See every facility — official ratings, family reviews, no referral fees.
Nursing HomeMedicaid Top Rated

Karen Acres Care Center

Strong Medicare quality ratings; families often praise small, home-like environment. Still worth an in-person visit.

3605 Elm Drive, Urbandale, IA 5032235 bedsLicensed & Active
5/5
Medicare
Inspection
Quality
Staffing
Google rating
4.0/5

based on 37 Google reviews

5
4
3
2
1
Karen Acres Care Center Nursing Home in Urbandale, IA — Street View
Street View

Watch Karen Acres Care Center

Get an email when new inspections, ratings, or penalties are published for this facility.

We’ll only email you about this — no spam, unsubscribe anytime.

What this means for your family

Karen Acres is highly regarded for its personalized, small-scale care and effective therapy programs, making it a strong choice for those who prefer a home-like environment over large corporate facilities. However, families should be aware of reports regarding outdated facilities and occasional dismissive communication from nursing staff; we recommend scheduling a tour to observe staff-resident interactions firsthand.

Google Reviews

Google Reviews

37 reviews on Google
Karen Acres Care Center is frequently praised for its small, family-oriented atmosphere and highly attentive, compassionate staff who treat residents like family. While many families report excellent experiences with rehabilitation and long-term care, a minority of reviewers describe the facility as outdated and report instances of rude or dismissive communication from nursing staff.

Quality Themes

Tap a score for details
Food8.0Staff8.0Clean8.0Activities8.0MedsN/AMemoryN/AComms7.0ValueN/A

Strengths

  • Small, home-like environment
  • Attentive and compassionate staff
  • Effective rehabilitation therapy
  • Strong administrative communication

Concerns

  • Rude or dismissive communication from nursing staff (mentioned by 3 reviewers)
  • Outdated facility and lack of modern equipment (mentioned by 2 reviewers)

Rating Trends

Tap a year to see what changed

2345.02017(2)3.02019(4)1.02022(7)1.02023(4)5.02024(28)4.52025(16)5.02026(6)

Distribution · 67 analyzed

5
52
4
0
3
0
2
0
1
15
10 reviews posted between May 5, 2024May 6, 2024 · 10 were 5-star

How They Respond to Reviews

0%response rate

Questions for Your Tour

  • 1Given the smaller, 35-resident size of Karen Acres, how do you ensure that the nursing staff maintains a consistent, warm, and welcoming communication style with family members?
  • 2I noticed the facility has a more traditional, home-like feel; what plans or ongoing maintenance do you have in place to keep the environment comfortable and functional for residents?
  • 3With a 3-star staffing rating, how do you manage shift changes and daily care routines to ensure that every resident receives the attention they need throughout the day?
  • 4Could you walk me through how your team handles medical emergencies or sudden changes in a resident's health status during the overnight hours?
  • 5Since residents often enjoy the intimate setting here, what kind of daily activities or social programs are currently prioritized to keep everyone engaged?
  • 6I appreciate the strong administrative communication mentioned by others; what is the best way for our family to stay updated on our loved one's care plan and progress?

Personalized based on this facility's data


Key Review Excerpts

The building isn't as fancy as the last place, but the care is so much better here. The small size feels home-like and very person-centered.

Rehab patient · 2024★★★★★

The therapists do a fantastic job and truly get to know their patients. We felt like we left a bunch of friends when we were finally strong enough to take them home.

Long-term resident's family · 2025★★★★★

The nurse's were rude and condescending. The facility needs to be remodeled and updated. My mother stopped eating anything but breakfast and I brought my concerns to the head nurse. She looked at me and said, 'oh she's not starving'.

Long-term resident's family · 2023☆☆☆☆
Source: 37 Google reviews

Staffing

Staffing Hours

per resident/day · Medicare 2026
RN Hours
0.64hrs
85%
Registered nurses for medical care
Total Nursing
3.10hrs
76%
All nurses + aides combined
Staff Turnover
40%
Lower is better (< 30% = good)
RN Turnover
67%
Lower is better (< 30% = good)

Both RN and total nursing hours are below national benchmarks. This can mean less clinical attention per resident, so ask about their staffing plan.

Quality Measures

Quality Measures

Resident outcomes compared with national, state, and local averages · 17 measures

Medicare Rating
5/ 5
Better Than Avg

8

measures

Worse Than Avg

6

measures

Mixed Results

3

measures

Long-Stay Residents
💊

Residents on antipsychotic medication

↓ Lower is better
This Facility4.1%
Better than Avg
Here
4.1%
US
15.4%
IA
19.4%
Polk
11.4%
💉

Residents vaccinated for the flu

↑ Higher is better
This Facility88.0%
Worse than Avg
Here
88.0%
US
95.5%
IA
95.2%
Polk
96.5%
😔

Residents with depression symptoms

↓ Lower is better
This Facility4.2%
Mixed vs Avgs
Here
4.2%
US
12.1%
IA
4.1%
Polk
3.4%

Highly dependent on how each facility screens and codes depressive symptoms, so it varies widely between facilities.

🚶

Residents whose walking got worse

↓ Lower is better
This Facility22.3%
Worse than Avg
Here
22.3%
US
15.3%
IA
17.5%
Polk
16.5%
💊

Residents on anti-anxiety or sleep medication

↓ Lower is better
This Facility14.8%
Better than Avg
Here
14.8%
US
19.5%
IA
20.7%
Polk
21.0%
🚿

Residents whose bladder or bowel control got worse

↓ Lower is better
This Facility20.8%
Mixed vs Avgs
Here
20.8%
US
19.4%
IA
25.9%
Polk
19.9%
Short-Stay Residents (Rehab / Post-Acute)
💉

Short-stay residents vaccinated for the flu

↑ Higher is better
This Facility6.1%
Worse than Avg
Here
6.1%
US
79.7%
IA
73.3%
Polk
84.5%
💉

Short-stay residents vaccinated for pneumonia

↑ Higher is better
This Facility65.7%
Worse than Avg
Here
65.7%
US
81.8%
IA
84.0%
Polk
91.1%
💊

Short-stay residents newly given antipsychotics

↓ Lower is better
This Facility0.0%
Better than Avg
Here
0.0%
US
1.6%
IA
2.0%
Polk
1.6%
Source: Medicare quality measures

US average from Medicare published data

Inspection History

Medicare Inspection History

3-year lookback · Medicare 2026

2deficiencies
Well below state avg (6.2)
4 complaint-triggered

Karen Acres Care Center has ongoing issues with fire safety systems, infection control, and resident safety that families reported to state authorities. The facility repeatedly struggles with sprinkler system maintenance, accident prevention, and infection control programs across multiple surveys. While all deficiencies show correction dates, the pattern of recurring problems in critical safety areas suggests persistent operational challenges that warrant careful consideration during your visit.

Nov 25, 2025Complaint
1
0689Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.

Jun 11, 2025Routine
3
0291Potential for harm · WidespreadCorrected

Egress Deficiencies

Install emergency lighting that can last at least 1 1/2 hours.

0353Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Smoke Deficiencies

Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.

0689Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.

Jul 7, 2024Routine
6
0353Potential for harm · WidespreadCorrected

Smoke Deficiencies

Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.

0921Potential for harm · WidespreadCorrected

Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems Deficiencies

Ensure that testing and maintenance of electrical equipment is performed.

0911Potential for harm · PatternCorrected

Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems Deficiencies

Meet requirements for the installation and maintenance of electrical systems.

0584Potential for harm · PatternCorrected

Resident Rights Deficiencies

Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.

0803Potential for harm · PatternCorrected

Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies

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.

0812Potential for harm · PatternCorrected

Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies

Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.

Jul 7, 2024Complaint
2
0550Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Resident Rights Deficiencies

Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.

0880Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Infection Control Deficiencies

Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.

Mar 12, 2024Complaint
1
0550Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Resident Rights Deficiencies

Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.

Oct 12, 2023Routine
6
0004Potential for harm · WidespreadCorrected

Emergency Preparedness Deficiencies

Develop and maintain an Emergency Preparedness Program (EP).

0013Potential for harm · WidespreadCorrected

Emergency Preparedness Deficiencies

Develop Emergency Preparedness policies and procedures.

0362Potential for harm · WidespreadCorrected

Smoke Deficiencies

Ensure that corridors are separated from use areas by walls constructed to limit the passage of smoke.

0321Potential for harm · PatternCorrected

Smoke Deficiencies

Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system.

0812Potential for harm · PatternCorrected

Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies

Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.

0880Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Infection Control Deficiencies

Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.

Ownership & Operations

Who Operates This Facility

Owner / Operator

Karen Acres Care Center

Organization Type

for profit

Ownership & Management

Owners

Even, Crystal

Owner

50%

Lange, Randall

Owner

50%

Key personnel

Even, CrystalOfficer / DirectorLange, RandallOfficer / DirectorBooker, JanyiaManagerDayton, JohnManagerHarned, PamelaManager
Source: Medicare provider data

Contact

Get in Touch

Contact this facility directly and verify the details that matter most to your family.

References & Resources

EveryPlace is a research directory. Facility information is compiled from public sources — Medicare.gov, state licensing portals, Google Places, and publicly available street-level imagery. Listings do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or advertisement, and we do not accept payment for placement. Families should verify all details directly with the facility and the original sources linked above before making any care decisions. See our Research Policy for our editorial standards, correction process, and image-removal policy.

Nearby Alternatives

Call