Corning Specialty Care
Within standard 12-15 month inspection cycle. Federal law requires annual inspections.
Corning Specialty Care has a Trust Grade of C, which means it is average-neither great nor terrible. It ranks #261 out of 392 facilities in Iowa, placing it in the bottom half, but it is the only option in Adams County. Unfortunately, the facility is worsening, having increased from 6 issues in 2024 to 11 in 2025. Staffing is a relative strength with a 3/5 rating and a turnover rate of 42%, which is slightly below the state average, indicating that some staff members remain long enough to get to know the residents. There have been no fines, which is a positive sign, but the nursing home has faced several concerning issues, such as failing to implement comprehensive care plans for several residents and not ensuring proper food safety practices in the kitchen. Families should weigh these strengths and weaknesses carefully when considering this facility for their loved ones.
- Trust Score
- C
- In Iowa
- #261/392
- Safety Record
- Low Risk
- Inspections
- Getting Worse
- Staff Stability ○ Average
- 42% turnover. Near Iowa's 48% average. Typical for the industry.
- Penalties ✓ Good
- No fines on record. Clean compliance history, better than most Iowa facilities.
- Skilled Nurses ○ Average
- Each resident gets 39 minutes of Registered Nurse (RN) attention daily — about average for Iowa. RNs are the most trained staff who monitor for health changes.
- Violations ⚠ Watch
- 18 deficiencies on record. Higher than average. Multiple issues found across inspections.
The Good
-
4-Star Quality Measures · Strong clinical quality outcomes
-
Full Sprinkler Coverage · Fire safety systems throughout facility
-
No fines on record
-
Staff turnover below average (42%)
6 points below Iowa average of 48%
Facility shows strength in quality measures, fire safety.
The Bad
Below Iowa average (3.0)
Below average - review inspection findings carefully
Near Iowa avg (46%)
Typical for the industry
Part of a multi-facility chain
Ask about local staffing decisions and management
The Ugly 18 deficiencies on record
May 2025
2 deficiencies
CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Resident Rights
(Tag F0550)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on clinical record review, facility document review, staff interviews, and facility policy review the facility failed to provide dignity to 1 of 4 residents (Resident #1). The facility failed to...
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CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Report Alleged Abuse
(Tag F0609)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on documents reviewed, staff interviews and policy review, the facility failed to report an alleged violation of verbal abuse in a timely manner. The facility failed to report observed verbal in...
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Jan 2025
9 deficiencies
CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0657
(Tag F0657)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, resident and staff interviews, clinical record review, and policy review, the facility failed to revise a ...
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CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0658
(Tag F0658)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observations, clinical record review, resident and staff interviews, and policy review the facility failed to provide the needed services in accordance with professional standards by not foll...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Accident Prevention
(Tag F0689)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observation, clinical record review, staff interviews, and facility procedure review the facility failed to protect a resident from a possible accident and injury by pushing the resident in a...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0760
(Tag F0760)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, staff interviews, clinical record review and policy review the facility failed to ensure the residents wer...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0804
(Tag F0804)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on observations, staff interview, and policy review the facility failed to provide food at an appetizing temperature to 3 of 26 residents reviewed. The facility reported a census of 26 residents...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Medical Records
(Tag F0842)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on resident and staff interview, clinical record review, and policy review, the facility failed to ensure accurate and complete resident records for 1 of 12 residents reviewed. Resident #22 did ...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Comprehensive Care Plan
(Tag F0656)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, resident and staff interviews, clinical record review, and policy review, the facility failed to develop a...
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CONCERN
(E)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Medication Errors
(Tag F0758)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on clinical record review, staff interviews, and policy review, the facility failed to identify target behaviors for psych...
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CONCERN
(E)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Food Safety
(Tag F0812)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
2. On 1/22/25 at 1:48 pm, Staff A, DM and Staff C, [NAME] were observed in the kitchen area walking toward the exit door without hair nets.
At 2:08 pm, Staff A, DM stated staff are to don a hairnet up...
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Jul 2024
1 deficiency
CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0558
(Tag F0558)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on record view, family, staff, clinic staff and physician interview, the facility failed to ensure 1 of 3 residents went t...
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Feb 2024
5 deficiencies
CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Safe Environment
(Tag F0584)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on clinical record review, resident interview, family interview, staff interviews, and the facilities admission Agreement, the facility failed to exercise reasonable care for the protection of t...
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CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0657
(Tag F0657)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on clinical record review, staff interview, and policy review the facility failed to revise and implement care plans for 1 of 3 residents (Resident #12) reviewed. The facility reported a census ...
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CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Infection Control
(Tag F0880)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on clinical record review, observation, staff interview, and facility policy review, the facility staff failed to change gloves and sanitize hands during cares, failing to maintain infection con...
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CONCERN
(E)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Assessment Accuracy
(Tag F0641)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
Based on clinical record review, guidance from the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI), and staff interview, the facility failed to document the Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment to accurately reflec...
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CONCERN
(E)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Food Safety
(Tag F0812)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
Based on observation, staff interview, facility policy review, and the 2022 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code, the facility failed to prepare, serve and distribute food in accordance with p...
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Nov 2022
1 deficiency
CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Free from Abuse/Neglect
(Tag F0600)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on interviews with staff and residents and record review the facility failed to implement interventions to prevent potenti...
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Understanding Severity Codes (click to expand)
Questions to Ask on Your Visit
- "Can I speak with families of current residents?"
- "What's your RN coverage like on weekends and overnight?"
Our Honest Assessment
- • No major safety red flags. No abuse findings, life-threatening violations, or SFF status.
- • No fines on record. Clean compliance history, better than most Iowa facilities.
- • 42% turnover. Below Iowa's 48% average. Good staff retention means consistent care.
- • 18 deficiencies on record. Higher than average. Multiple issues found across inspections.
- • Grade C (55/100). Below average facility with significant concerns.
About This Facility
What is Corning Specialty Care's CMS Rating?
CMS assigns Corning Specialty Care an overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars, which is considered below average nationally. Within Iowa, this rating places the facility higher than 0% of the state's 100 nursing homes. A rating at this level reflects concerns identified through health inspections, staffing assessments, or quality measures that families should carefully consider.
How is Corning Specialty Care Staffed?
CMS rates Corning Specialty Care's staffing level at 3 out of 5 stars, which is average compared to other nursing homes. Staff turnover is 42%, compared to the Iowa average of 46%. This relatively stable workforce can support continuity of care.
What Have Inspectors Found at Corning Specialty Care?
State health inspectors documented 18 deficiencies at Corning Specialty Care during 2022 to 2025. These included: 18 with potential for harm.
Who Owns and Operates Corning Specialty Care?
Corning Specialty Care is owned by a for-profit company. For-profit facilities operate as businesses with obligations to shareholders or private owners. The facility is operated by CARE INITIATIVES, a chain that manages multiple nursing homes. With 40 certified beds and approximately 24 residents (about 60% occupancy), it is a smaller facility located in Corning, Iowa.
How Does Corning Specialty Care Compare to Other Iowa Nursing Homes?
Compared to the 100 nursing homes in Iowa, Corning Specialty Care's overall rating (2 stars) is below the state average of 3.0, staff turnover (42%) is near the state average of 46%, and health inspection rating (2 stars) is below the national benchmark.
What Should Families Ask When Visiting Corning Specialty Care?
Based on this facility's data, families visiting should ask: "Can I visit during a mealtime to observe dining assistance and food quality?" "How do you handle medical emergencies, and what is your hospital transfer rate?" "Can I speak with family members of current residents about their experience?"
Is Corning Specialty Care Safe?
Based on CMS inspection data, Corning Specialty Care has a clean safety record: no substantiated abuse findings (meaning no confirmed cases of resident harm), no Immediate Jeopardy citations (the most serious violation level indicating risk of serious injury or death), and is not on the Special Focus Facility watch list (a federal program monitoring the lowest-performing 1% of nursing homes). The facility has a 2-star overall rating and ranks #100 of 100 nursing homes in Iowa. While no facility is perfect, families should still ask about staff-to-resident ratios and recent inspection results during their visit.
Do Nurses at Corning Specialty Care Stick Around?
Corning Specialty Care has a staff turnover rate of 42%, which is about average for Iowa nursing homes (state average: 46%). Moderate turnover is common in nursing homes, but families should still ask about staff tenure and how the facility maintains care continuity when employees leave.
Was Corning Specialty Care Ever Fined?
Corning Specialty Care has no federal fines on record. CMS issues fines when nursing homes fail to meet care standards or don't correct problems found during inspections. The absence of fines suggests the facility has either maintained compliance or corrected any issues before penalties were assessed. This is a positive indicator, though families should still review recent inspection reports for the full picture.
Is Corning Specialty Care on Any Federal Watch List?
Corning Specialty Care is not on any federal watch list. The most significant is the Special Focus Facility (SFF) program, which identifies the bottom 1% of nursing homes nationally based on persistent, serious quality problems. Not being on this list means the facility has avoided the pattern of deficiencies that triggers enhanced federal oversight. This is a positive indicator, though families should still review the facility's inspection history directly.