Emmetsburg Care Center
Nursing Home Facility
2405 21st Street, Emmetsburg, IA 50536
Emmetsburg Care Center is a senior care community located in Emmetsburg, IA. It provides assisted living, nursing home care, and senior living for older adults in the Emmetsburg area. To learn more or schedule a tour, call (712) 852-4266.
Operated by Legacy Healthcare, which runs 81 communities in our directory.
Emmetsburg Care Center is licensed for 46 beds, about typical for the area, where senior care communities in Palo Alto County average about 43 beds.
Federal reporting puts occupancy at about 90% of its licensed beds, which is high; communities this full often maintain a waiting list, so it is worth calling well before you need a place.
Medicare rates this community 1 out of 5 stars overall, a score based on health inspections, staffing levels and quality measures. Communities in Palo Alto County average about 3.2 stars. The individual scores differ noticeably: 3 stars for staffing against 1 star for health inspections, so it is worth reading both before deciding. Its most recent standard health inspection was in July 2025 and recorded 16 deficiencies.
Residents receive about 3.7 hours of nursing care per day on average, including 0.7 hours from a registered nurse. Nursing staff turnover over the past year was about 57%.
The community is located in Palo Alto County, IA.
Inspection record
In its last three standard inspections and any complaint visits, federal inspectors cited 22 problems at Emmetsburg Care Center. 2 findings involved harm to a resident, including 1 that put residents in immediate danger. 14 came from investigating complaints by residents or families.
In the last three years Medicare fined this home once, a total of $25,695.
Findings from the most recent inspection cycle
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Put residents in immediate danger, one or a few residents
Nutrition and Dietary
Ensure each resident receives and the facility provides food prepared in a form designed to meet individual needs.
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Caused harm to a resident, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Quality of Life and Care
Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Pharmacy Service
Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Pharmacy Service
Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Resident Assessment and Care Planning
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Resident Assessment and Care Planning
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Resident Assessment and Care Planning
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Infection Control
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Resident Assessment and Care Planning
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Nutrition and Dietary
Ensure 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.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Nutrition and Dietary
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Infection Control
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
A citation on its own does not mean poor care, and most are corrected within weeks. What matters most is how serious the findings were and whether the same problems keep coming back. When you visit, it is fair to ask the administrator what inspectors found and what has changed since.
Emmetsburg Care Center offers assisted living, nursing home care, and senior living.
Facility details
- Organization type for-profit corporation
- Beds / units 46
- Occupancy 90%
- Nursing hours per resident/day 3.7
- Annual staff turnover 57%
- Last health inspection July 2025
Resident & family reviews
No one has shared a review of Emmetsburg Care Center yet. If you or someone you love has lived here, what you saw could help another family make this decision with more confidence.