Accura Healthcare of Lake City has received multiple citations for insufficient nursing staff, rodent infestation, and employing a noncertified nurse aide from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL). According to a report filed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the nursing home failed to provide adequate staffing, which led to a resident who choked and died while eating a meal on Dec. 4, 2024. During the incident, a noncertified nursing aide was the only employee in the room and could not receive any help from additional staff to provide a timely intervention. Per Iowa law, any care facility can employ a full-time noncertified nurse aide for only four months before the individual must be trained and certified to continue working. The aide was hired in late August and did not meet the training and competency requirements for working as an aide. Accura Healthcare of Lake City was also cited for a rodent infestation, with several residents and staff members reporting mice in nine rooms throughout the building. A state fine of $8,250 was proposed by DIAL, but then suspended. The nursing home may still face federal penalties, pending the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services findings.
