St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home: Staffing, Turnover, and Inspection Record
St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home is a 79-bed nonprofit nursing home in Spencer, Iowa. In the CMS August 2026 release it reported 2.50 nurse aide hours per resident per day, about the same as the Iowa average of 2.51, and 44.1% nursing staff turnover (Iowa average 44.0%).
St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home
1301 Saint Luke DriveSpencer, IA 51301
Clay County
CMS Care Compare, August 2026 release
How many staff hours residents get
CMS reports staffing as hours per resident per day, from the payroll records each home submits. At St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home, nurse aides logged 2.50 hours per resident per day, about the same as the Iowa average. With about 73 residents a day, that works out to roughly 181 aide hours a day, or about 23 eight-hour aide shifts across day, evening, and night. On weekends, total nursing hours per resident ran 7% below the all-days figure.
| Hours per resident per day | This home | Iowa avg | US avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse aides (CNAs) | 2.50 | 2.51 | 2.32 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 0.36 | 0.56 | 0.86 |
| Registered nurses | 0.85 | 0.74 | 0.69 |
| All nursing staff | 3.71 | 3.82 | 3.86 |
| All nursing staff, weekends | 3.44 | 3.37 | 3.42 |
CMS Care Compare, August 2026 release: reported staffing hours from Payroll-Based Journal data, and CMS state and US averages.
Staff turnover
44.1% of nursing staff at St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home left over the year CMS measured, against a Iowa average of 44.0% and a US average of 45.8%. Registered nurse turnover was 21.4%. No administrators left over the same period.
Inspections and penalties
State inspectors last completed a standard health inspection on Sep 4, 2025. The most recent inspection cycle, which also counts complaint and infection-control inspections from the past 12 months, found 9 health deficiencies (Iowa average 6.5). CMS lists 2 fines totaling $90,076 and 1 payment denial in the last three years.
| Inspection date | Penalty | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2025 | Fine | $81,679 |
| Aug 22, 2024 | Fine | $8,397 |
| Aug 22, 2024 | Payment Denial | 21 days from Sep 20, 2024 |
CMS Penalties file, August 2026 release. A payment denial stops Medicare and Medicaid payment for new admissions for the days shown.
CMS star ratings
CMS rates every nursing home from one to five stars overall and on health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home holds 2 of 5 overall; the Iowa average is 3.1.
About St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home
- Ownership: Non profit - Corporation
- Legal name: St Luke Homes & Services Inc
- Medicare and Medicaid certified since: Jul 7, 2003
- Part of a continuing care retirement community
- Councils: resident council
- Area: rural
Nursing homes near St Luke Lutheran Nursing Home
The closest homes by distance, with the same CMS figures. Select a column to sort.
| Spencer Post Acute Rehabilitation Center Spencer | 2.2 | 82 | 2.26 | 3.38 | — | 1 | $24,706 |
| Ruthven Community Care Center Ruthven | 11.5 | 46 | 2.23 | 3.33 | 35.0% | 4 | None |
| Accura Healthcare of Milford Milford | 14.2 | 46 | 2.23 | 3.53 | 30.2% | 4 | None |
| Community Memorial Health Center Hartley | 18.5 | 62 | 2.52 | 4.02 | 41.1% | 3 | $44,528 |
| Accura Healthcare of Spirit Lake Spirit Lake | 20.6 | 80 | 2.27 | 3.54 | 40.8% | 2 | $34,567 |
| Palo Alto County Hospital Emmetsburg | 22.0 | 22 | 1.57 | 3.07 | 17.6% | 4 | None |
| Lakeside Lutheran Home Emmetsburg | 22.4 | 55 | 3.00 | 4.11 | 37.2% | 3 | None |
| Emmetsburg Care Center Emmetsburg | 22.6 | 46 | 2.67 | 3.66 | 56.9% | 1 | $25,695 |
Aide hrs and all nurse hrs are staff hours per resident per day. Fines are the CMS total for the last three years. Turnover is the share of nursing staff who left over a year. All figures from CMS Care Compare.
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Source: CMS Care Compare Provider Information, State and US Averages, and Penalties files, August 2026 release. Figures are as CMS publishes them; check Medicare Care Compare for the latest. Methodology.