Residential Assisted Living owners in Iowa?

Question

Who owns a Residential Assisted Living home in Iowa?  I'm planning to open one in the Des Moines area soon and would love to network with some nearby owners.  There aren't many smaller properties in the area that I can find.

Kristine Hodges · Answer

@Rene Owczarski  Yes, I am familiar with the regulations.  I'm not looking to charge by the room in my own personal home.  I will be providing the real estate and business operations for senior care in a residential setting.  It will be a professional business and will be licensed and follow all regulations.  I lived in Iowa for 25 years and my extended family still lives there.  Looking ahead, my family members will need an option for residential assisted living.  I haven't been able to find any options right now that would meet our preferred scenario when they get to the point of needing assistance.  I am opening a business of my own to provide that service.  At this time, I am not interested in partnering with a local agency.  The agency homes are much more institutional than I want to provide.

Small group assisted living homes are allowed in residential neighborhoods, in fact that's where they thrive, but there are a lot of details to doing it right.

I want to do it right and that's why I'm looking for other local owners or investors so we can work together.  If you know anyone, please pass along their names to me or pass my information to them.  Thanks!

Kristine Hodges · Answer

Prefer single story so the residents don't have to negotiate stairs.  Would consider a multi-story if we can use the basement or upstairs for storage, office, breakroom, etc and most of the bedrooms and living space are on the main level.  Thanks for your assistance!

Rene Owczarski · Answer

@Kristine Hodges Well I'm glad to hear that you want to do it the right way. Because unfortunately a lot of people that want to get into the space, they see the big money that can be made doing it the wrong way, and forget about the people involved and their care.And I’ve got a couple places in mind, but let me think about it over the weekend. And I’m also meeting with a broker friend tonight, so I’ll run it past him as well.Are you looking single story, or multi-story?

Rene Owczarski · Answer

@Kristine Hodges Sooo, I've got even more questions. Since these aren’t simple answers anymore, after the State of Iowa privatized Medicaid in 2016, so a lot of rules and payments amounts have changed.Is this going to be for kids or adults or seniors?Do you plan on partnering with a local agency to start this facility (you rent the real estate to the agency, and the agency runs programming for clients out of the home)?Or are you going to start your own agency from scratch, as a one stop shop for potential clients?Also at least for Des Moines proper, they did a huge crack down a few years ago on people running illegal group homes/halfway houses/drug recover-sober living houses, where the operator was renting houses by the “room” to clients. But the homes were in residential areas that weren’t zoned for those types of services, especially if you’re talking 10 residents in the home. Also Iowa is moving from an institutional model, into a community based services model (aka Going from huge building packed full of people, to 2 to 4 clients living in a regular SFH in the community.)

I’m not trying to scare you, but if you’re looking to buy an old house that’s 4,000 sq ft, that’s zoned R-1 or similar, put up partitions, and rent it by the “room” with a communal bathroom or two for everyone. You’re going to get shut down fast by the City of Des Moines.

Kristine Hodges · Answer

@Rene Owczarski  I will be opening a small group home with around 10 residents for assisted living only.  No independent living or nursing home capabilities.  I've been looking for other small homes in the area and haven't been able to find any.  I found one in Indianola and one in Albia of a similar type.  Can you point me in the direction of these smaller homes in the Des Moines metro?

Rene Owczarski · Answer

@Kristine Hodges How big of a facility are you looking to open in Des Moines? Because DSM has everything from small group homes for 3-5 residents in SFH's, all the way to apartment building sized facilities.

And would this have all stages (independent living to end of life) or just some specific type of assisted living?

Tyler Rasmussen · Answer

Look up Luke Moore from Cedar Falls, he just opened a new facility.