When you place a loved one in a nursing home, you trust that facility to provide proper care, cleanliness, and dignity. Unfortunately, recent inspection findings at an Iowa nursing home reveal just how badly that trust can be broken.
State inspectors discovered horrifying conditions and severe neglect at Azria Health Park Place in Des Moines that may have directly harmed residents’ health.
What Inspectors Found
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing September 2025 inspection was in response to nine separate complaints about the facility. What they found during this inspection was beyond shocking; like something out of a horror novel.
Widespread Pest Infestations
Rodents roamed freely throughout the building. Kitchen staff reported seeing mice every single day. The dietary manager stated they were catching one to two mice daily on glue traps. Staff even found a mouse nest inside a food storage box.
Cockroaches and flies infested the kitchen. One employee reported seeing cockroaches for months, though management dismissed them as “just water bugs.”
Unsanitary Living Conditions
Inspectors found residents living in deplorable conditions:
- Mattresses described by staff as “soiled and disgusting”
- Rooms that “reeked of urine”
- Standing water pooled in hallways
- Collapsed ceiling tiles with liquid streaming down walls
- Mold-like substances in kitchen drains and air conditioners
One resident reported his bathroom ceiling caved in and flooded his entire room and the hallway. Others complained they could hear mice in the ceiling and saw water dripping after it rained.
Dangerous Kitchen Conditions
The facility’s kitchen posed serious health risks. Inspectors discovered expired food being served to residents. Equipment was covered in grime, and cooking surfaces appeared not to have been cleaned in months.
Fresh rodent droppings appeared on the kitchen floor within minutes of sweeping. Worm-like insects crawled across surfaces. Mold grew on coffee creamers and in floor drains.
The kitchen was so contaminated that the facility immediately halted all food service and ordered meals from outside providers.
Residents Living in Horrible Conditions and Suffering Harm
These conditions didn’t just create discomfort—they may have caused real harm to residents.
Staff members noticed increased vomiting and diarrhea among residents in the weeks before the inspection. One resident told inspectors she experienced constant diarrhea after moving into the home. Another reported three weeks of projectile vomiting.
Even staff members avoided eating the facility’s food. One employee said she experienced diarrhea all day after eating meals prepared in the contaminated kitchen.
Neglected Care Needs Amid Serious Staffing Shortages
Beyond the filthy conditions, residents faced serious staffing shortages. The facility ran out of basic supplies like briefs, gloves, and wound-care materials. One worker reported hiding supplies so her residents would have them when needed.
Call-light response times stretched beyond two hours in some cases. Inspectors found residents left on toilets for 30 minutes or more, crying out for help.
Management’s Response Seemed Completely Out-of-Touch
Perhaps most troubling was management’s apparent disconnect from the crisis. The acting administrator told inspectors she hadn’t visited the kitchen “in a while” and had never seen a mouse in the building. “Thank goodness,” she said. “I don’t do critters.”
Kitchen staff painted a different picture. They reported conditions had been deteriorating for years, with regular flooding and persistent pest problems.
The State Cited the Facility for a Third Year in a Row
The state proposed an $8,000 fine against the facility but held it in suspension pending potential federal penalties. This marks the third consecutive year Azria Health Park Place has been cited for failing to provide a clean, safe environment.
The facility’s new administrator says the roof has been repaired and extensive cleaning has been completed. He reports no vermin sightings since inspectors left in September.
What Families Need to Know
This case serves as a stark reminder that nursing home neglect remains a serious problem. Facilities that receive public funding and family trust must be held to basic standards of cleanliness and care.
If you have concerns about a loved one’s nursing home in the Milwaukee area, trust your instincts. Warning signs include unexplained illnesses, complaints about food quality or cleanliness, visible pest activity, or long waits for staff assistance.
Families deserve transparency and accountability from the facilities caring for their loved ones. When nursing homes fail to meet basic health and safety standards, residents suffer—and those responsible must be held accountable.
Read the full investigation from the Iowa Capital Dispatch for complete details on the inspection findings.
Concerned for Your Loved One in Long-Term Care? Call PKSD Today
At PKSD, being elderly, frail, and in poor medical health should not subscribe you to the sickening conditions described in this article. These are conditions that can cause your loved ones real harm.
If your loved one has suffered illnesses or other harm due to negligent conditions, we want to help. Call our law offices today to discuss your situation and find out how we can help. Our experienced nursing home injury lawyers in Milwaukee are deeply committed to helping our elderly population and holding at-fault parties accountable for their actions.
PKSD currently accepts nursing home injury cases in Wisconsin, Iowa, and New Mexico.
PKSD. Call for your FREE, no-risk consultation today. 414-333-3333
