Chariton Specialty Care
1214 North Seventh Street, Chariton, IA 50049 · Lucas County · 60 certified beds · avg 34 residents/day · certified since Dec 1, 1996
Part of chain: CARE INITIATIVES (43 facilities, chain avg rating 2.9★)
What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)
Health inspection rating: ★★☆☆☆2/5 · CMS overall rating: 2/5
The health inspection star above is graded on a curve within each state — a set share of each state's facilities gets each star level — so a facility can have few citations and still rate 2–3 stars if others in its state did even better. The overall rating combines that inspection score with staffing and self-reported quality measures.
Most serious findings (actual harm or immediate jeopardy)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, one-off · Sep 14, 2023 · F-0684 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals.
Why it matters: Care that strays from doctor's orders or ignores the resident's wishes can lead to declining health and avoidable harm.
Severity (J): Inspectors found a situation that put a resident's life or safety in immediate danger, affecting one or a few residents. The facility must fix it immediately — these citations often come with large fines.
Corrected: Sep 15, 2023 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
All citations in the current public record (18)
CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed.
| Date | Severity | What the facility was cited for |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 14, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility provided care that did not meet professional standards of quality — the accepted standards that nurses and other clinicians are expected to follow. |
| Jan 14, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility allowed residents to lose the ability to do daily activities — like bathing, dressing, and eating — when there was no medical reason for the decline. Good care helps residents keep the abilities they have. |
| Sep 18, 2025 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not serve food and drinks that were appetizing, attractive, and at a safe and pleasant temperature. · from a complaint |
| Jan 30, 2025 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not develop or follow a complete care plan for each resident — the written roadmap covering all of a resident's needs, with measurable goals and timelines. |
| Jan 30, 2025 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards. |
| Jan 30, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not give residents proper notice about what Medicare or Medicaid covers, or about charges the resident might owe for services that aren't covered. |
| Jan 30, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not reassess a resident after a significant change in their condition, such as a sudden decline in health. A full new assessment is required when a resident's condition changes in a major way. |
| Jan 30, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility provided care that did not meet professional standards of quality — the accepted standards that nurses and other clinicians are expected to follow. |
| Jan 30, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility's menus did not meet residents' nutritional needs, or were not prepared in advance, followed as written, kept up to date, or reviewed by a dietician. |
| Jan 30, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide. |
| Mar 7, 2024 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards. |
| Mar 7, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment, including safe support for residents' daily living needs. |
| Mar 7, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft to the proper authorities quickly enough, or did not report the results of its investigation. · from a complaint |
| Mar 7, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not respond appropriately to alleged violations, such as reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment. Facilities must investigate every allegation and protect residents while they do. · from a complaint |
| Mar 7, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide the help residents need with basic daily activities — like bathing, dressing, eating, and using the bathroom — for residents who cannot do these things on their own. · from a complaint |
| Sep 14, 2023 | ▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, one-off | The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals. · from a complaint |
| Sep 14, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not make sure its nurses and nurse aides had the skills and training needed to properly care for every resident. · from a complaint |
| Sep 14, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide the help residents need with basic daily activities — like bathing, dressing, eating, and using the bathroom — for residents who cannot do these things on their own. · from a complaint |
Inspection trend by year
Citations from standard inspections decreased between the last two inspection cycles (7 → 2).
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | 1 | J ▲ |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | E |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | E |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | D |
Counts reflect the current CMS public record (~3 inspection cycles plus complaint investigations); years with no surveys show no row. Inspection frequency varies, so compare severity as well as counts.
Fines and enforcement (last 3 years)
1 fine totaling $15,134.
| Date | Type | Amount / length |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 2023 | Fine | $15,134 |
Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)
| Measure | This facility | Iowa avg | U.S. avg | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day) | 4.58 | 4.37 | 3.95 | top 36% in Iowa; top 21% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 1.19 | 0.85 | 0.69 | top 12% in Iowa; top 10% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 3.99 | 3.86 | 3.50 | top 38% in Iowa; top 23% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.52 | 0.51 | 0.48 | top 36% in Iowa; top 31% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 58.1 | 44.0 | 45.8 | bottom 15% in Iowa; bottom 19% in the U.S. |
| RN turnover (%) | 50.0 | 42.1 | 42.9 | bottom 41% in Iowa; bottom 39% in the U.S. |
Hours are per resident per day, case-mix adjusted by CMS so facilities caring for sicker residents can be compared fairly (same basis as the CMS staffing star). "Top X%" means better than most facilities: more staffing hours, or lower turnover. Raw (unadjusted) reported hours: total 3.81, RN 0.99, weekend 3.32. Staffing rating: 4/5.
Self-reported quality measures
Note: these ratings are based on data the facility reports about itself to CMS. They are not independently verified by inspectors, and can look better than inspection findings. Give more weight to the inspection results above.
Quality measures rating: 4/5 · long-stay residents: 4/5 · short-stay residents: —/5
Who owns this facility
For profit - Corporation
| Owner / manager | Type | Role | Stake | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Care Initiatives | Organization | 5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest | 100% | 11/12/2010 |
| Beal, Michael | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 06/01/2020 |
| Beal, Michael | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 06/01/2020 |
| Bowen, Lane | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2021 |
| Carothers, Mary Jane | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2023 |
| Childs, Kevin | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 04/01/2023 |
| Computershare Corporate Trust Company, Na | Organization | 5% or Greater Mortgage Interest | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2024 |
| Computershare Corporate Trust Company, Na | Organization | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 04/07/2025 |
| Corless, Peter | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2025 |
| Dixon, David | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 06/01/2016 |
| Drake, Emily | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/04/2023 |
| Gilyard, Tanya | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/23/2025 |
| Krein, Keith | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 06/29/2022 |
| Kuhn, Jeramy | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 06/25/2008 |
| Mahler, Carla | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2025 |
| McDyer, Jessica | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/22/2023 |
| Oben, Patrick | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2024 |
| Oben, Patrick | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 07/28/2025 |
| Rust, Elizabeth | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2023 |
| Sturm, Denise | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2021 |
Questions to ask on your visit
Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.
- "How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
- "Can you tell me what this citation involved and what steps you took to bring care back up to standard?"
- "How do you help residents maintain their daily living skills, and how do you measure whether it's working?"
- "Could I join residents for a meal to see the food quality and temperature for myself?"
- "Can you show me an example care plan, and how are families included when it's created and updated?"
- "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
- "Before any service that isn't covered by Medicare or Medicaid, how will you notify us and get our agreement?"
- "If my family member's health suddenly changes, how quickly do you reassess them and update their care?"
- "What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
- "Can I see the results and plan of correction from your most recent state inspection?"
Nearby facilities (within 20 miles)
| Facility | Distance | City | Overall | Inspection | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corydon Specialty Care | 19.0 mi | Corydon, IA | ★★★★☆ | 4/5 |
Compare this facility with the 1 closest →
Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 165305.