Best Senior Communities in South Dakota

Avera Maryhouse Long Term Care, located in Pierre, SD, offers a comprehensive range of senior living options and care services. With 80 certified beds, Avera Maryhouse provides nursing homes, assisted living, memory care for Alzheimer’s and dementia, and independent living options. Residents benefit from on-site occupational, physical, and speech therapy services, ensuring personalized care and support tailored to individual needs.

Avera Maryhouse is dedicated to improving the quality of life for its inhabitants and places a high value on comprehensive care and a lively community setting. A library, visitor and resident parking, and a variety of activities like arts and crafts, wellness and health programs, and spiritual pursuits are just a few of the community’s many amenities. Situated in close proximity to healthcare services and local conveniences, Avera Maryhouse offers residents a comfortable and supportive living in a warm and friendly setting.

Overview of Touchmark at All Saints

Touchmark at All Saints is a magnificent senior living community that offers exquisite living options such as cottages or condo-style rooms for residents of independent living, assisted living, and memory care. Regardless of what kind of living option you are in, management and staff are guaranteed to provide resort-like accommodations with exceptional hospitality. The luxurious and elegant senior living community offers a stimulating environment where every need of each senior is being met.  Touchmark at All Saints strives to provide a comfortable lifestyle of everyday living for its residents, making it an ideal place to call a new home. 
The Touchmark experience is focused on the holistic wellness of its residents, which is why they have included life-enriching activities, health and fitness club, and recreational activities in the daily routine of seniors. 

Overview of The Inn on Westport

The Inn on Westport is a distinguished senior living community managed by The Goodman Group, bringing 50 years of expertise in developing and managing exceptional healthcare and assisted senior living communities. They offer a comprehensive range of services, including assisted living, independent living, memory care, and respite care, ensuring that each resident’s unique needs are met with the utmost care and attention. As part of their commitment to holistic well-being, they even provide specialized programs, including a Parkinson’s program, to support residents with specific health needs.
Prepare to be captivated by the serene and beautifully landscaped indoor spaces, including a stunning three-story atrium that serves as the centerpiece of the community. From the cozy café to the tranquil chapel, every corner of The Inn on Westport is thoughtfully designed to create a welcoming and nurturing environment. On-site amenities such as a bank, beauty and barber salon, and more, add convenience and luxury to residents’ lives. Recognizing the sacrifices and contributions of veterans, the home also provides an exceptional environment for assisted living for veterans. Here, veterans can connect with fellow servicemen and women, share stories, and be honored for their dedication and commitment.

Overview of Prairie Heights Healthcare

Prairie Heights Healthcare is a skilled nursing community in Aberdeen, South Dakota, providing rehabilitation therapy, long-term residential care, short-term skilled nursing, and a range of specialized clinical services. Administered by Darcy Albrecht with a Medicare certification, this 99-bed community accepts both Medicaid and Medicare, helping broaden access for individuals with varying financial and healthcare coverage needs. Occupancy is below the state average, with a 63.2% occupancy rate, suggesting availability.

Confirmed care services include rehabilitation therapy, long-term and short-term nursing care, licensed nursing support, pain management, dental services, dialysis, and podiatry care. The availability of both dialysis and on-site dental services is particularly notable for a mid-sized skilled nursing community in the Aberdeen market, offering added convenience for residents managing multiple medical conditions or requiring ongoing specialized treatment. Positioned in one of the most walkable areas among South Dakota nursing communities, with a Walk Score of 85, the community provides convenient access to many nearby services and destinations on foot.

Prairie Heights Healthcare is well-suited for older adults in Aberdeen and throughout Brown County seeking skilled nursing support, post-acute rehabilitation, or long-term residential care, as it has a wide range of specialized services.

Overview of Bethany Home Sioux Falls/bethany Home-Brandon

Bethany Home Sioux Falls / Bethany Home-Brandon is a faith-based nursing home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, offering a continuum of care that includes independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing services, and rehabilitation. The 112-bed community is administered by Amanda Peterson in Minnehaha County, guided by a Christian mission. It also emphasizes support for residents’ physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being while also offering independent homes and apartment living as part of its larger campus environment.

The community is currently operating at 78.5%, which is slightly lower than the state average of 79.9%, and suggests availability. Additionally, Medicare accounts for 89% of new residents, with an average stay of 25 days, reflecting a focus on short-term rehabilitation. Meanwhile, private pay new residents are approximately 10%, with an average stay of 7 to 8 months, and 2% of new residents are Medicaid-eligible, with a typical stay of 6 years.

Since 2022, the community has undergone four total health inspections, with the latest conducted in October 2025, which is notably lower than the state average. A total of 13 health citations have been recorded throughout its operational history, which is also lower than the state average, and have been corrected. No penalties have been issued in the past three years.

Confirmed services include skilled nursing care and rehabilitation therapy, along with independent living options designed for older adults who remain largely self-sufficient but prefer a supportive community setting. Its faith-centered approach is a defining aspect of the community’s culture and may be particularly meaningful for individuals and families seeking care rooted in Christian values and holistic support.

Located on the south side of Sioux Falls, the community sits in a moderately walkable area with a Walk Score of 65, allowing access to some nearby services and amenities on foot. Service to the Brandon area also provides additional convenience for families throughout eastern Minnehaha County.

Bethany Home Sioux Falls / Bethany Home-Brandon is an ideal option for families seeking values-based care within a setting that supports aging across different levels of assistance and medical support. The ability to transition from independent living to higher levels of care within the same community can help reduce disruption and provide continuity for older adults as healthcare needs progress.

Overview of Avantara Lake Norden

Avantara Lake Norden is a privately owned nursing home in Lake Norden, South Dakota, that offers memory care, short-term rehabilitation, and specialized clinical support services. The 50-bed community is owned and administered by Margaret Grimm and operates under an active CMS certification. Medicare, Medicaid, and private-pay residents are accepted, providing flexibility for a variety of care needs and financial situations.

The community holds a 5-star overall CMS rating, the highest designation available, and performs substantially above South Dakota averages across multiple quality categories. Health inspection scores rank exceptionally high, while quality measures also exceed statewide benchmarks by a wide margin, reflecting strong regulatory performance and positive resident outcomes. Staffing ratings are modestly above average according to CMS methodology, although raw nursing hours per resident remain somewhat below state averages. Weekend nursing coverage also averages 2 hours and 44 minutes daily.

The community has an occupancy rate of 92%, reflecting sustained demand and local confidence in the community’s services. Medicare residents typically remain for one to two months, while private-pay residents often stay several months longer. The average overall length of stay is approximately 175 days.

Secured memory care services are a particularly important differentiator in the region, offering support for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia in an area where specialized memory care options may be limited.

Avantara Lake Norden is ideal for older adults and families seeking a highly rated skilled nursing community with memory care capabilities, strong inspection outcomes, and a reputation supported by high occupancy and sustained community demand in Hamlin County and eastern South Dakota.

Owned by Stroschein Properties III LLC, Alcester Care and Rehab Center is a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility in Alcester, South Dakota. The 41-bed home is located at 101 Church Street and serves residents who need ongoing nursing care and support during recovery after an illness or hospital stay. Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted, giving families several options for covering care costs.

The facility has an occupancy rate of 95%, where residents stay an average of about 523 days. The population is a mix of people receiving rehabilitation services and those needing longer-term nursing care.

Nurse staffing averages 3 hours and 43 minutes of nursing care each day. Registered nurses, nurse aides, and licensed practical or vocational nurses make up the care team. This level of support helps residents during recovery and assists those who need ongoing skilled nursing care and daily medical oversight.

The facility is located in a rural part of South Dakota. Alcester has a Walk Score of 14, making the area car-dependent. Most errands and visits require transportation. Families who prefer a smaller community setting may appreciate the town’s quieter environment.

Daily life is supported by practical amenities throughout the facility. Residents are served meals in a large dining room. Other features include a chapel, sun room, beauty shop, laundry services, and outdoor spaces such as a backyard area and gazebo, and residents and visitors can spend time together here.

Families looking for skilled nursing and rehabilitation care in a small-town setting should consider Alcester Care and Rehab Center for its nursing support, rehabilitation services, and on-site amenities that support short-term recovery and ongoing care needs.

Oakview Terrace is a nursing home in Freeman, South Dakota, offering assisted living and memory care. Administered by CEO Courtney Unruh, this 45-bed community operates as the non-profit, skilled nursing wing of Freeman Regional Health Services (FRHS), which maintains a close partner-in-health affiliation with the Avera Health network.

A specialized 10-bed memory care neighborhood is provided along with a variety of shared spaces dedicated to recreation and wellness. Care options include 24-hour clinical supervision, physical rehabilitation coordination, and long-term skilled care, while lifestyle services consist of chef-prepared meals and a calendar of activities.

Operating under federal CMS certification, the community maintains an exceptionally high-coverage staffing matrix to oversee complex physical and cognitive recovery. A defining structural strength of the property is its clinical staffing allocation, which provides a robust 4 hours and 47 minutes of total direct nursing care per resident daily, ranking it ninth highest out of all skilled nursing providers statewide. This framework also relies heavily on an above-average concentration of Registered Nurses (RNs) and dedicated certified nurse aides (CNAs) to maintain an attentive, relationship-centered care model.

Regulatory monitoring is conducted jointly by the South Dakota Department of Health and federal CMS frameworks, ensuring compliance through rigorous, unannounced health and safety inspections. The community holds a 5-star overall CMS rating, which is the highest possible designation achievable in federal care comparison systems, driven by quality measure outcomes and staffing metrics that track significantly above South Dakota state averages. During its most recent comprehensive state evaluation in June 2025, a small number of minor health citations across standard nutrition and infection control categories have been identified. However, all previous findings were systematically resolved under approved plans of correction, resulting in an active, fully compliant operating status with zero critical deficiencies.

Positioned in a quiet, rural setting, the community offers a close-knit atmosphere where older adults benefit from an integrated healthcare loop that seamlessly links the nursing home to the adjacent Freeman Medical Center hospital and local rural clinics.

With a unique status as a community-owned non-profit hospital district community, Oakview Terrace is a compelling option for families in the Freeman, Menno, Marion, and Bridgewater areas. While the rural location carries a car-dependent walk score of 26, the community coordinates specialized medical and recreational transportation to bridge logistical gaps.

Overview of Menno-Olivet Care Center

Menno-Olivet Care Center is a church-operated nonprofit nursing home in Menno, South Dakota, that offers long-term care, assisted living, short-term rehabilitation, respite services, hospice care, and outpatient therapy. The 41-bed community is owned by Lacee Feltman, administered by Aisha Abbink, and accepts Medicaid. Additionally, its occupancy rate is 58.3%, which falls below the state average and suggests availability.

The community maintains a 5-star overall CMS rating and performs substantially above South Dakota averages in both health inspections and staffing measures. Staffing represents the community’s strongest performance area, with total nursing hours reaching nearly double the statewide average. Weekend nursing coverage and registered nurse availability also exceed state benchmarks by significant margins, while licensed practical nurse and nurse aide hours remain above average as well. Quality measure scores, however, fall somewhat below statewide averages, making it worthwhile for families to review specific outcome metrics alongside the community’s staffing strengths.

Amenities and services include private and semi-private rooms, a spa-style whirlpool room, outpatient therapy services, and coordination for Meals on Wheels support. Respite care, hospice, and rehabilitation services are also available to broaden the range of care available within the community.

Menno-Olivet Care Center is especially well-suited for older adults and families in Hutchinson County and rural south-central South Dakota who value exceptionally high staffing levels, faith-based care, and a smaller community-oriented environment focused on personalized support and direct caregiving attention.