The 10 Worst Nursing Homes in South Dakota

Updated as of August 01, 2023

A list of the ten worst skilled nursing homes in South Dakota. Based on the Weighted Health Inspection Score developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Click here to see the best skilled nursing facilities in South Dakota.

Compare the Worst Nursing Homes in South Dakota

Every year, thousands of seniors, their families, and friends are faced with the difficult decision of choosing a skilled nursing facility, either because someone is recuperating after a hospital visit or for end-of-life care. This is usually an issue that arises suddenly, and the decision makers are not equipped with the right knowledge and information to make a good decision. Not knowing how to decide, they turn to others for recommendations. Word of mouth, along with geography, are constantly cited as the most important factors in choosing a skilled nursing facility. Choosing a facility with such limited information can lead to significant problems. Not all skilled nursing facilities are the same and the people that you trust to recommend a facility may not know enough about the facility and the alternatives to be a competent guide.

Providing the type of care that residents of skilled nursing facilities require is very difficult. The range of issues that are being treated is vast and the needs cover both people recuperating and recovering as well as those facing end-of-life issues. Residents require significant help with basic daily activities as well as supplemental needs like oxygen and 24/7 monitoring.

To help people who are facing this difficult situation, we have compiled a list of the worst South Dakota skilled nursing facilities and the the best skilled nursing facilities. (We have also compiled the best and worst nursing homes by city for most cities in the United States, links are shown at the bottom on this page.) The lists are based on data provided by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (“CMS”) and include information gathered from detailed annual inspections, monthly reporting, complaint histories, deficiency reports and much more.

The list below calls out the worst skilled nursing facilities in South Dakota. For the most part these facilities should be avoided. All the facilities have issues with cleanliness and safety and a large number of the facilities have been flagged by CMS as locations where abuse has either occurred or is highly likely.

Avoiding these facilities may not always be an option either because of geographic, monetary, or occupancy constraints. However, being in a bad nursing home does not mean that the resident will not improve. If you have a loved one in one of these facilities, we encourage you to visit often and to ask that friends and other family visit too. It is well documented that positive outcomes for skilled nursing residents is highly correlated with the number and diversity of people visiting the resident. Being there, getting to know the staff, showing the staff that the resident has people that care about him or her is critical. There may not always be a better option, but your direct involvement can make a difference.

Nursing Home Rating
Riverview Healthcare Center
611 EAST 2ND AVE
FLANDREAU, SD 		275.67
Avantara Norton
3600 SOUTH NORTON AVENUE
SIOUX FALLS, SD 		261.00
/
Dells Nursing and Rehab Center Inc
1400 THRESHER DR
DELL RAPIDS, SD 		244.00
Firesteel Healthcare Center
1120 EAST 7TH AVENUE
MITCHELL, SD 		138.00
Centerville Care and Rehab Center Inc
500 VERMILLION ST
CENTERVILLE, SD 		114.33
Avantara Pierre
950 EAST PARK STREET
PIERRE, SD 		106.67
Good Samaritan Society Sioux Falls Village
3901 S MARION RD
SIOUX FALLS, SD 		106.00
Highmore Health
410 8TH STREET SE
HIGHMORE, SD 		100.17
/
Palisade Healthcare Center
920 4TH ST
GARRETSON, SD 		88.67
Aberdeen Health and Rehab
1700 NORTH HIGHWAY 281
ABERDEEN, SD 		84.00

Nursing Homes with the warning icon () have been flagged by CMS for abuse.

How We Compile Nursing Home Ratings in South Dakota

Every month, we rank all of the skilled nursing facilities in South Dakota. These rankings are based on data provided by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid measures ("CMS"), including the CMS 5-Star Rating System and the Health Inspection Scores. The list of the Worst Skilled Nursing Facilities in South Dakota is based on the weighted overall health inspection score which is a composite of CMS's three most recent skilled nursing home inspection scores weighted to give the most recent inspection more importance.

The CMS 5-Star Rating System rates skilled nursing facilities from one to five stars, with one star being the lowest and five stars being the highest. The rating system also rates South Dakota nursing homes across five different dimensions including overall rating, health inspection rating, quality measures rating, overall staffing rating, and RN staffing rating (RN is an acronym for Registered Nurse).

In addition to the 5-Star Rating System, CMS provides numerical metrics that summarize:

  • Health Inspection Domain. The health inspection rating is based on the three most recent standard surveys for each nursing home, results from any complaint investigations during the most recent three-year period, and any repeat revisits needed to verify that required corrections have brought the facility back into compliance. CMS calculates a weighted deficiency score based on points assigned to health deficiencies identified in each active provider’s current health inspection survey and the two prior surveys (including revisits), as well as deficiency findings from the most recent three years of complaint investigations. More recent surveys are weighted more heavily than older surveys: the most recent period (cycle 1) is assigned a weighting factor of 1/2, the previous period (cycle 2) has a weighting factor of 1/3, and the second prior survey (cycle 3) has a weighting factor of 1/6. The weighted time period scores are then summed to create the survey score for each facility.
  • Staffing Domain. Using multiple reporting methods, CMS calculates the amount of time that the nursing staff spends with residents. This is measured across multiple dimensions, one each for three different levels of nursing, including Registered Nurses (“RNs”), Licensed Practical Nurses (“LPNs”), and Certified Nursing Assistants (“CNAs”), plus one metric that totals all contributions. These metrics are expressed in hours per resident per day. CMS also provides state-level and national averages for the metrics to allow for additional comparisons.
  • Quality Measures Domain. A set of quality measures (QMs) has been developed from MDS-based indicators to describe the quality of care provided in nursing homes. These measures address a broad range of functioning and health status in multiple care areas. The facility rating for the QM domain is based on performance on a subset of 11 (out of 18) of the QMs. Ratings for the QM domain are calculated using the three most recent quarters for which data are available. This time period specification was selected to increase the number of assessments available for calculating the QM rating, increasing the stability of estimates and reducing the number of facilities that do not have enough data to report QM ratings.
  • Abuse Flag. Abuse is always a concern in skilled nursing facilities. To highlight the issue, CMS has extracted this feature as its own flag. Facilities with an actual abuse event or where the potential for abuse has been shown for the past two years are flagged. The Health Inspection Score is capped at 2-stars for nursing homes that have been flagged for abuse.

Skilled nursing facilities that are new and do not have at least two surveys completed are not rated by CMS. These facilities may have health inspection scores that can be used to evaluate the facility.

One complication in South Dakota nursing home inspections is the COVID-19 pandemic. Although inspections should be performed every 12 months, COVID has decreased this frequency. While CMS admits that only in “rare cases” do these inspections increase to 15 months, our analysis suggests that this time frame may be even longer. This report shows that the time between inspections is now just under 500 days (more than sixteen months). There are now hundreds of skilled nursing homes in the United States that have not been inspected in more than 24 months. This list shows the skilled nursing homes with the longest period since being inspected. According to the CMS data, these homes have not been inspected since 2018!

Skilled Nursing Home Abuse in South Dakota

Abuse is always going to be an issue with skilled nursing facilities. Skilled nursing facility residents need help with so many basic things and they are suffering, confused, and frustrated. If you are the friend or relative of a nursing home resident, we guarantee that you will be constantly fretting about whether your loved one is receiving proper and timely care. Abuse feels like a violation of your trust, but it happens. CMS actively monitors nursing homes not just for actual abuse but also for indicators that suggest that abuse might be occurring. Homes where abuse has either occurred or might be occurring are flagged. A very high percentage of the worst skilled nursing facilities in South Dakota have been flagged for abuse. We have marked these facilities both on the list of the worst skilled nursing facilities and on the detailed page for each of the facilities.

Skilled Nursing Homes in South Dakota Compared to Nationwide

We have compared South Dakota nursing homes to the nationwide average on several metrics. South Dakota performed better than the national average on several metrics and worse on other metrics.

Cycle 1 Total Number Of Health Deficiencies 2.80 Lower
Cycle 1 Total Number Of Fire Safety Deficiencies 1.30 Lower
Cycle 2 Total Number Of Health Deficiencies 5.50 Lower
Cycle 2 Total Number Of Fire Safety Deficiencies 1.50 Lower
Cycle 3 Total Number Of Health Deficiencies 5.10 Lower
Cycle 3 Total Number Of Fire Safety Deficiencies 1.80 Lower
Average Number Of Residents Per Day 50.10 Lower
Reported Nurse Aide Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 2.34 Higher
Reported Lpn Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 0.47 Lower
Reported Rn Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 0.78 Higher
Reported Licensed Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 1.25 Lower
Reported Total Nurse Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 3.59 Lower
Total Number Of Nurse Staff Hours Per Resident Per Day On The Weekend 3.06 Lower
Registered Nurse Hours Per Resident Per Day On The Weekend 0.50 Higher
Reported Physical Therapist Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 0.05 Lower
Total Nursing Staff Turnover 52.90 Lower
Registered Nurse Turnover 39.70 Lower
Number Of Administrators Who Have Left The Nursing Home 0.90 Higher
Case-mix Rn Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 0.31 Lower
Case-mix Total Nurse Staffing Hours Per Resident Per Day 2.93 Lower
Number Of Fines 1.60 Lower
Fine Amount In Dollars 20,469.00 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Whose Need For Help With Daily Activities Has Increased 16.83 Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Lose Too Much Weight 5.77 Lower
Percentage Of Low Risk Long Stay Residents Who Lose Control Of Their Bowels Or Bladder 51.48 Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents With A Catheter Inserted And Left In Their Bladder 2.38 Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents With A Urinary Tract Infection 3.52 Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Have Depressive Symptoms 5.98 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Were Physically Restrained 0.07 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Experiencing One Or More Falls With Major Injury 5.30 Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Assessed And Appropriately Given The Pneumococcal Vaccine 96.04 Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Received An Antipsychotic Medication 20.69 Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Assessed And Appropriately Given The Pneumococcal Vaccine 86.29 Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Newly Received An Antipsychotic Medication 1.70 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Whose Ability To Move Independently Worsened 17.67 Higher
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Who Received An Antianxiety Or Hypnotic Medication 14.80 Lower
Percentage Of High Risk Long Stay Residents With Pressure Ulcers 7.32 Lower
Percentage Of Long Stay Residents Assessed And Appropriately Given The Seasonal Influenza Vaccine 97.24 Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Made Improvements In Function 82.53 Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Were Assessed And Appropriately Given The Seasonal Influenza Vaccine 78.25 Higher
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Were Rehospitalized After A Nursing Home Admission 17.62 Lower
Percentage Of Short Stay Residents Who Had An Outpatient Emergency Department Visit 12.02 Lower
Number Of Hospitalizations Per 1000 Long-stay Resident Days 1.24 Lower
Number Of Outpatient Emergency Department Visits Per 1000 Long-stay Resident Days 0.92 Lower

FAQs About Nursing Homes in South Dakota

How Many Nursing Homes in South Dakota

There are 98 skilled nursing facilities registered with CMS in South Dakota with a total of 5,823 beds. Average occupancy was 82.63% in August 2023.

South Dakota has 20 homes that are rated as having one star on the CMS 5-Star Rating System. Approximately 22.89 percent of the total number of available skilled nursing beds in South Dakota are in one-star facilities. In South Dakota, occupancy is higher in skilled nursing facilities where the CMS 5-Star Rating is higher than one-star.

How to Report a Nursing Homes in South Dakota

If you run into an issue at a South Dakota nursing home, there are a few steps you can take to make sure the issue is reported. First, speak with the immediate staff. If the problem is not solved, speak with a director or administrator, doctor, or any other employee of a high level.

As required by Medicare and Medicaid, reports and complaints must go through a grievance procedure. Per the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a grievance is “an expression of dissatisfaction (other than an organization determination) with any aspect of the operations, activities, or behavior of a Medicare health plan, or its providers, regardless of whether remedial action is requested”. All grievances must be filed in writing or verbally within 60 days of the event prompting the grievance.

To report a South Dakota nursing home for quality of care, go through a grievance procedure through your Medicare or Medicaid plan. You can also go through the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care-Quality Improvement Organizations (BFCC-QIO). These groups serve to help with complaints made regarding the quality of care by Medicare providers. You can also choose to go through both Medicare and a BFCC-QIO.

Worst Nursing Homes in the Largest South Dakota Cities

All of the following nursing homes have been given a Weighted Health Inspection Score by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Every year, nursing homes in South Dakota go through an unannounced inspection performed by independent state examiners. These examiners look at factors such as cleanliness, hazards, and safety to perform the inspection. Points are given to nursing homes based on their deficiency in a certain category. Thus, a higher Weighted All Cycles Score means more problems and lower quality of care.

The list below ranks the homes with the highest (worst) weighted scores. The score is shown next to the facility name. The list also shows the two most recent deficiencies for each of the nursing homes.

Worst Nursing Homes in Sioux Falls

  • Avantara Norton (261)
    • Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2023-04-21)
    • Ensure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being. (2023-04-21)
  • Good Samaritan Society Sioux Falls Village (106)
    • Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2022-12-08)
    • Honor the resident's right to organize and participate in resident/family groups in the facility. (2022-12-08)
  • Good Samaritan Society Sioux Falls Center (68.667)
    • Have horizontal exits used in accordance with safety requirements. (2023-06-23)
    • Have properly installed hallway dispensers for alcohol-based hand rub. (2023-01-09)
  • Bethany Home Sioux Falls (59.333)
    • Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals. (2022-06-16)
    • Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2022-06-16)
  • Avera Prince of Peace (19.333)
    • Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. (2023-05-14)
    • Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2023-04-28)
  • Good Samaritan Society Luther Manor (16.667)
    • Install an approved automatic sprinkler system. (2022-12-09)
    • Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2022-11-23)
  • Dow Rummel Village (12.667)
    • Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times. (2023-06-09)
    • Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. (2023-06-09)

Worst Nursing Homes in Rapid City

  • Avantara Arrowhead (56)
    • Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2023-04-11)
    • Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident. (2023-01-09)
  • Avantara Saint Cloud (56)
    • Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. (2022-10-11)
    • Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely. (2022-10-11)
  • Fountain Springs Healthcare Center (42)
    • Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2023-04-07)
    • Keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential. (2023-04-07)
  • Avantara Mountain View (40)
    • Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals. (2022-07-28)
    • Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2022-07-28)
  • Good Samaritan Society - St Martin Village (27.333)
    • Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2022-11-21)
    • Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health. (2022-11-21)
  • Avantara North (22)
    • Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. (2022-11-01)
    • Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2022-11-01)
  • Clarkson Health Care (7.333)
    • Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. (2023-01-18)
    • Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2021-10-07)
  • Westhills Village Health Care Facility (3.333)
    • Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2022-04-18)
    • Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2019-11-28)

Worst Nursing Homes in Aberdeen

  • Accordius Health at Aberdeen (133.833)
    • Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely. (2023-07-24)
    • Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2023-07-24)
  • Grays Harbor Health and Rehabilitation Center (93.667)
    • Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors. (2023-05-25)
    • Create arrangements with other facilities to receive patients. (2023-04-26)
  • Aberdeen Health and Rehab (84)
    • Ensure smoke barriers are constructed to a 1 hour fire resistance rating. (2022-11-15)
    • Keep aisles, corridors, and exits free of obstruction in case of emergency. (2022-11-15)
  • Avera Mother Joseph Manor Retirement Community (40.667)
    • Allow residents to self-administer drugs if determined clinically appropriate. (2023-04-21)
    • Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2023-04-21)
  • Care Center of Aberdeen (20)
    • Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable. (2022-10-04)
    • Ensure that feeding tubes are not used unless there is a medical reason and the resident agrees; and provide appropriate care for a resident with a feeding tube. (2022-10-04)
  • Bethesda Home of Aberdeen (14)
    • Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality. (2022-06-09)
    • Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. (2022-06-09)
  • Prairie Heights Healthcare (7.333)
    • Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system. (2023-02-26)
    • Have horizontal exits used in accordance with safety requirements. (2023-02-26)

Worst Nursing Homes in Brookings

  • Curry Village Health and Rehab of Cascadia (52.667)
    • Honor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive. (2022-09-20)
    • Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident. (2022-09-20)
  • The Neighborhoods at Brookview (16.667)
    • Honor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive. (2022-06-18)
    • Ensure that each resident is free from the use of physical restraints, unless needed for medical treatment. (2022-06-18)
  • United Living Community (13.333)
    • Ensure food and drink is palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature. (2023-08-01)
    • Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. (2023-08-01)

Worst Nursing Homes in Watertown

  • Watertown Rehabilitation and Nursing Center (271.667)
    • Properly select, install, inspect, or maintain portable fire extinguishes. (2023-04-20)
    • Have an enclosure around a vertical opening shaft. (2023-04-20)
  • Trinity Terraces (200.167)
    • Respond appropriately to all alleged violations. (2021-09-24)
    • Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals. (2021-09-24)
  • Watertown Health Care Center (121.833)
    • Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing. (2023-06-12)
    • Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident. (2023-06-12)
  • Marquardt Memorial Manor (67.667)
    • Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system. (2023-07-06)
    • Keep aisles, corridors, and exits free of obstruction in case of emergency. (2023-07-06)
  • Apple Rehab Watertown (61.333)
    • Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. (2023-05-01)
    • Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift. (2023-03-12)
  • Samaritan Senior Village, Inc (32.667)
    • Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident?s preferences and goals. (2023-05-23)
    • Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents. (2022-11-09)
  • Samaritan Keep Nursing Home Inc (29.333)
    • Ensure each resident receives and the facility provides food prepared in a form designed to meet individual needs. (2021-11-02)
    • Allow residents to easily view the nursing home's survey results and communicate with advocate agencies. (2021-11-02)
  • Jenkin's Living Center (27.333)
    • Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems. (2023-02-08)
    • Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. (2022-11-11)
  • Avantara Watertown (10)
    • Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely. (2022-08-19)
    • Keep aisles, corridors, and exits free of obstruction in case of emergency. (2022-07-27)

Worst Skilled Nursing Homes in Other States

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