Senior Care in Sarpy County: Bellevue, Papillion, La Vista and Gretna Compared

Why Sarpy County is worth a closer look

Sarpy County's median age was 36.2 in Census Bureau estimates for 2025, and only 14.6% of its 208,303 residents were 65 or older, the lowest share of the five counties we cover. But the subdivisions that filled Bellevue, Papillion and La Vista in the 1970s and 1980s are aging in place, and many families who moved south from Omaha now have parents nearby.

Sarpy also has Offutt Air Force Base, which shapes Bellevue's older population: military retirees, Tricare questions and VA benefits come up more often here than anywhere else in the metro.

What each city has

Source: Nebraska DHHS rosters, October 15, 2026. One La Vista-addressed ALF sits in an Omaha ZIP code; postal city is what the roster uses.

Papillion and Bellevue: the two hubs

Papillion, the county seat, has the most licensed assisted living in Sarpy County, and CHI Health Midlands on South 84th Street is its hospital, and the city's assisted living ranges from large communities to small memory-care-only residences. Bellevue's licensed buildings cluster along Fort Crook Road and near Highway 75, close to Nebraska Medicine's Bellevue Medical Center.

Bellevue is also home to the Eastern Nebraska Veterans' Home, a 144-bed state-licensed nursing facility run by the Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs. It is not CMS-certified, so it has no CMS star rating, and admission goes through the Department.

La Vista and Gretna: fewer choices, closer to home

La Vista is compact and close to Omaha's Millard area, so families there often compare La Vista buildings with Millard and Papillion together. Gretna, a growing commuter town toward Lincoln, has only a few licensed buildings; families there often look east to Papillion or north to Elkhorn as well.

For a parent who wants to stay close to grandchildren in a new Gretna subdivision, a smaller local building can matter more than amenities. Check the waiver and memory care flags for each one, because a short list leaves less room to switch later.

Hospitals and rehab close to Sarpy County

CHI Health Midlands in Papillion and Nebraska Medicine's Bellevue Medical Center are Sarpy County's general hospitals on the DHHS roster, and many Sarpy residents also use the central Omaha hospitals. When a parent needs short-term rehab after a hospital stay, Sarpy County's certified nursing homes are in Bellevue, Papillion and Gretna, and our nursing home pages show each one's CMS ratings, staffing and latest inspection. Distances in the county are short, so the right rehab home may be the one with the best staffing rather than the closest.

Staying home in Sarpy County

Not every Sarpy County parent needs to move. ENOA's Meals on Wheels, care management, homemaker and personal care programs serve the county; Medicare-certified home health agencies have offices in Bellevue, La Vista and nearby Omaha; and the AD Waiver can pay for personal care, respite and home modifications for eligible residents. Adult day programs in Bellevue and southwest Omaha give caregivers a regular break. For families who are not sure, a short respite stay in an assisted living building is a low-risk way to see how a parent responds before committing.

What to ask Sarpy County buildings

Because Sarpy County's rosters are shorter than Omaha's, ask each building the questions that decide whether it can be a long-term home: whether it is certified for the Medicaid AD Waiver, whether it has an Alzheimer's unit or memory care endorsement, how many staff are awake overnight, and what would trigger a move. Ask for the latest DHHS survey and the written rate schedule. If a building checks most boxes but not the waiver, compare the cost of a later move with the cost of choosing a certified building now.

Help for Sarpy County families

Sarpy County is in the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging's area: Information and Assistance at (402) 444-6444, Meals on Wheels, care management and caregiver respite. Immanuel Pathways' PACE program serves select Sarpy ZIP codes. Veterans should start with the Sarpy County veterans service officer, who helps with pension and Aid and Attendance claims at no cost.

Distances are short across Sarpy County, so it is realistic to tour three or four buildings in one afternoon, and to include a Millard or southwest Omaha option in the same trip. Write down the answers to the same questions at each stop, then compare them that evening while they are fresh.