Page 5 of Best Memory Care in South Dakota

Overview of Dow Rummel Village

Dow Rummel Village is a nonprofit life plan retirement community in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, providing a full continuum of care that includes independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and respite care services. Serving the region since 1958, the community is recognized as one of the more established senior living providers in South Dakota. Medicare, Medicaid, and private-pay are also accepted, offering flexibility for families with varying financial and healthcare needs.

With a 79-bed capacity, the community is currently operating at a 94% occupancy rate, which is higher than the state average. Additionally, most of the community’s admissions are Medicare-funded rehabilitation stays focused on recovery and therapy services, while longer-term residents remain for multiple years through different stages of care. Rehabilitation, memory care, and skilled nursing services are also provided, allowing residents to access additional support without relocating.

The community maintains strong performance metrics compared to statewide averages, with a 4-star overall rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This reflects above-average scores in health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. Staffing levels are also a particular differentiator, with nursing care hours significantly exceeding South Dakota averages. Physical therapy staffing also exceeds state benchmarks, an important consideration for residents recovering from surgery, illness, or hospitalization.

The community also offers studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom floor plans. Services also include housekeeping, transportation, dining, wellness programming, and assistance with activities of daily living.

With a combination of rehabilitation resources, memory care services, skilled nursing support, and independent living options, Dow Rummel Village is well-suited for older adults and families seeking a financially stable nonprofit community with strong staffing levels, established clinical infrastructure, and the flexibility of multiple care levels within one campus.

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.

Peaceful Pines Senior Living – Huron is an assisted living community in Huron, South Dakota, offering independent living, assisted living, memory care, adult day services, and respite care. As a recently licensed provider, this 46-bed community brings freshly updated, contemporary amenities to the local market for older adults.

The amenity list is among the most extensive for an assisted living community of this size in South Dakota. Confirmed features include daily planned activities, community gardens, walking paths, housekeeping and laundry services, and local off-site transportation, along with emergency systems. Respite stays and adult day services are also available, making this a flexible option for both full residential placement and shorter-term care needs. With a continuum of care spanning independent living through memory care, residents can age in place without the need to relocate.

With a wide range of programming and care levels, Peaceful Pines Senior Living – Huron is a practical option for older adults in Huron and Beadle County seeking a lifestyle-rich, full-continuum senior living community with memory care and flexible care options, including adult day services and respite stays.

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 Meadows on Sycamore

Meadows on Sycamore Inc. is an assisted living community in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, offering personal care services. Administered by Tracey Hughes, this 45-bed community accepts Medicaid, which is a meaningful access point for families navigating care costs.

Medicaid acceptance serves as a defining practical advantage, as it is less common in Sioux Falls, which makes this setting a genuinely accessible choice for families with limited financial resources. The combination of on-site nursing, medication management, laundry, and dietary support within an all-inclusive model also reduces out-of-pocket variability for residents and families budgeting for long-term care.

Confirmed amenities and services include nursing services with 24-hour staffing, medication administration, housekeeping, laundry services, included utilities, and dietary consultation. The dining program provides three homestyle meals and snacks daily, along with a diverse activities schedule. The community also operates as a smoke-free and pet-free environment.

Notably, transportation planning is important here, as most errands and services will require a vehicle or arranged rides, reflected by its car-dependent location on the eastern edge of Sioux Falls.

Meadows on Sycamore Inc. is a good option for older adults in Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County who need personal care and medication management and prefer an affordable, Medicaid-accepting assisted living environment with structured daily programming and spiritual life integration.

Overview of Edgewood Cedar View

Part of a larger senior living community, Edgewood Cedar View is a memory care community in Watertown, South Dakota. The community is on 14th Avenue Northeast. It’s about 8 miles from downtown Watertown and less than a mile from Prairie Lakes Hospital, giving residents and families convenient access to nearby medical care. Residents live in private rooms within a single-story building, a layout that can be easier for those living with memory loss to navigate. The community accepts residents beginning at age 55.

Residents receive help with transportation, housekeeping, interior and exterior maintenance, and activities of daily living. Memory care is supported through specialized programs. These are created for people living with dementia and other memory-related conditions. Fitness and recreation activities are also part of the daily schedule, so residents can stay active and engaged.

Indoor common areas, well-lit lounges, a full-service salon, furnished apartments, and outdoor lounge spaces provide comfortable places for residents and visiting family members. The neighborhood has a Walk Score of 34, making it somewhat walkable. A few nearby destinations can be reached on foot, but most errands and outings require driving.

Families exploring memory care at Edgewood Cedar View should ask how daily activities are planned around each resident’s cognitive needs because those routines are important in everyday life within a memory care community.

Overview of Highmore Health

Serving Hyde County for more than 50 years, Highmore Health is a nursing home in Highmore, South Dakota. Caring Professionals owns and operates the community, while Kim Knox serves as administrator. Families can choose from Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay to cover short-term rehabilitation and longer-term stays.

The 39-bed home usually runs close to full, with occupancy around 89%. Residents stay an average of about 440 days, which is a mix of residents recovering after hospital stays and those receiving ongoing care. Memory care, palliative care, and long-term care are offered, so residents can often remain in the same community as their care needs change.

Total nursing care averages 3 hours and 35 minutes per resident daily, and this hands-on support is a central part of daily life. On-site rehabilitation services are also available, so residents can continue recovering without leaving the community for appointments. The home has experienced staff and a family feel, which may matter when families choose care for a loved one.

Inspection reviews have often focused on resident rights, infection control, and general quality of life and care standards. Families touring the home may ask how staff address these areas each day.

Highmore Health is in a rural area with a Walk Score of 29 out of 100, so most errands and outings require driving rather than walking. The home has a long-standing presence in Hyde County and the surrounding area. It combines short-term rehabilitation with longer-term and specialised care options under one roof.

Overview of Synergy HomeCare – Sioux Falls

SYNERGY HomeCare stands out for its tailor-made approach in crafting personalized home care plans tailored to diverse situations and conditions. Their expertise lies in providing life-affirming non-medical in-home care, offering comfort and assurance to individuals dealing with disabilities, illnesses, and the challenges of aging. Their comprehensive range of services includes companionship, homemaker duties, and personal care, ensuring that every aspect of their clients’ well-being is addressed.

Since 2009, they have been dedicated to serving the Sioux Falls area, building a stellar reputation in senior care. Aside from their competitive and highly trained team, they also exhibit unwavering dedication to responsiveness and dependability. Families can trust in SYNERGY HomeCare’s compassionate and knowledgeable staff, who go above and beyond to ensure the well-being of their patients.

Peaceful Pines Senior Living Community offers an exceptional level of service for  independent living, assisted living, and memory care in Rapids, South Dakota. They boast a nurturing and stimulating atmosphere that contributes to the respected experience discovered; they proudly excel with their approach in having a seamless transition for every resident as they are a community that understands how unique their seniors are and may need specific care for every individual. Holland Village ensures that every senior residing in their community loves the place they live.

Peaceful Pines offers comprehensive services and amenities that include home-cooked meals, maintenance-free living, and housekeeping; social activities include gatherings at the movie theater, bistro cafe, courtyards, and billiards.