Assisted Living In South Dakota

This state has boundless opportunities for budget-friendly indoor or outdoor recreation and plenty of free attractions and activities for the whole family, as well as 37 casinos. According to a 2017 Gallup poll, South Dakota ranks highest among states for many categories, including overall wellness. With a low cost of living, reasonable healthcare costs, and no income or estate tax, South Dakota is a great place to retire.

Directory of Assisted Living Facilities in Connecticut

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Paying For Assisted Living in South Dakota

The Cost of Assisted Living in South Dakota

The monthly median cost of assisted living in South Dakota is $3,500, which is significantly less than the national average of $4,000. According to Genworth’s 2018 Cost of Care Survey, South Dakota is one of the least expensive states for assisted living in the area, along with North Dakota:

 

Average costs somewhat vary in different regions of the state. Assisted living on the east side of the state near Sioux Falls is about $800 less expensive than on the west side of the state in the Rapid City area.

 

The state median cost of assisted living is less than other types of long-term care. In-home care is marginally more expensive and semi-private nursing home care is nearly twice as expensive as assisted living.

Financial Assistance for Assisted Living in South Dakota

There are no federal or state programs in South Dakota that help pay for the costs of room and board in assisted living. However, there are several ways to get assistance paying for the cost of personal care, nursing, and housekeeping services.

The HOPE Waiver

Seniors may qualify for financial assistance with services received in assisted living, like private duty nursing, aides and homemaker services, through the HOPE waiver, formerly known as the Home and Community Based Services waiver program. The transition to the new name brings with it a change to income guidelines allowing elderly residents to participate in work activities and keep up to $75 of that income in addition to their personal maintenance allowance.

The waiver covers personal care and nursing services, but not room and board. The costs for room and board to Medicaid subsidized residents is capped at $693 a month and families are not allowed to assist in paying any additional rent charges to the facility. Facilities must be licensed as a Medicaid provider to provide services or house residents participating in the waiver program.

Who is Eligible?

Elder residents in South Dakota must be 65 years or older to qualify for Medicaid, unless they are blind or disabled. Applicants must be assessed to determine that they would need nursing home level care if not for the assistance program paying for services they can receive in the assisted living center.

Income limits also apply – monthly income cannot exceed $2,250 (or $4,500 for a married couple) and assets cannot be greater than $2,000 ($3,000 for a married couple). Assets could be protected under community spouse laws if only one person in the marriage is applying for assistance.

How to Apply

To initiate a relationship with a dedicated Medicaid specialist through the state of South Dakota, reach out to your nearest Department of Social Services and a specialist will assist you in applying. You can also call the Dakota At Home Hotline at 1-833-663-9673 to discuss long term care options in the state.

Social Security Insurance

Seniors may qualify for SSI payments that can be used to help pay for assisted living costs. In 2018, the monthly benefit payment for an individual is $750 and $1,125 for a couple. Assisted living centers in South Dakota may take this money as payment for the services they provide and room and board. People that enroll in this program will receive a portion of their income every month, called a Personal Needs Allowance (PNA). As of 2018, the PNA in South Dakota is $80 and is given to the SSI recipient at the beginning of every month. If a resident is employed, up to an additional $75 will be added to their PNA.

South Dakota offers an additional payment to elders living independently or to assisted living centers to help pay for services for eligible seniors, named the Optional State Supplementation (OSS) program. The additional payment to an independent senior is $15 a month. The OSS program will pay an additional amount of $779 to an assisted living center, as well as the participants monthly SSI payment. For this program, couples are treated as two individuals and so the payment would simply be doubled.

Who is Eligible

To qualify for the OSS program, residents must already be enrolled in SSI. Participants need to have no other income to pay for assisted living costs that the current SSI payment is not high enough to cover.

How to Apply

Call your nearest office and make an appointment to speak with a representative:

More Ways to Finance Assisted Living

Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:

• Veterans Benefits: Veterans can take advantage of several different pension programs to help cover the cost of assisted living. For more information, see the article on benefits.va.gov.

• Life Insurance Policies: Even if a spouse or loved one hasn’t died, certain types of life insurance policies can be used to pay for assisted living. More information is available at longtermcare.acl.gov

• Long-Term Care Insurance: Long-term care insurance is a type of insurance policy that pays for long-term care when it becomes necessary, including the cost of assisted living. For more information on the benefits and drawbacks of this financing method, visit longtermcare.acl.gov.

• Reverse Mortgages: Reverse mortgages allow seniors to access the equity from a home that they own, and these funds can be used to pay for assisted living. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offers a federally insured reverse mortgage program.

Free Assisted Living Resources in South Dakota

There are many non-profit and governmental organizations across South Dakota that aim to provide resources to the aging community. Reach out to these organizations for advocacy in long-term care, resources and assistance in choosing the right services for you and your family.

Learning Library

The Learning Library is a website from the Department of Human Services designed to bring information to consumers in South Dakota. Look here for information on topics such as long term care, legal services, prescription medication assistance, caregiver support and more.

Senior Health Information and Insurance Education (SHIINE)

The SHIINE program provides free resources to aging citizens of South Dakota. Medicare beneficiaries qualify for free Medicare counseling services from this network of over 430 volunteer advocates. Reach out to this group for help comparing plans, filling out forms, learning what you may qualify for, and resolving problems such as medical billing.

Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

The LTCO program provides free information, counseling, and protection to those who live or are planning on living in long-term care facilities. The program provides solutions and management to facilities who have issues providing care to residents. Services volunteers provide include:

• Promoting a person-centered approach to long-term care in South Dakota
• Educating residents and families on rights and policies in long-term care
• Investigating and providing assistance with complaints regarding long-term care facilities, staff, or other residents disturbing a person’s rights

Visit the LTCO website, call the State Ombudsman 1-866-854-5465 or see the table below to find the phone number for your local office:

Long Term Services and Supports

The South Dakota Long Term Services and Supports Offices provide information about assisted living facilities, gives referrals, and answers your questions about long term care in the state.

Visit the state’s Department of Health website Dakota At Home for free information and referrals to services, You can also call or visit your local field office, see all locations in this list below.

Veteran’s Affairs

The United States Veterans Affairs department provides federal benefits, including healthcare and personal care services, to veterans and their families. Specialists are available by phone to offer assistance in finding programs you or your loved one could qualify for. Call first to make an appointment at your local office, which is listed below.

South Dakota Senior Centers

Social interaction and community involvement are vital to mental as well as physical health in older age. Having an extended network of friends and family ensures that an older person has plenty of resources and support as they age.

Most cities run a community center with programs to assist and connect with the elderly in that community. Services could include communal meals, exercise groups, free or discounted art programs, referrals to social services, food delivery programs like Meals on Wheels coordination and transportation to appointments.

Assisted Living Laws and Regulations in South Dakota

Assisted Living Resident Agreement

A written service plan must be developed between the resident, the resident’s representative (if applicable) and the administrator or manager, prior to admission into any long-term care facility. There may be no misleading or confusing language in this agreement and it must be updated at move-in, 30 days after admission, and annually.

The comprehensive agreement must include:

• A complete list of all services the facility will offer the resident, paid and unpaid, and the prices of these services
• A description of how to the resident will protect their assets as well as a list of all local long-term care advocates and a description of how to file a complaints
• A description of the facility bed policy, how long the resident plans to stay in the facility, and facility policies regarding move-outs
• The rights and responsibilities of the resident and and family members in regards to medication arrangements
• A list of all medical staff the resident has service agreements with and contact information for the resident’s physician.

Any resident with dementia or requiring skilled nursing may require no more than 8 hours of nursing care per day and all services needed and received must be documented in his or her resident agreement. Residents facing end of life that need hospice care must have a service agreement that is periodically reviewed by their physician.

Assisted Living Admission Requirements

There are seven types of long term care facilities in South Dakota, including assisted living centers. These are facilities that provide room, board, and personal care services to residents that live in the facility. Residents must not require steady nursing care and must meet a list of requirements prior to admission, such as:

• Residents must be able to move without the assistance of mechanical lifts or more than one assistant. A special license is needed for a facility to care for someone who needs help in all activities of daily living (ADLs).
• While residents may receive staff assistance with cues and supervision during meal times, they must be able to feed themselves.
• All residents must be able to care for their own catheters, tracheostomies, or other specialized medical equipment, as well as complete their own required injections.
• No resident may be in need of constant nursing care or medical supervision.
• All residents must be free of infectious disease and have normal behaviors while in the residence; no behaviors are permitted than endanger other residents.

Assisted Living Scope of Care

There are four different categories of services offered to all residents in South Dakota’s assisted living centers:

• Meal preparation
• Personal care services
• Homemaker services such as making the bed, assisting with self-care like grooming, and household cleaning chores.
• Chore assistance for residents who need help doing their cleaning tasks

In addition, each care facility is required to provide access to staff and activities to support residents chosen hobbies and spiritual health.

Assisted living centers are able to request licensure to offer optional services. These optional services include medication and eating assistance as well as skilled nursing care not typically offered in an assisted living. Optional licensure is required to accept residents that are on oxygen, are diagnosed with dementia, have a physical impairment, or require 2 aides to assist with all of his or her activities of daily living.

Assisted Living Medicaid Policy

Medicaid is unable to pay for room and board for assisted living. It is possible to contract with outside medical groups to receive services while residing in assisted living, and a Home and Community Based Services (HCBS)/HOPE waiver might be available to help you or your loved ones pay for those services. To learn more about services that you might qualify for and find out about available waivers, call Dakota At Home at 1-833-663-9673.

Assisted Living Facility Requirements

Each bedroom in an assisted living center must provide at least 75 square feet of personal floor space aside from their bed as well as 37 square feet of available space within the facility for activities and recreation per resident. All bedrooms must have a bathroom with a toilet and a sink. You have the right to tour any facility before agreeing to move in, to ensure the facility provides all the services and amenities needed for you or your loved one.

Medication Management Regulations

Residents are able and encouraged to take their own medication whenever possible. To help a resident take medication, orally or otherwise, the assisting aide must have passed the required training. Medication plans are kept for residents; residents that self-administer medication need their plans reviewed every 3 months, while those receiving medication assistance are required to have monthly physician reviews.

Staffing Requirements

There must always be sufficient staff available to provide every resident with hygiene-related activities throughout the day, for at least 48 minutes each day per resident. Staff members on duty must always be awake.

Staff Training Requirements

All facilities must have a formal orientation and continuing education program that includes topics such as:

• Care of residents and those with unique needs
• Resident rights and confidentiality expectations
• Nutrition and hydration importance in the elderly and best practices
• Infection and disease prevention, including the flu, and safety protocol
• Accident prevent, resident safety, fire control, and emergency procedures

Background Checks for Assisted Living

There are no background check requirements in the state of South Dakota for assisted living facilities staff. No administrator or operator may knowingly hire somebody with a conviction of abuse against any other person.

Requirements for Reporting Abuse

Residents must be allowed to express their grievances with any facility, fellow resident or staff member without fear of reprisal. Each care facility makes their own policies regarding complaints, and are expected to provide this policy to every incoming resident and their families.

You can file a complaint against a facility with the South Dakota Department of Health in writing, through e-mail or you can call (605) 773-3497. You can also reach out to your local or state Long-Term Care Ombudsman to request an investigation of a complaint against an assisted living center or staff member.

To report elder abuse in South Dakota, call your local law enforcement agency, or ADRC office.

South Dakota COVID-19 Rules for Assisted Living Facilities

Note: The following information was compiled and most recently updated on 2/13/22. Since COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving crisis, be sure to contact your assisted living facility or local Area Agency on Aging for the most up-to-date information.

COVID-19 Rules in South Dakota
Are loved ones allowed to visit residents in their assisted living community?	Yes (Conditions Apply)
Are residents required to quarantine after their loved ones visit?	No
Are loved ones required to wear masks when visiting residents?	Yes
Are Hairdressers and other non-medical contractors allowed in assisted living communities?	Yes
Are visitors screened for elevated temperatures before entering the assisted living community?	Yes
Are residents allowed to leave the assisted living community for non-medical reasons?	Yes
Are residents who leave required to quarantine when they get back to the assisted living community?	No (Conditions Apply)
Are assisted living communities required to cancel all group outings?	No
Are assisted living communities allowed to host group activities within the community?	Yes (Conditions Apply)
Are staff members regularly checked for elevated temperatures?	Yes
Are staff members regularly tested for COVID-19?	Yes (Conditions Apply)
Are residents regularly screened for COVID-19 symptoms?	Yes
Are residents regularly checked for elevated temperatures?	Yes
Are residents regularly tested for COVID-19?	Yes (Conditions Apply)

Sources: doh.sd.gov www.cdc.gov