Carroll Health Ctr

Pros

• Grandma enjoys the care center.
• There are plenty of activities.
• The facility is easy for residents to move around.

Cons

• The staff allegedly prescribed an antidepressant to the patient without a doctor's order, causing harm.
• The medication left the patient confused and scared, depriving the family of time with him.
• The nurse allegedly had done this before to other residents and remains employed there.
• The DON's promised "more education" amounted to signing a sheet of paper and not attending a meeting.
• Management's communication was described as a joke, with concerns ignored.
• Requests for the patient's chart records were ignored.
• Housekeeping was a nightmare, forcing the family to provide cleaning supplies and clean the room.
• Employees smoked outside the window near residents, despite the no-smoking policy.
• The facility gave the wrong medication for three weeks and forgot to provide pain medication for three days.
• The place was dirty and never cleaned.

Review

Families across Iowa have shared harrowing experiences at Accura Health Care facilities, painting a troubling picture of care gaps, miscommunications, and questions about safety that linger long after a loved one has left the building. In one deeply painful account, a daughter describes the last months of her father's life spent in a Carroll facility that she believes failed him in ways that may have undermined both his dignity and his health. She recounts that a nurse allegedly placed an antidepressant order for her dad without a doctor's authorization, a mismatch that lasted about two weeks and left him confused, frightened, and frequently waking her at all hours. When the situation was finally addressed, hospice staff reportedly told the nurse it was her mistake, while the facility's director of nursing suggested more "education," which she viewed as little more than signing a form to avoid accountability. The family felt they were left to bear the consequences of a medication error that altered her father's last months, while dismissive explanations from staff minimized the impact of the adverse reaction.

This same family describes a broader pattern of poor communication and a sense that those in charge cared more about schedules and payroll than about residents' safety. They say important information was downplayed or ignored, and that their attempts to obtain their father's chart and to understand what had happened were met with resistance. Corporate complaints were filed, as were complaints with the State of Iowa, yet the family perceived little to no meaningful change at the bedside. The nurse involved was not promptly removed, and the family continued to wrestle with a sense of ongoing risk, feeling that the facility prioritized paperwork over patient care. The emotional toll was compounded by ongoing concerns about consent, documentation, and transparency when something clearly went wrong with a medication order.

Alongside these medication and communication concerns, housekeeping and basic facility management appear to have been a source of ongoing frustration. The family says they ended up purchasing cleaning supplies so they could maintain their loved one's room because housekeeping services were inadequate. The testimony suggests a lack of consistent attention to the residents' environment, raising questions about infection control, cleanliness, and daily support. When concerns were raised in meetings with staff and administrators, the family felt their voices were not truly heard, leaving them to feel powerless and frustrated at a time when their loved one needed steady, reliable care.

Another recurrent theme in these accounts is the discrepancy between written policies and on-the-ground practices. The facility is described as a "no smoking" site, yet staff members were observed smoking near areas where residents were dining or congregating. The sign at the entrance promises a smoke-free environment, but the perception among families is that the policy is not consistently enforced and may affect the residents' air quality and morale. This inconsistency fuels a sense that rules exist more to save face than to protect residents, and that accountability for staff behavior is uneven.

The broader context for these narratives is a pattern that the families say extends beyond a single location. The Carroll facility is described as being cited multiple times along with other Accura facilities in Iowa, suggesting systemic concerns rather than isolated incidents. The reviews urge prospective families to conduct thorough due diligence and to be prepared to advocate vigorously for their loved ones. They emphasize the need to review regulatory records, demand access to medical charts, and remain vigilant about every change in medications, tests, or treatments. The call to action is clear: push for transparency, insist on timely and respectful communication, and demand accountability when patient safety is at stake.

Within the same thread of voices, other relatives recount separate experiences that, while still troubling, reveal a more complex set of outcomes across the same network. One account describes a grandpa whose care was undermined by three weeks of the wrong medication and a failure to provide pain medication for several days while he was dealing with cancer. According to this narration, the facility struggled with responsiveness and cleanliness, and repeated complaints to the state did not seem to yield substantive changes. In another story, a grandma reportedly fell and broke her hip, with concerns about a sensor on her chair being removed and inconsistent explanations about whether she had self-inflicted the fall. The family points to the inconsistency and the suspicion that reports to doctors and families did not align with what actually happened, leaving them to question the accuracy of the facility's narratives about accidents and safety measures.

Not all fragments of these reviews are uniformly negative, however. One account presents a contrasting view from a family member who says the grandmother "enjoys the care center" and notes many activities and ease of movement for residents. The same reviewer humorously mentions a disappointing note about the food, specifically pork chops, while acknowledging the facility's efforts to provide social and recreational options. This welcome variation suggests that experiences at these facilities can be mixed, with some residents benefiting from activities and mobility supports, while others encounter serious concerns around medical management, staff attentiveness, and the cleanliness and upkeep of rooms and common spaces.

Together, these testimonies outline a landscape of serious, often painful experiences that families associate with Accura Health Care facilities in Iowa. They highlight critical questions about medication safety, communication, staffing, regulatory oversight, and the everyday realities of life in a long-term care setting. They underscore the importance of families staying informed, asking tough questions, and demanding prompt action when problems arise. They also remind readers that while some residents may have positive experiences, others face systemic challenges that deserve careful scrutiny and accountability. For anyone considering a loved one's residence in this network, these stories encourage diligence, advocacy, and an insistence on transparent, patient-centered care.

Places of Worship

• New Hope Village Home (0.4 miles)
• First Assembly of God Church (0.4 miles)
• Carroll First (0.4 miles)
• St Paul Lutheran Church (0.4 miles)
• New Hope Village (0.6 miles)
• St John Paul II Parish (0.6 miles)
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (0.8 miles)

Parks

• Northwest Park (0.6 miles)
• Veterans Memorial Park (0.6 miles)
• Minchen Park (0.9 miles)
• Northeast Park (1.2 miles)
• Graham Park (1.3 miles)
• Carroll Parks & Recreation (1.4 miles)
• Rolling Hills Park (2 miles)

Restaurants

• Swizzle Stick (0.6 miles)
• Family Table Restaurant (0.7 miles)
• A&W Restaurant (0.9 miles)
• McDonald's (1 miles)
• Yan Buffet (1.1 miles)
• Santa Maria Restaurant (1.2 miles)
• Jalisco (1.2 miles)

Physicians

• Carroll Eye Clinic (0.8 miles)
• Southwest Orthodontic Associates (1.1 miles)
• Carroll Hearing Aid Center (1.1 miles)
• Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons (1.1 miles)
• Carroll Eye Care Associates (1.1 miles)
• McFarland Clinic PC Carroll Eastside Office (1.8 miles)
• Des Moines Orthopaedic Surgeons PC (1.9 miles)

Cafes

• Peet's Coffee and Tea (0.9 miles)
• Dunkin (1.1 miles)
• Queen Beans Coffee House (1.4 miles)
• Mc's Country Cafe (1.6 miles)
• Little Green Truck Coffee Co. (11.4 miles)
• Waspy's Cafe (12.1 miles)

Transportation

• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (1.1 miles)
• Anytime Cab (1.3 miles)
• American Airlines (1.4 miles)
• Carroll Airport (5.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• Carroll Apothecary (1.2 miles)
• Pharmacy Associates Carroll (1.2 miles)
• Walgreens (1.3 miles)
• St Anthony Westside Pharmacy (11.8 miles)
• Community Pharmacy (13.9 miles)

Hospitals

• Carroll Eye Clinic (1.3 miles)
• St Anthony Family Care Physicians (1.9 miles)
• MercyOne Iowa Heart Center Carroll (1.9 miles)
• St Anthony Regional Hospital Auxiliary (1.9 miles)
• St Anthony Nursing Home (1.9 miles)
• Shady Oaks (13.8 miles)
• Stewart Memorial Hospital (13.9 miles)

Theaters

• Carroll Theatres (1.4 miles)