Page 2 of Best Senior Communities in South Dakota

Overview of Prairie Heights Healthcare

Prairie Heights Healthcare provides nursing home, hospice care, and skilled nursing in Aberdeen, SD. Nursing home services include short-term and long-term care, while skilled nursing provides licensed nursing care on site around the clock. Hospice care is available for residents receiving hospice services, so Prairie Heights Healthcare can suit someone whose needs include skilled nursing, rehabilitation, or hospice support during a short- or long-term stay.

The home has 99 beds. Medicaid, Medicare, and private pay are accepted, giving families several stated ways to cover care. Darcy Albrecht serves as administrator.

Total nurse staffing is 3h 41m per resident/day, representing the recorded daily nursing time assigned to each resident. Rehabilitation therapy supports recovery needs, while dialysis, pain management, dental care, and podiatry services address specific clinical needs. Individualized care plans organize services around each resident’s documented needs.

Overview of Spearfish Canyon Healthcare

Spearfish Canyon Healthcare is a nursing home in Spearfish, SD, providing hospice care and skilled nursing. Skilled nursing means licensed nurses are on site around the clock, while hospice supports residents receiving end-of-life care. Long-term care and short-term rehabilitation are both available, making the home a possible fit for someone recovering through rehabilitation or needing ongoing nursing support.

The community has 105 beds. Rehabilitation services, pain management, dental care, dialysis, and podiatry are available through the home, so residents can receive these services there instead of arranging each one independently. Social activities are also offered.

Medicaid, Medicare, and private pay are accepted, giving families these payment routes to consider for eligible services and care. Total nurse staffing is 3 hours and 34 minutes per resident per day, representing the combined daily nursing time allocated to each resident. Charlotte Pentheny serves as the administrator.

Overview of Good Samaritan Society Canton

Good Samaritan Society Canton provides assisted living, nursing home care, skilled nursing, hospice care, and respite services in Canton, South Dakota. Assisted living helps residents manage daily routines like bathing, dressing, and medications, while skilled nursing and short-term rehabilitation cater to medical recovery and ongoing care.

This 56-bed facility operates at 91% occupancy under administrator Scott Larson. Daily nurse staffing averages 3 hours and 51 minutes per resident, with an on-staff physician available to oversee clinical care. Amenities include an on-site salon, guest meal options, scheduled social activities, and community transportation. The local neighborhood has a 64 walk score, allowing for some nearby foot travel.

Families can reach out to Good Samaritan Society Canton to check current bed openings, discuss Medicaid, Medicare, or private pay coverage, and plan an on-site visit.

Overview of Edgewood Brookings

Edgewood Brookings is an assisted living with memory care services in Watertown. The community understands the importance of happiness and serenity, ensuring that every resident can receive only the best care. Edgewood Brookings is the home where seniors thrive and get back on their feet quickly and independently.
Community features include essential services like transportation, housekeeping, interior and exterior maintenance, ADLs, and specialized memory programs. Amenities provided are dining areas, indoor common areas, a full-service salon, well-lit lounge areas, furnished apartments, and outdoor lounges.

Overview of Avantara Pierre

Avantara Pierre is a 65 bed nursing home in Pierre, South Dakota, offering skilled nursing, hospice care, and memory care. Licensed nurses provide care on site around the clock, while hospice focuses on comfort and support at the end of life. Memory care is secured and supervised, which can suit someone living with dementia who may be at risk of wandering.

Total nurse staffing is 2 hours and 55 minutes per resident each day, representing the daily nursing time assigned to each resident. Rehabilitation includes short term rehab and programs for postsurgical recovery, stroke and other neurological conditions, cardiac care, oncology recovery, pulmonary care, and orthopedic rehabilitation. These services support residents recovering from surgery or managing specific medical and physical needs.

Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted. Medicare can cover short term skilled care after a hospital stay, while Medicaid may help when savings do not cover a long stay. Chase Watson serves as the administrator, and a Walk Score of 63 places the area in the somewhat walkable band, so some errands can be done on foot and a resident who no longer drives may be able to complete certain outings independently.

Overview of Bethany Home Sioux Falls/bethany Home-Brandon

Bethany Home Sioux Falls/bethany Home-Brandon offers nursing home and skilled nursing care, assisted living, independent living, and memory care in Sioux Falls, SD. Nursing home and skilled nursing care provide licensed nursing support around the clock, while assisted living helps with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, and medication. Independent living provides private housing without daily care, and memory care provides a secured setting with supervision for someone at risk of wandering.

Because the community offers several care levels, it may be a good fit for a resident whose needs could grow over time and who may be able to remain in the same community as care needs change. The community has 112 beds, and total nurse staffing is 5h 36m per resident per day, representing the daily nursing time allocated to each resident. Amanda Peterson serves as the administrator.

The Independent Homes & Apartments program supports the independent living offering with housing for residents who do not need daily care. Rehabilitation services are available, giving residents access to therapy through the community. Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are accepted as payment methods.

A Walk Score of 65 places the area in the somewhat walkable category, meaning some errands can be done on foot and a resident who no longer drives may still reach some nearby destinations independently.

Overview of Bethesda Home of Aberdeen

Located in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Bethesda Home of Aberdeen is a skilled nursing home in Brown County. It is less than a mile from Avera St. Luke’s Hospital’s emergency room and about 2 miles from the city center. Scott Eisenbeisz owns the community and serves as CEO and Administrator. Alongside skilled nursing, it offers assisted living, home care, respite care, senior apartments, and adult day services. Families can use these options in the same community as care needs change.

The 86-bed home currently serves 82 residents. It runs close to full, with a 98% occupancy rate. Residents stay an average of about 153 days, reflecting both post-acute rehabilitation and longer-term nursing care. The community has been open for about 1 year.

Total nursing care averages 4 hours and 23 minutes per resident daily. Rehabilitation and physical rehabilitation services are also available to support residents recovering from surgery, illness, or a hospital stay. Families can choose from Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay to cover both short-term and long-term care.

State health inspections have often focused on documentation and care coordination practices. These include documenting respiratory care and hospice services together. Reviews have also covered food temperatures, food safety records, hand hygiene, and skin-assessment practices, which are recurring administrative and procedural themes rather than one major concern. Families touring the community may ask how staff manage these practices daily.

The surrounding area is car-dependent, with a Walk Score of 12 out of 100. Most errands and visits require driving rather than walking. However, the nearby hospital can benefit residents needing frequent medical follow-up or transfers.

Overview of Avantara Mountain View

At Avantara Mountain View in Rapid City, South Dakota, six recovery programs are named: post‑surgical care, stroke and other neurological conditions, cardiac care, oncology recovery, orthopedic rehabilitation, and pulmonary care. That level of specificity is emphasized, since the work of recovering from a stroke is not the same as the work of recovering from a knee injury; one involves rebuilding strength, while the other may require relearning speech, swallowing, or the use of one side of the body.

The 95‑bed nursing home and skilled nursing facility is arranged to support residents who need ongoing clinical oversight and daily assistance, with licensed nursing care made available at every hour. Short-term rehab sits inside that structure for someone whose stay has an end in view.

Nursing time per resident works out to 3 hours and 32 minutes daily. Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay are all accepted here, with Medicare covering skilled care after a hospital admission, Medicaid entering when savings will not carry a long stay, and families paying directly for the rest. Laura Karlson serves as the administrator.

Overview of Rolling Hills Healthcare

Situated in the gorgeous town of Belle Fourche, South Dakota, Rolling Hills Healthcare offers a wide range of care options for seniors, including long term & short term care and rehab therapies. Whether you need physical, occupational, or speech therapy, their dedicated team is there to help. Seniors can enjoy the peaceful surroundings and friendly atmosphere of the community, making it a great place to relax and focus on wellness.

Rolling Hills Healthcare goes above and beyond in providing high-quality care with a personal touch. They aim to make every resident feel respected and well-cared-for by offering tailored care plans. The community features a variety of programs and amenities, including advanced therapies, pain management, dental care, dialysis, hospice services, and more. With a focus on individual wellness and rehabilitation, Rolling Hills Healthcare ensures that each resident receives the best possible care in a supportive and compassionate environment.

Overview of Avantara Norton

Avantara Norton is a nursing home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, offering skilled nursing and post-acute rehabilitation. As one of the larger options in the Sioux Falls market, this 110-bed community is one of the larger senior providers in the state. The community also accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, providing access to families from a wide range of financial backgrounds.

The community features a distinct balance of nursing resources and clinical oversight, with 3 hours and 32 minutes of total nursing care per resident per day, which sits 6% below the state average. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) coverage is a notable operational strength, averaging 44 minutes per day, which is 52% above the state average, indicating solid, hands-on daily bedside support. Conversely, daily RN hours average 35 minutes, and weekend RN coverage stands at 22 minutes per day, both falling below the state average. Additionally, both physical therapist hours and general weekend staffing closely track South Dakota state averages.

Notably, the community currently holds a 1-star overall CMS rating, placing it below state averages for health inspections and quality measures, while its staffing metrics sit approximately 30% below average.

A wide range of specialized nursing capabilities and post-surgical recovery resources is provided, including on-site infrastructure such as dedicated physical therapy equipment, full-time therapists, and standardized home assessments. The care team delivers tailored treatments across multiple fields, including cardiac care, stroke recovery, memory care, orthopedic care, oncology care, wound care, IV therapy, G-tube management, and bariatric care. This extensive clinical reach primarily serves a short-stay population, with Medicare admissions making up roughly 47% of incoming residents and averaging a short-term stay of 27 days.

The community primarily serves short-stay individuals, with an overall average length of stay of 97 days. Located in a moderately walkable Sioux Falls neighborhood, it features a Walk Score of 61. It remains a strong option for local families looking for extensive post-acute rehab and diverse, specialized clinical capabilities in a modern setting.

Providing a wide range of clinical specialties, Avantara Norton is ideal for families in Sioux Falls requiring complex medical nursing care, post-surgical recovery, or specialized rehabilitation. However, families are advised to take into consideration its newer status and CMS rating.