’t enrolled in resident survey verification. Learn about enrollment →
Location and nearby
Explore the area around Lutheran Retirement Home using Google Maps.
Other public records
Full public records, with dates and sources
Location and nearby care
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- Mayo Clinic Health System - Albert Lea And Austin, Albert Lea. 15.8 miles away, straight line. CMS overall hospital rating: 5 of 5 stars.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Manly Specialty Care, Manly. 11.6 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- Worth County Phns, Northwood. 0.4 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- Walgreens. 15.5 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 50459 as rural (rural area).
- Hospice
- 3 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 50459.
Mercyone North Iowa Hospice, office in Mason City, 20.9 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars) - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- Mayo Clinic Health System-Southeast Minnesota Region, Austin. 19.6 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 moderate. By hazard: inland flooding relatively moderate, wildfire very low, tornado relatively high, heat wave very 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 | No plain statements of services found |
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Frequently asked questions
Is Lutheran Retirement Home a good nursing home?
CMS gives Lutheran Retirement Home an overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars, including 5/5 for staffing and 2/5 for health inspections. These ratings come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and are updated monthly.
How is Lutheran Retirement Home staffed?
Lutheran Retirement Home reports 4.53 total nurse hours per resident per day, compared with the Iowa average of 3.83.
Has Lutheran Retirement Home had inspection problems?
Its most recent CMS inspection cited 4 deficiencies.
How many beds does Lutheran Retirement Home have?
Lutheran Retirement Home is certified for 42 beds.