Nursing HomeMedicaid Investigative

Pinnacle Specialty Care

Below-average Medicare ratings — review the inspection history and ask the administrator about recent corrections before visiting.

1223 Prairieview Road, Cedar Falls, IA 50613|100 beds|Licensed & Active

2/5

Medicare

Inspection

Quality

Staffing

Google rating

3.1/5

based on 42 Google reviews

(319) 268-0489 Directions Website

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1/ 10

low Risk

Quality Concerns Identified

Medicare inspection and quality data reveal areas that families should carefully evaluate before choosing this facility.

Above-median deficiencies (6 vs median 5)

Below average in IA · Below recommended RN staffing · $8,362 in fines

Source: Medicare data

What this means for your family

While some families report excellent recovery outcomes and attentive care, the facility has a recurring pattern of unresponsive staff and hygiene issues. I strongly recommend visiting during off-hours or weekends to observe staffing levels yourself, and asking specifically about their protocol for call light response times.

Google Reviews

42 reviews on Google

“Pinnacle Specialty Care receives highly polarized feedback, with some families praising the facility for successful rehab outcomes and attentive care, while others report severe neglect and unprofessional conduct. Frequent complaints highlight significant issues with call light response times, poor hygiene, and inadequate staffing levels. Prospective families should be aware that experiences appear to vary drastically depending on the specific wing or shift assigned to their loved one.”

Quality Themes

Tap a score for details

Strengths

Effective physical and occupational therapy programs
Modern, well-designed facility aesthetics
Some highly dedicated and compassionate individual staff members

Concerns

Unresponsive or slow call light response times (mentioned by 6 reviewers)
Poor hygiene and lack of basic room maintenance (mentioned by 5 reviewers)
Inadequate or poor quality food service (mentioned by 4 reviewers)
Staffing shortages leading to neglect (mentioned by 4 reviewers)
Missing personal belongings and clothing (mentioned by 2 reviewers)

Rating Trends

Tap a year to see what changed

Distribution · 45 analyzed

How They Respond to Reviews

57%response rate

This facility responds to some reviews.

Questions for Your Tour

1We've heard great things about your physical and occupational therapy programs; could you tell us more about how those are integrated into a resident's daily routine?
2How do you ensure that call lights are answered promptly, especially during busy shift changes or overnight hours?
3What specific steps does your team take to maintain high standards of cleanliness and room maintenance for each resident?
4Could you describe the meal planning process and how you ensure the food quality and dining experience are consistently good?
5How does the facility manage medication administration and what protocols are in place to ensure accuracy and safety?
6What is your process for tracking personal belongings to ensure that residents' clothing and items are always accounted for?

Personalized based on this facility's data

Key Review Excerpts

“The techs are unresponsive to the call lights and you're lucky if they respond within 30 minutes. Unfortunately, this is not due to them being busy helping patients.”

Memory care family member · 2017★☆☆☆☆

“The night I got there I pressed the call button all night long because I had to get up and go to the bathroom and nobody responded to my call.”

Rehab patient · 2024★★☆☆☆

“I arrived this afternoon for physical rehab from surgery on my knee with a PICC for IV antibiotics. I wish more than anything I had read the revews because I certainly would have requested someplace else.. Upon arrival I was taken to my room and abandoned.”

Rehab patient · 2023★☆☆☆☆

Source: 42 Google reviews

Staffing

Staffing Hours

per resident/day · Medicare 2026

RN Hours

0.58hrs

77%

Registered nurses for medical care

Total Nursing

3.47hrs

85%

All nurses + aides combined

Staff Turnover

32%

Lower is better (< 30% = good)

RN Turnover

29%

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

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

Medicare Rating

2/ 5

Better Than Avg

measures

Worse Than Avg

measures

Mixed Results

measures

Long-Stay Residents

🚶

Residents whose walking got worse

↓ Lower is better

This Facility34.5%

Worse than Avg

Here

34.5%

15.3%

17.5%

Black hawk

16.5%

💊

Residents on antipsychotic medication

↓ Lower is better

This Facility28.0%

Worse than Avg

Here

28.0%

15.5%

19.4%

Black hawk

24.3%

💉

Residents vaccinated for pneumonia

↑ Higher is better

This Facility99.3%

Better than Avg

Here

99.3%

93.4%

93.9%

Black hawk

91.8%

🛏️

Residents needing more daily help over time

↓ Lower is better

This Facility21.8%

Worse than Avg

Here

21.8%

14.4%

17.6%

Black hawk

16.1%

🚿

Residents whose bladder or bowel control got worse

↓ Lower is better

This Facility22.0%

Mixed vs Avgs

Here

22.0%

19.4%

25.9%

Black hawk

29.3%

💊

Residents on anti-anxiety or sleep medication

↓ Lower is better

This Facility26.5%

Worse than Avg

Here

26.5%

19.5%

20.7%

Black hawk

23.6%

Short-Stay Residents (Rehab / Post-Acute)

💉

Short-stay residents vaccinated for the flu

↑ Higher is better

This Facility95.0%

Better than Avg

Here

95.0%

79.8%

73.3%

Black hawk

78.5%

💉

Short-stay residents vaccinated for pneumonia

↑ Higher is better

This Facility96.1%

Better than Avg

Here

96.1%

81.8%

84.1%

Black hawk

85.2%

💊

Short-stay residents newly given antipsychotics

↓ Lower is better

This Facility0.2%

Better than Avg

Here

0.2%

1.6%

2.0%

Black hawk

1.8%

Source: Medicare quality measures

US average from Medicare published data

Inspection History

Medicare Inspection History

3-year lookback · Medicare 2026

10deficiencies

1penalties

Well above state avg (6.2)

10 complaint-triggered

$8,362 in fines

Families have filed multiple complaints against this facility, triggering several inspections over ongoing concerns. The most recurring issues involve resident safety and accident prevention, care planning and assessments, and emergency preparedness systems. While all deficiencies show correction dates, problems with safety hazards and care planning have repeated across multiple surveys, suggesting these areas may need continued monitoring.

Apr 2, 2026Complaint4 findings

0755Potential for harm · PatternCorrected

Pharmacy Service Deficiencies

Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.

0657Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies

Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.

0658Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies

Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.

0698Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies

Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.

Nov 19, 2025Complaint2 findings

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.

0725Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies

Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.

Jul 24, 2025Routine4 findings

0584Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

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.

0641Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies

Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.

0644Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies

Coordinate assessments with the pre-admission screening and resident review program; and referring for services as needed.

0657Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies

Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.

Sep 5, 2024Routine5 findings

0004Potential for harm · WidespreadCorrected

Emergency Preparedness Deficiencies

Develop and maintain an Emergency Preparedness Program (EP).

0029Potential for harm · WidespreadCorrected

Emergency Preparedness Deficiencies

Develop a communication plan.

0623Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Resident Rights Deficiencies

Provide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights.

0677Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies

Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.

0805Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies

Ensure each resident receives and the facility provides food prepared in a form designed to meet individual needs.

Sep 5, 2024Complaint1 finding

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.

Feb 13, 2024Complaint2 findings

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.

0919Potential for harm · IsolatedCorrected

Environmental Deficiencies

Make sure that a working call system is available in each resident's bathroom and bathing area.

Federal Penalties

Fine

Nov 13, 2023

$8,362

State Inspection History

State Inspections

Source: Iowa Dept. of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing

10total

16deficiencies

Jul 2, 2026ComplaintNo deficiencies

Clean