St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home
1301 Saint Luke Drive, Spencer, IA 51301
St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home, a 79-bed non profit - corporation nursing facility in Spencer, IA, holds a 2-star CMS overall rating - below the 3.0-star national average, ranking #267 of 385 rated homes in IA on CMS overall stars (with health+staffing+quality tie-breaks), with nurse staffing below the national norm. 2 inspection findings reached the actual-harm or immediate-jeopardy level.
CMS combines health inspections, nurse-staffing levels, and clinical quality measures into the overall star rating, read the components below; they often tell a sharper story than the headline.
Phone: 7122625931
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- 2 / 5
- Below average · CMS overall · nat'l 3.0
- #267 of 385
- In-state rank among rated IA homes
- 3.71
- About average · nurse hrs/day · nat'l 3.86
- 24
- Inspection findings · 2 serious
If a nursing-home resident is in immediate danger, call 911.
For elder abuse or neglect concerns, contact your state's Adult Protective Services (search "APS" + your state) or call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116. For facility advocacy, reach your Long-Term Care Ombudsman. CMS ratings and inspection data below are a research screen, not an emergency channel.
The verdict
St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home, a 79-bed non profit - corporation nursing facility in Spencer, IA, holds a 2-star CMS overall rating - below the 3.0-star national average, ranking #267 of 385 rated homes in IA on CMS overall stars (with health+staffing+quality tie-breaks), with nurse staffing below the national norm. 2 inspection findings reached the actual-harm or immediate-jeopardy level.
- 2 / 5
- CMS overall · national 3.0
- #267 of 385
- In-state rank among rated IA homes
- 3.71
- Nurse hrs/resident-day · national 3.86
- 24
- Inspection findings · 2 serious
CMS force-curves overall stars within each state; read health, staffing, and quality sub-ratings alongside the headline.
In-state ownership mix · peer inventory
How 387 IA nursing homes split by ownership sector
This facility is recorded as Non profit - Corporation. Sector buckets collapse CMS ownership_type into For-profit, Nonprofit, and Government, orthogonal to the RN/LPN/CNA hour bar below.
Health Inspection
Staffing
Quality Measures
Long-Stay Quality
Facility Information
- Provider Number
- 165484
- Ownership
- Non profit - Corporation
- Provider Type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Beds
- 79
- Residents
- 73
- In Hospital
- No
- County
- Clay
- Last Inspection
- Sep 4, 2025
Staffing Data
How the 3.71 total nursing hours per resident-day are staffed:
- RN Hours
- 0.85 (nat'l avg: 0.69)
- LPN Hours
- 0.36
- CNA Hours
- 2.50
- Total Nursing Hours
- 3.71 (nat'l avg: 3.86)
- PT Hours
- 0.05
- Nursing Turnover
- 44.1%
- RN Turnover
- 21.4%
What the CMS Record Reveals About St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home
According to CMS Nursing Home Compare, St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home ranks #267 of 385 rated nursing homes in IA on overall stars (tie-broken by health+staffing+quality, then fewer fines). St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home operates 79 certified beds in Spencer, IA with approximately 73 residents currently in care, and carries a CMS overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars (health inspection 1★ · staffing 5★ · quality 3★).
The inspection file contains 24 deficiency records from recent surveys, of which 2 reached the actual-harm or immediate-jeopardy threshold on the CMS scope-and-severity grid. On the enforcement side, CMS has assessed 2 penalties totaling $90K against this provider. Staffing is reported at 3.71 total nursing hours per resident day (national average 3.86), with RN coverage at 0.85 per resident day.
Classified as "Non profit - Corporation" ownership and operating as a "Medicare and Medicaid" provider, St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home falls into a category where comparative context matters. Reported nursing staff turnover at this facility is 44.1% (CMS payroll-based measure).
Why sub-scores and the CMS methodology matter
The overall score is a composite of three weighted sub-ratings published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: health inspection results, staffing levels, and quality measures. Because CMS caps the overall score at the health-inspection tier and then adjusts up or down based on staffing and quality, the sub-scores often tell a sharper story than the headline star count alone, a 3-star facility with weak inspection history reads differently from one held back by thin staffing.
National research consistently shows that ownership structure, staffing hours, and turnover are the three operational levers that correlate most strongly with resident outcomes, ratings and fines are lagging indicators of those upstream choices. The staffing metric in particular is the one most strongly tied to resident outcomes in peer-reviewed literature.
For families evaluating this facility, the CMS record should be read alongside a site visit, direct conversation with current residents and their families, and review of the state health department's most recent inspection report, the star rating is a starting point, not a verdict. All data on this page is sourced from CMS Provider Data and the Nursing Home Compare program; always verify the same record on Medicare.gov Care Compare and with the facility or your state survey agency before making placement decisions.
Deficiency History (24 most recent)
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Category: Infection Control Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2025
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2025
Provide the required documentation or notification related to the resident's needs, appeal rights, or bed-hold policies.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2025
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Category: Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2025
Ensure that each resident is free from the use of physical restraints, unless needed for medical treatment.
Category: Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2025
Keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2025
Give their staff education on dementia care, and what abuse, neglect, and exploitation are; and how to report abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Category: Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2025
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2025
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2025
Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 12, 2024
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 12, 2024
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 12, 2024
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Category: Infection Control Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 12, 2024
Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 12, 2024
Honor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 12, 2024
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 5, 2024
Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
Category: Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Corrected: May 25, 2024
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Category: Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Corrected: May 25, 2024
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Category: Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Corrected: May 25, 2024
Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Category: Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies
Corrected: May 25, 2024
Ensure food and drink is palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature.
Category: Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2023
Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Category: Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2023
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2023
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2023
Quality Measures
| Measure | Type | Score | Used in Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased | Long Stay | 18.9% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder | Long Stay | 4.7% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection | Long Stay | 1.2% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury | Long Stay | 2.7% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened | Long Stay | 14.4% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers | Long Stay | 5.2% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication | Long Stay | 17.7% | Yes |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication | Short Stay | 0.0% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight | Long Stay | 5.3% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms | Long Stay | 0.4% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrained | Long Stay | 0.0% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | Long Stay | 95.8% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication | Long Stay | 10.7% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Long Stay | 90.8% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence | Long Stay | 20.2% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | Short Stay | 89.6% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Short Stay | 58.3% | No |
Penalty History 2 penalties totaling $90K
| Date | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2025 | Fine | $82K |
| Aug 22, 2024 | Fine | $8K |
| Aug 22, 2024 | Payment Denial | - |
Nationwide facilities with similar scale or staffing
Two data-derived peer sets for St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not the same-state geography list below.
Similar bed count
Nearest CMS certified bed counts outside IA (79 beds here).
Similar staffing hours
Nearest CMS adjusted total nurse hours per resident day outside IA (4.62 here).
Nearby Nursing Homes in IA
386 other nursing homes are on record in IA; 6 are shown here.
Accura Healthcare of Ames, LLC
Ames, IA
Accura Healthcare of Aurelia, LLC
Aurelia, IA
Accura Healthcare of Bancroft
Bancroft, IA
Accura Healthcare of Carlisle
Carlisle, IA
Accura Healthcare of Carroll
Carroll, IA
Accura Healthcare of Cascade LLC
Cascade, IA
Understanding Nursing Home Data
What the CMS records show for St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home
The health, staffing, and quality sub-ratings above often diverge from the CMS overall headline. Use those components and the inspection findings to read the full file, not the overall star alone.
- The IA registry aggregates state averages and the highest-rated homes in this cohort. View IA registry
- Peer homes near 79 beds show how CMS stars vary at a similar scale in IA. Compare a similar-size peer
- CMS publishes separate fields for inspections, nurse staffing hours, and quality measures; the guide explains how each star is computed. How CMS ratings work
CMS refreshes Nursing Home Compare quarterly (current extract: August 2026). PlainNursing describes published records; it does not establish suitability, availability, admissions, or individual outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the overall CMS rating for St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home?
Where does St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home rank among nursing homes in IA?
What are the staffing levels at St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home?
How many beds does St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home have?
Does St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home have any deficiencies on record?
Has St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home received any fines or penalties?
Who owns St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home?
When was St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home last inspected?
What quality measures are tracked for St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home?
Data Sources
Data source: CMS Nursing Home Compare. Ratings, staffing, deficiency, quality measure, and penalty data are from CMS Provider Data. For informational purposes only. Verify the same CCN on Medicare.gov Care Compare and with the facility or your state health department.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
