By David Besnette
In this research guide you will learn how to get a COMPLETE, non-commercial, Statewide list of Assisted Living & Senior Living Facilities Provided by the State of South Dakota.
Unfortunately, the State of South Dakota is not one of the better or easier states to conduct Assisted Living Research in. Many states, usually through their Department of Health or Aging websites, offer robust data on Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing Homes & More.
South Dakota has some catch-up to do.
Still, if you know where to look you can access some very helpful information, and complete lists of licensed facilities statewide. Here, we will show you how to:
- Get a Complete list of Assisted Living Centers, and Nursing Facilities statewide
- File a complaint against a Health Care Facility in South Dakota
- View Inspections Reports for Nursing Facilities in South Dakota
- Learn about the different levels of Long-Term Care in South Dakota
How To Get a Complete List of Assisted Living Centers (Facilities) in South Dakota:
Through the South Dakota Department of Health’s Office of Health Facilities Licensure & Certification, you’ll have access to a simple, yet informative database of all of the State’s Licensed Assisted Living Centers.
The page looks like this:
South Dakota’s Safest Facilities:
Note: South Dakota officially uses the term “Assisted Living Centers” instead of “Facilities.”
From the main Licensure page, you’ll see on the left-hand side a link to Assisted Living Centers. From this page/section, you won’t see much other than a few links at the top, one of which takes you to the DOH Provider List where you can access a list of facilities including:
- Assisted Living Centers
- Adult Foster Care
- Hospice
- Home Health Care
- Nursing Facilities
- Residential Living Centers
& more.
South Dakota Residents:
For this example, I’ll choose Assisted Living Centers, which brings up a list that looks like this:
The list scrolls downward to reveal more facilities, and scrolls to the left to reveal more data.
Data includes:
- Facility name
- Facility Phone
- Physical Address
- City
- Address
- State License Number
- Total Beds/Capacity
- Administrator’s Name
The two that I have put in Bold above are important, as these are items most often excluded on most Senior Living websites.
Another great feature to this list is that there is a Print button, to easily get a physical copy.
File A Complaint Against an Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home in South Dakota:
This is very easy to do in South Dakota, and something that every resident, and family member should know how to do. You can file complaints about poor quality of care, abuse, or neglect by any owner, administrator or Staff Member of a Health Care Facility in South Dakota.
How To View Surveys & Inspections Reports in South Dakota
Unfortunately, at this time, Assisted Living Centers do not have Inspections or Survey reports easily available to the public. However, Nursing Home Inspections and Survey Reports are!
To view inspections reports, visit the Facility Survey Reports page.
You will then be taken to an alphabetical listing of all Nursing Facilities that have Inspections or Complaints reports. You can go directly to a specific letter of the alphabet at the top to make your search easier.
Selecting a report will take you to a .pdf of the report that you can save or download.
Levels of Long-Term Care in South Dakota:
There are 7 different levels of Long-Term Care in the State. Each model or level offers different services for the elderly or disabled. The levels of care are:
- Nursing Facilities
- Assisted Living Centers
- Adult Foster Care Homes
- Residential Living Centers
- Congregate Housing
- Home Health Agencies
- Community Living Homes
These levels are further defined, or explained here.
Lastly, we recommend visiting the Assisted Living Association of South Dakota. The ALASD offers information on upcoming events of interest for Assisted Living owners and staff, Newsletters, and networking opportunities.