Omaha Senior AdvisorWhy doesn't Omaha Senior Advisor list Council Bluffs facilities?
Because Council Bluffs and the rest of Pottawattamie County are in Iowa, where assisted living is certified by Iowa's Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing under Iowa law, not licensed by Nebraska DHHS; our directory is built only from Nebraska's rosters.
Council Bluffs had about 62,680 residents in Census estimates for 2025, and many Omaha families have relatives on both sides of the river. Iowa's rules use different terms, different staffing and training standards, and a different inspection system, so Nebraska's roster designations, such as the memory care endorsement or the AD Waiver flag, do not apply there.
What changes for Medicaid if a parent moves to Iowa?
Medicaid is run by each state, so a parent who moves to Council Bluffs would leave Nebraska Medicaid and apply for Iowa Medicaid, with Iowa's own eligibility rules and waiver programs; Nebraska's AD Waiver does not follow a resident across the state line.
If a parent might need Medicaid within a few years, compare the two states' rules before choosing. The timing of a move and an application matters.
Why do Omaha families consider the Iowa side?
Usually because a son or daughter lives in Council Bluffs, Carter Lake or nearby towns and wants a parent close, which is a good reason, since distance from the people who visit matters a great deal in senior care.
If the parent stays in Nebraska, the closest Omaha-area options are in North Omaha, Midtown and Downtown near the bridges. Our Omaha area pages list every licensed facility in each part of the city.
Is there PACE on the Iowa side?
Immanuel operates PACE programs in Iowa as well as Nebraska, including a Council Bluffs location under its Southwest Iowa program, but enrollment, eligibility and Medicaid rules follow the state where the participant lives.
Call Immanuel Pathways to ask which program serves a specific address. On the Nebraska side, Immanuel Pathways' Sorensen Parkway center serves select ZIP codes in six counties.
How do we check an Iowa facility's record?
Use Iowa's own sources: the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing for assisted living programs and Iowa nursing facility licenses, and CMS Care Compare for any certified Iowa nursing home, which works the same way on both sides of the river.
Our directory and facility pages cover only Nebraska licenses, so do not rely on them for Iowa buildings. Ask an Iowa facility for its most recent state inspection the same way you would in Nebraska.
Sources include 175 NAC 4 (assisted-living facilities), the Nebraska Revised Statutes cited above, Nebraska DHHS program and licensure pages, CMS, CareScout and VA rate tables; see our editorial standards.
