Iowa City Rehab and Health Care Center

    3661 Rochester Ave, Iowa City, IA, 52245
    2.2 · 32 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    1.0

    Dangerous facility, neglectful management, filthy

    I loved the kind CNAs and excellent therapy (Kim) who tried to help, but I cannot recommend this place. Management is incompetent and money-driven, staffing is chronically short/overworked, call buttons are ignored, wounds and infections were neglected (I saw one amputation and another resident died), falls and unsafe conditions went unanswered, and the building is filthy and unsafe with rodents, urine odor and rotting areas. There were cover-up allegations, missing belongings, awful communication and lies to families - some staff are wonderful, but leadership and the facility are dangerous; move your loved one and report it.

    Pricing

    Schedule a Tour

    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Medication management
    • Mental wellness program

    Healthcare staffing

    • 12-16 hour nursing
    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Restaurant-style dining
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Air-conditioning
    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Private bathrooms
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Transportation

    • Community operated transportation
    • Transportation arrangement
    • Transportation arrangement (non-medical)

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Computer center
    • Dining room
    • Fitness room
    • Gaming room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space
    • Small library
    • Wellness center

    Community services

    • Concierge services
    • Fitness programs
    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Planned day trips
    • Resident-run activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    2.16 · 32 reviews

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      2.1
    • Staff

      2.4
    • Meals

      2.0
    • Amenities

      1.0
    • Value

      1.3

    Pros

    • Effective physical/rehabilitation therapy
    • Specific praised therapist (Kim)
    • Supportive and thorough therapy explanations
    • Friendly and caring CNAs/aides
    • Attentive nursing staff in some cases
    • Above-and-beyond individual caregivers
    • Supportive social services/home care setup
    • Compassionate staff coordinating with hospitals and hospice
    • Comforting care reported by some families
    • Home-like atmosphere reported by some residents
    • Clean floors and pride in maintenance (reported by some)
    • Good food reported by some reviewers
    • Helpful staff who assist when others won't
    • Meaningful reunions and positive discharge experiences
    • Many reviewers reported universally positive interactions with some staff

    Cons

    • Inconsistent quality of nursing care
    • Serious safety incidents (falls, window accident, amputation allegations)
    • Reports of patient neglect leading to infection and hospitalization
    • Slow or unresponsive call-button/response times
    • Staff shortages and frequent use of agency/temporary staff
    • Staff appear overworked and short-staffed
    • Allegations of staff substance abuse appearance
    • Staff swearing and loud yelling around residents
    • Unprofessional, rude, or mocking staff behavior
    • Poor management and administration issues
    • Owners perceived as money-focused
    • Appointments and required care tasks not reliably performed
    • Residents/responsible parties must constantly remind staff
    • Loss/theft/misplacement of resident clothing and items
    • Filthy or unhygienic conditions reported
    • Urine odor and unclean facilities
    • Pest issues and rotting wood reported
    • No on-site maintenance or delayed facility repairs
    • Old, outdated building in disrepair
    • High price relative to perceived quality/value
    • Allegations of cover-up and dishonesty by administration
    • Delays or obstruction of transfers and care decisions
    • Regulatory complaints and calls to health department/Ombudsman
    • Poor phone access and unprofessional phone etiquette
    • Inconsistent food quality (many negative reports)
    • Unsafe equipment or environment (no bed rails, broken fixtures)
    • Multiple reports of chaotic environment and loud disruptions
    • Some reviewers strongly advise moving loved ones out
    • Unclear or poor communication with families
    • Mixed reports but overall management/retention concerns

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across the reviews is highly polarized, with a clear pattern: individual frontline caregivers and therapy staff often receive strong praise for compassion, rehabilitation outcomes, and personal attention, while systemic issues—management, facility conditions, safety, staffing, and communication—are repeatedly criticized and in some cases described as dangerous.

    Care quality and therapy: Many reviewers specifically praised the rehabilitation program and physical therapy, with multiple positive stories of recovery and helpful therapists (one named Kim is singled out for thorough explanations and support). Social services and discharge/home-care setup also received favorable comments. However, these positive care experiences coexist with numerous reports of neglect and inadequate nursing care: missed appointments, ignored wounds leading to serious medical consequences, delayed treatment of infections, and at least one report of a resident transferred to the hospital and later dying. Several reviewers described near-death or life-altering outcomes (amputation, severe infection) that they attribute to poor medical attention. The contrast suggests the facility may provide strong therapy/rehab services but inconsistent or unreliable nursing/medical oversight.

    Staff behavior and staffing patterns: Reviews frequently note an inconsistent staff quality. Many individual CNAs, aides, and nurses are described as kind, attentive, and going above and beyond; those staff members appear to be responsible for much of the positive feedback. Simultaneously, there are repeated complaints about rude, unprofessional, or even alarming staff behavior—yelling, swearing around patients, mocking, and alleged appearance of substance abuse. Staffing shortages and heavy reliance on agency/temporary staff are common themes; reviewers say staff are overworked, which appears to contribute to missed tasks, delayed responses, and uneven care. Several respondents called out management for rehiring or failing to discipline problematic staff.

    Safety and serious incidents: A critical pattern in the reviews is recurring concern about resident safety. Reports include falls with no staff action, lack of bed rails, a deadly window accident allegation, ignored mobility assistance, and a fall from a wheelchair. There are also mentions of theft/loss of resident property, and complaints that residents must constantly remind staff about essential care tasks. Multiple reviewers explicitly stated they filed complaints with the state health department or Ombudsman and called for the facility to be shut down, indicating extreme distrust in administrative oversight.

    Facilities, cleanliness, and maintenance: Numerous reviews describe the building as old, in disrepair, and poorly maintained. Specific issues cited include urine smell, rotting wood, rats, and lack of on-site maintenance. While some reviewers reported clean floors and pride in maintenance, the volume of complaints about hygiene and pest problems is significant and raises red flags about infection control and overall livability. The physical environment is frequently described as unsafe or neglected, which compounds the clinical concerns.

    Management, communication, and operations: Management and administration receive heavy criticism for dishonesty, poor oversight, and prioritizing profit. Reported consequences include delays in transfers, slow responses to complaints, and suggestions that administration covers up incidents. Communication failures show up as unanswered phone calls, poor phone etiquette, lack of transparency with families, and missed appointments. These operational problems seem to amplify the negative effects of understaffing and facility issues.

    Dining and resident life: Opinions on food and atmosphere are mixed. Some reviewers praise the food and a home-like atmosphere with smiling, caring staff and lovely residents; others call the food pathetic and the overall environment worse than a prison. This split reinforces the overall theme: individual experiences depend heavily on which staff and which areas of the facility a resident encounters.

    Patterns and overall impression: The dominant pattern is a facility with pockets of excellent, compassionate frontline staff—particularly in therapy—but with systemic failures that create safety risks and inconsistent care. Positive outcomes are often attributed to specific therapists or caregivers, while negative, sometimes severe incidents are linked to institutional problems: understaffing, poor maintenance, poor management, and breakdowns in communication. Because of the frequency and severity of the negative reports (falls, infections, alleged cover-ups, missing items, pest problems), reviewers frequently advise caution and recommend moving loved ones elsewhere unless families can verify current staffing, maintenance, and incident remediation.

    If evaluating this facility, prospective families should weigh the clear strengths in rehabilitative therapy and the presence of caring individual staff against repeated and serious concerns about safety, hygiene, management honesty, responsiveness, and staffing stability. Verification steps before placement could include asking for recent state inspection reports, specific staffing ratios, examples of corrective actions for cited incidents, and in-person observation of cleanliness, response times, and staff demeanor. The reviews suggest that while good care is possible here, it is not consistently delivered, and the consequences of those inconsistencies can be severe.

    Location

    Map showing location of Iowa City Rehab and Health Care Center

    About Iowa City Rehab and Health Care Center

    Iowa City Rehab and Health Care Center stands at 1526 Sycamore Street in Iowa City, offering skilled nursing and residential care to people who need round-the-clock help. The facility's set up to take care of 89 residents in certified beds and usually has about 43 people living there at a time. People come here from different counties-Johnson, Iowa, Linn, Cedar, Muscatine, Louisa, and Washington-since they serve a wide area. The center's been around a long time, going back to 1983, and it's known for working with Iowa City Hospice to provide end-of-life hospice care along with palliative care for those dealing with serious illnesses, and they put a focus on being kind and helping folks stay comfortable. The staff offer support in many ways, including emotional, spiritual, and symptom management options, and there are resources for families, physicians, and even faith leaders.

    Residents live in semi-private suites with simple comforts like free wireless internet, cable TV, and phone services. Safety's kept in mind with security and fire systems, and there's a hair salon, a specific place for smoking, and outdoor spaces with a little serenity-like a courtyard, patio, or gazebo-for folks to relax. The place runs twenty-four hours, every day of the week, and the staff handles things like housekeeping, laundry, and family support programs. On top of activities to keep seniors engaged, there's skilled medical care, which includes help like IV therapy, tracheostomy care, diabetes management, dementia training, regular nursing care, and even respite services for families who need a break. The facility encourages a sense of community, so people don't feel alone, and family education programs try to keep everyone informed.

    The center's been managed by a few different groups over the years, including Arboreta Healthcare and, more recently, P&M Holding Group and Opco Iowa City IA LLC. Inspection reports from CMS show a total of 93 deficiencies, including 4 related to infection control, and the center's been cited for not having a qualified infection prevention expert. Nurse staffing sits at about 3.16 hours per resident each day, which is below the Iowa average. Ownership comes down through organizations like Greenside Healthcare Properties LLC and Arboreta Healthcare. All in all, Iowa City Rehab and Health Care Center offers basic services and specialized care for seniors, though inspection and staffing records show some areas that need attention.

    People often ask...

    Nearby Communities

    • Exterior view of a large, modern three-story senior living facility building with a covered entrance driveway, surrounded by green lawns and trees under a partly cloudy blue sky.
      $5,633 – $7,322+3.9 (69)
      Semi-private • 1 Bedroom • Studio
      assisted living, memory care

      Alto Grayslake

      1865 E Belvidere Rd, Grayslake, IL, 60030
    • Exterior view of Belmont Village Senior Living Glenview building at dusk, showing a large covered entrance with white columns, well-maintained landscaping with bushes and trees, and a multi-story brick and siding facade with lit windows.
      $3,965+4.6 (121)
      Semi-private
      independent, assisted living, memory care

      Belmont Village Senior Living Glenview

      2200 Golf Rd, Glenview, IL, 60025
    • Evening view of the entrance area of Belmont Village Senior Living Lincoln Park, featuring brick walls, decorative lighting fixtures, a circular chandelier on the ceiling, and a sign with the facility's name visible near the street.
      $5,506 – $7,157+4.5 (131)
      Semi-private • 1 Bedroom • Studio
      independent, assisted living, memory care

      Belmont Village Senior Living Lincoln Park

      700 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL, 60614
    • Front exterior view of the American House Town and Country senior living facility with a circular driveway, landscaped greenery, and an American flag on a flagpole under a wooden entrance canopy.
      $5,000+3.9 (61)
      suite
      assisted living, memory care

      American House Town and Country

      1020 Woods Mill Rd, Town and Country, MO, 63017
    • Exterior view of a large, multi-story residential building with balconies and a tower-like structure at one corner, surrounded by landscaped greenery and walkways with people walking and sitting nearby during dusk.
      $7,071 – $9,192+3.6 (26)
      Semi-private • 1 Bedroom • Studio
      independent, assisted living, memory care

      Marvella

      825 Mount Curve Blvd, St. Paul, MN, 55116
    • Front exterior view of Harmony Gardens Senior Living facility showing a large, multi-section building with multiple windows, a covered entrance with an American flag in front, and a parking lot with several cars parked.
      Pricing on request4.4 (30)
      suite
      independent, assisted living, memory care

      Harmony Gardens Senior Living

      1438 County Rd C E, Maplewood, MN, 55109

    Assisted Living in Nearby Cities

    1. 51 facilities$5,361/mo
    2. 42 facilities$5,339/mo
    3. 2 facilities
    4. 5 facilities
    5. 0 facilities
    6. 22 facilities$5,562/mo
    7. 4 facilities$4,908/mo
    8. 28 facilities$5,339/mo
    9. 4 facilities$5,320/mo
    10. 0 facilities
    11. 3 facilities
    12. 3 facilities
    © 2025 Mirador Living