The senior-care watchlist — South Dakota
11 facilities in South Dakota carry an official government warning that the referral sites — paid by those same facilities — will never show you: a CMS Special Focus designation, an active licensing probation, or an abuse-citation flag. Every one is a matter of public record, linked to its full file below.
What these labels mean. A Special Focus Facility (SFF) is one CMS has singled out nationally for a persistent pattern of serious problems; an SFF candidate is in the pool being considered. Probation means a state licensing agency has placed formal conditions on the facility's license. An abuse-citation flag marks a home cited by CMS for actual or potential resident harm. A warning is not a verdict — but it is exactly the kind of signal you want before you tour, not after.
| Grade | Facility & warning | Location | Subst. |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | Avantara Norton Special Focus FacilityOn probationAbuse-citation flag |
Sioux Falls, SD | 18 |
| F | Riverview Healthcare Center SFF candidateAbuse-citation flag |
Flandreau, SD | 11 |
| F | Avantara Watertown SFF candidateAbuse-citation flag |
Watertown, SD | 7 |
| F | Palisade Healthcare Center SFF candidateAbuse-citation flag |
Garretson, SD | 6 |
| D | Medicine Wheel Village SFF candidate |
Eagle Butte, SD | 3 |
| F | Wilmot Care Center Inc SFF candidate |
Wilmot, SD | 0 |
| D | Good Samaritan Society Sioux Falls Center Abuse-citation flag |
Sioux Falls, SD | 6 |
| F | Bethany Home - Brandon Abuse-citation flag |
Brandon, SD | 6 |
| F | Avantara Saint Cloud Abuse-citation flag |
Rapid City, SD | 4 |
| D | Spearfish Canyon Healthcare Abuse-citation flag |
Spearfish, SD | 3 |
| D | Sunset Manor Avera Health Abuse-citation flag |
Irene, SD | 3 |
Special Focus & abuse flags from CMS Care Compare / Medicare.gov (Jul 2026); probation from state licensing records (CA CDSS, Aug 2, 2026). One signal, not a verdict — verify directly with the facility and the licensing agency. How grades work →
Finding facilities to avoid in South Dakota
How do I find the nursing homes to avoid in South Dakota?
Start with the official warnings. This page lists the 11 facilities in South Dakota that federal or state regulators have formally flagged — 1 CMS Special Focus Facilities, 1 on licensing probation, and 9 cited for abuse. These are the homes to scrutinize hardest before you tour. A flag is a reason to ask hard questions, not an automatic disqualification — some flagged homes have since corrected.
What are the worst-rated senior-care facilities in South Dakota?
Senior Care Record Map doesn't crown a single "worst" home, but the strongest negative signal a regulator can give is the CMS Special Focus Facility designation — reserved for a persistent pattern of serious problems. Those, plus homes on probation or with abuse citations, are ranked at the top of the watchlist above by severity.
Why don't other senior-care sites show these warnings?
Most referral and listing sites are paid by the facilities they recommend, so surfacing a facility's Special Focus status, probation, or abuse citations works against their business. Senior Care Record Map takes zero referral fees, so it can show you the public records first.
Before you rule a facility in or out
A warning flag is a reason to ask hard questions, not always to walk away — some flagged homes have since corrected. Bring our free tour checklist, understand what care costs, and read when it's time to move. And know how referral sites make money so you can read their recommendations with clear eyes.
See exactly why a facility was flagged
$19.99 one-time · lifetime accessThe map and safety grades are free. When a home carries a Special Focus, probation, or abuse flag, Senior Care Record Map Pro shows you the specific deficiencies, citations and enforcement actions behind it — so you can ask the right questions instead of guessing. No referral fees, no salespeople, your data never sold.
- The full CMS deficiency, staffing & enforcement history behind every flag
- Direct links to the underlying government records
- Save, tag & rate facilities to follow up
- Side-by-side comparison & CSV shortlist export
One-time payment. Works on every facility in all 50 states, DC & territories.