8 Best Nursing Homes in Fort Dodge, IA

Nursing Homes

A nursing home provides lodging to two or more seniors who are not related by marriage or by blood to the administrator. This type of community offers its residents 24-hour care by on-site nurses. These caregivers provide care for people who cannot take care of themselves due to the effects of aging.

Nursing homes are a convenient and easy care alternative for persons 65 years and above, however nursing homes will frequently allow individuals 55 and greater which is for other senior care types. A large number of inhabitants are single women who have smaller social support groups, and almost fifty percent of nursing home residents are older than the age of 85. Types of care services and amenities provided at nursing homes can include skilled nursing or medical care, rehabilitation needed due to injury, disability, or illness, social and recreational activities, and adult day health care (which offers nursing and therapy) . There are some services that may come at a cost to residents which can include special care services not included in the community’s Medicaid payment, specially prepared food, and flowers and plants. Many occupants of nursing homes may have behavioral problems. These can consist of resisting assistance, verbal outbursts, or a tendency to wander. Nursing homes are required to provide a professionallly directed program of activities, specialized rehabilitative services (treatment for mental illness or intellectual disability), room and bed maintenance services, and dietary services to residents.

Cost of Living

Cost of living is a motivating factor in selecting which community works for you or your loved one. Fort Dodge has a median home value of about $89,527 and the median cost of rent is about $702 per month. The rent burden for Fort Dodge is about 16.6% of the average monthly income.

Demographics and Values

Based on gender, 48.4% are female and 51.6% are male. The median age of Fort Dodge is 37 years old. Racially, the population of Fort Dodge is 89.3% white, 5.5% Hispanic, 0.5% other or not specified, 0.0% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 6.6% black, 0.3% Native American, 1.5% mixed race, and 1.9% Asian. Fort Dodge has a population density of 584 people per square mile. Currently, the population of Fort Dodge consists of 24,223 people and in total the Fort Dodge metro area has a population of 24,305. In Fort Dodge, 16.3% have some form of disability, 57.4% participate in the labor force, 6.3% do not have health insurance, and 7.5% are widowed. In Fort Dodge, 8.3% of the people are veterans of the United States armed forces. In terms of education, 6.4% have a graduate degree, 21.8% have a college degree, and 32.7% have a high-school diploma.

State Information

An overview of Iowa

Overall, Iowa ranks 14th out of all states in quality of life and 20th in healthcare. In terms of resources, Iowa has a cost of living index of 91.8, a grocery index rating of 95.9, and a housing index rating of 79.6. These index ratings are based on a system where 100 is considered the national average and anything below 100 is considered less expensive than the national average. Based on natural beauty, Iowa ranks 32nd in the nation. There are 120 general hospitals and 75 health centers that provide care for 3,168,703 Iowa residents. The three highest ranked hospitals in Iowa are Mercy Hospital, St. Lukes Hospital, and And Mercy Medical Center – Cedar Rapids.

Social demographics of the state

In the most recent presidential election, 51% of Iowa residents voted Republican and 42% voted Democrat. In terms of religious values, 36% of Iowa’s population regularly attend some form of service and there are in total 5,107 different congregations. The top three Christian denominations in the state are Evangelical Protestant-28%, Mainline Protestant-30%, and Historically Black Protestant-2%. The top three non-Christian denominations in the state are Jewish-<1%, Muslim-<1%, and Buddhist-<1%. In Iowa there are 289 masonic lodges. The state of Iowa ranks 43rd in the country for diversity, and the state is considered LGBTQ friendly. The median age in the state is 38, and 30% of the population is over the age of 55.

State-wide weather information

The average temperature in the summer rises to around 72F. The average high summer temperature is around 88F in the month of July. The average low summer temperature is around 55F in the month of June. The average temperature in the winter falls to around 22F. During the winter, the average high temperature peaks at around 40F during the month of February. The average low temperature during the winter drops to around 4F in the month of January. The average monthly precipitation for the state of Iowa is around 2.93 inches. The average amount of precipitation peaks during the month of July at around 6.46 inches. Iowa experiences an average humidity rating of about 72%. The highest monthly average humidity rating is 78% in the month of December. On average, Iowa has an air quality index rating of around 41.2 AQI. The highest seasonal air quality index rating occurs in the month of May with a rating of 53.8 AQI. While residents of Iowa mostly enjoy pleasant conditions, it’s important to be aware of inclement weather as well, which in Iowa can include floods and earthquakes (high).

Wildlife to be found in Iowa

The state of Iowa has a diverse array of plant and animal life. Local plant life can consist of bunchberry, twinleaf, western beard-tongue, and pink lady’s slipper. While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the black wolf, the lynx, the mountain lion, or the bear. The state animal of Iowa is the eastern goldfinch.