Federal inspection record · CMS data as of October 1, 2026
Sanford Senior Care Sheldon
118 North Seventh Avenue, Sheldon, IA · (712) 324-6453
- Certified beds
- 70
- Residents per day
- 42
- Ownership
- Non-Profit
- Chain
- No chain reported
- Medicare / Medicaid
- Medicaid
- Certified since
- May 1, 1978
1
How this home got 1 star
The overall rating isn't an average. CMS starts from the inspection rating and nudges it at most two steps. Here is the arithmetic for this home, using CMS's own rules.
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Health inspections
★★★★★starting point
Everything starts from what state inspectors found on site. This is a ranking against other homes in Iowa.
-
Staffing
★★★★★no change
Only a 5-star staffing rating adds a star, and only a 1-star rating removes one. Ratings of 2 to 4 change nothing.
-
Quality measures
★★★★★no change
Same rule: 5 stars adds one, 1 star takes one away. These measures are mostly reported by the home itself.
-
Overall
★★★★★1 of 5
Matches the rating CMS publishes on Care Compare.
2
Where it sits among Iowa homes
Sanford Senior Care Sheldon carries 111 inspection points. That is fewer than 13% of Iowa's 385 rated homes.
Inspectors' citations earn points by how serious and how widespread they were (the grid below). CMS then ranks every home in Iowa: the 10% with the fewest points get 5 stars, the 20% with the most get 1 star, and the middle 70% split evenly into 2, 3 and 4.
- 5★ 0–7 pts
- 4★ 7–21 pts
- 3★ 21–41 pts
- 2★ 41–86.5 pts
- 1★ over 86.5 pts
Bars show every rated home in Iowa by its weighted inspection score. CMS recalibrates the cut points monthly but holds a home's rating until its own score changes, so a home can sit just outside today's band.
3
What inspectors found
21 health citations on record since 2023. Each one gets a letter: the row says how badly residents were affected, the column how many.
Immediate jeopardyResidents at risk of serious injury or death
Actual harmA resident was hurt
Potential for harmNo one was hurt, but could have been
Minimal harmPaperwork-level problems
Read the rows, not the total. Most citations nationwide are a D: one problem, nobody hurt. Rows G–I mean a resident was harmed; J–L mean inspectors found residents in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
Small numbers in each cell are the inspection points CMS assigns per citation. Those points are what the state curve above ranks.
Harm and immediate-jeopardy citations (4)
-
J
Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
-
K
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
-
K
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
-
J
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Everything else, by area of care
Resident Assessment and Care Planning6E
- D
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
- D
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
- D
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
- E
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
- D
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
- D
Ensure necessary information is communicated to the resident, and receiving health care provider at the time of a planned discharge.
Resident Rights3D
- D
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
- D
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
- D
Provide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights.
Quality of Life and Care3D
- D
Provide appropriate care for a resident to maintain and/or improve range of motion (ROM), limited ROM and/or mobility, unless a decline is for a medical reason.
- D
Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health.
- D
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Nutrition and Dietary2E
- E
Ensure each resident receives and the facility provides food prepared in a form designed to meet individual needs.
- E
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Infection Control1D
- D
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation1D
- D
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Pharmacy Service1D
- D
Implement gradual dose reductions(GDR) and non-pharmacological interventions, unless contraindicated, prior to initiating or instead of continuing psychotropic medication; and PRN orders for psychotropic medications are only used when the medication is necessary and PRN use is limited.
Inspection history
2025-11-06
8 health deficiencies · 1 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Nutrition and Dietary (2 deficiencies)
2024-10-03
7 health deficiencies · 3 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Quality of Life and Care (2 deficiencies)
2023-06-29
6 health deficiencies · 4 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Resident Assessment and Care Planning (3 deficiencies)
4
Nursing time per resident, per day
Each resident here gets about 3 h 24 min of nursing staff time a day, 32 min of it from a registered nurse.
This home
3 h 24 min
Iowa average
3 h 52 min
U.S. average
3 h 54 min
- Registered nurse
- Licensed practical nurse
- Nurse aide
Turnover: 61% of nursing staff and 64% of registered nurses left in the past year.
Reported hours from payroll data the home submits to CMS, divided by its daily resident count. Not adjusted for how sick residents are.
5
Fines and payment denials
$11,872 in federal fines on record over the past three years.
| Date | Penalty | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-01 | Fine | $11,872 |
6
Resident outcomes
Quality measures compared with state and national averages. Most come from assessments the home itself reports.
| Measure | This home | State | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of hospitalizations per 1000 long-stay resident days1.1 pts better | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days1.2 pts worse | 3.1 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine4.5 pts worse | 89.7% | 94.2% | 93.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine4.2 pts better | 100.0% | 95.8% | 95.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury4.7 pts worse | 8.6% | 3.9% | 3.2% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms2.9 pts worse | 7.1% | 4.2% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight3 pts better | 1.4% | 4.4% | 5.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication1.3 pts worse | 22.3% | 21.0% | 19.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication0.2 pts better | 19.6% | 19.8% | 15.4% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrained0.2 pts better | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened6.7 pts worse | 21.9% | 15.2% | 12.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased20 pts worse | 36.6% | 16.6% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder1.8 pts worse | 3.2% | 1.4% | 0.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection1.3 pts better | 1.1% | 2.4% | 1.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence6.7 pts worse | 31.7% | 25.0% | 18.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers1.2 pts worse | 5.3% | 4.1% | 4.5% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine16.6 pts worse | 67.4% | 84.0% | 82.3% |
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Fire safety
8 life-safety citations (sprinklers, exits, alarms). These don't count toward the star rating.
Miscellaneous3F
- E
Provide a written emergency evacuation plan.
- F
Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.
- F
To conduct inspection, testing and maintenance of fire doors by qualified individuals.
Smoke2F
- F
Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system.
- F
Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke.
Construction1F
- F
Use approved construction type or materials.
Egress1F
- F
Install emergency lighting that can last at least 1 1/2 hours.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems1D
- D
Ensure proper usage of power strips and extension cords.
·
Other homes nearby
-
Prairie View Home
Sanborn, IA
★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- E
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 36 min
- Fines
- $0
-
Good Samaritan - George
George, IA · Good Samaritan Society
★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- J
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 10 min
- Fines
- $8,827
-
Pleasant Acres Care Center
Hull, IA · Campbell Street Services
★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- E
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 13 min
- Fines
- $0