Nursing Homes in South Dakota

Overview of South Dakota Nursing Homes

The mid-western state of South Dakota is known as the home of Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park. A trip across the state would reveal lush prairie farmland, thick forests, glacial lakes, historic landmarks and the wild frontier town of Deadwood. With a population of approximately 824,000, it’s not a highly populated state but with 14.5% of its citizens aged 65 years and older, it has become important for South Dakota to offer specialized senior care and services. A collaborative effort between the Sioux Falls Good Samaritan Society and three Sioux Falls hospitals resulted in the Geriatrics Fellowship Program, which was established to recruit more geriatricians to the state of South Dakota.

Nursing Homes in South Dakota Defined

A nursing home in South Dakota is required to have a nurse on duty 24 hours a day. This living arrangement is well-suited to an individual with a chronic illness, or for someone recovering from a stroke, a fall or surgery. Nursing homes provide both short-term and long-term care. In addition to medical care, the residences in South Dakota nursing homes receive help with day-to-day activities such as dressing, bathing, feeding and taking medication. While an assisted living center also provides help within these areas, it does not offer the same level of medical assistance. A nursing home provides the highest level of medical care outside of a hospital setting. And in fact, many nursing homes are located within hospitals; many others are situated within larger assisted living communities. An individual often lives in an assisted living center until his or her need for medical care becomes greater; at this time, he or she is likely to move into a nursing home.

Regulation of South Dakota Nursing Homes

Before a South Dakota nursing home can open its doors, it must receive a license from the South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Health Care Facilities Licensure and Certification. Each nursing home in the state is inspected at least once a year to ensure it meets the state requirements in numerous areas. Some of the requirements include providing a clean and safe environment for its residences, maintaining a sufficient number of staff, providing orientation and ongoing education for all personnel, a care plan program to establish the physical, medical, mental and emotional needs of all residents, and offering meals that follow the guidelines listed in the food guide pyramid. In order to be licensed as a South Dakota nursing home administrator, an individual must meet certain requirements such as possessing a university degree, additional education or a minimum of 240 hours of work as an administrator-in-training and passing the nursing facility administrator exam.

Paying for Nursing Homes in South Dakota

The cost of Nursing Homes in South Dakota will vary based on whether the room is private or semi-private.