Nursing Home & Assisted Living Safety
The South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Health Care Facilities Licensure and Certification, conducts a recertification survey of each nursing facility on an average of once a year (9 to 15-month intervals).
Find the reports for the many nursing facilities in South Dakota. The inspection reports are referred to as the Statement of Deficiencies (Form 2567). The reports include the facilities' Plans of Correction to address identified health deficiencies as well as the latest Life Safety Code survey report and state licensure report. If any complaint surveys have been conducted by the department those surveys are provided in a separate report.
It is the department's hope these reports provide useful information to individuals selecting a nursing home for family, friends or loved ones. The department also recommends visiting the nursing home to speak with staff, residents and families about the facility, as well as becoming a frequent visitor.
Recertification and complaint surveys posted here will be retained for three years.
There are two types of federal surveys conducted: Health and Life Safety Code.
Health Surveys
These are conducted by a survey team consisting of qualified and trained health facility surveyors. The survey team can include nurses, social workers, dietitians, sanitarians, pharmacists, medical technologists and generalists. The survey includes interviews with a sample of residents and family members, interviews with caregivers and administrative staff and reviews of clinical records.
42 CFR Part 483 of the Code of Federal Regulations provides detailed federal regulatory standards nursing homes must meet. Those standards address areas of service provided by the nursing facility including but not limited to the following:
The facility must promote the exercise of rights for each resident, including any who face barriers (such as communication problems, hearing problems and cognition limits) in the exercise of these rights.
The intent of this requirement is for each person to attain and maintain his/her highest practicable well-being in an environment that prohibits the use of restraints for discipline or convenience and limits restraint use to circumstances in which the resident has medical symptoms that warrant the use of restraints.
The facility must promote care for residents in a manner and in an environment that maintains or enhances each resident’s dignity and respect in full recognition of his or her individuality.
The facility must conduct initially and periodically a comprehensive, accurate, standardized reproducible assessment of each resident’s functional capacity.
The facility must ensure services are provided for residents to maintain, and when possible, improve functional ability.
The facility must have sufficient nursing staff to provide nursing and related services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental and psychosocial well-being for each resident as determined by resident assessments and individual plans of care.
The facility must provide each resident with a nourishing, palatable, well-balanced diet that meets the daily nutritional and special dietary needs of each resident.
The facility must assist residents in obtaining routine and 24-hour emergency dental care.
The facility must provide routine and emergency drugs and biological (such as growth hormones and vaccines) to its residents or obtain them under an agreement. Pharmacy services also include how medications are received, dispensed, administered and stored.
The facility must establish and maintain an infection control program designed to provide a safe, sanitary and comfortable environment and help prevent the development and transmission of disease and infection. This would include proper hand washing, glove use, and isolation procedures.
The facility must be designed, constructed, equipped and maintained to protect the health and safety of residents, staff and the public.
The facility must operate and provide services in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and codes, and with accepted professional standards and principles that apply to professionals providing services in such a facility. This includes proper employment of properly licensed and trained staff.
Life Safety Surveys
The life safety code (National Fire Protection Association Standard 101) sets a minimum building design, construction, operation and maintenance requirements necessary to protect residents from dangers caused by fire, smoke and toxic fumes. The life safety code also provides prompt escape requirements for new and existing buildings. Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 483.70 requires nursing home facilities to meet the provisions of the life safety code.