South Dakota Health Care Association

Don't miss out on this opportunity for improving telehealth infrastructure in long term care!

APPLY NOW for FUNDING AVAILABLE through SB209 to provide telemedicine technology and infrastructure to assisted living centers and nursing homes in remote and underserved parts of South Dakota. Facilities without current telemedicine capability are eligible to apply for funding based on their number of licensed beds.

Learn more and apply: https://doh.sd.gov/healthcare-professionals/health-facility-licensure/funding-opportunity/

We had productive meetings with all three members of our Congressional delegation this week, urging them to keep up their work in opposition to the misguided federal staffing mandate. Thank you Senator John Thune U.S. Senator Mike Rounds and Rep. Dusty Johnson!

Becoming a CNA and working in a nursing home is a great way for young people to get a taste of working in the health care field!

A gateway to the health care field Last fall, KELOLAND News took you inside a Groton Area High School classroom where students were getting their hands on some new equipment.

The search for the oldest living South Dakotan is on! If you know of a current living South Dakotan born before January 29, 1916, making this person at least 108 years young, he or she may be our state’s oldest living person! SDHCA would like to honor him or her with the 2024 Centenarian of the Year award.

In addition, any South Dakotan aged 100 or older is eligible to be recognized as part of SDHCA’s Century Club. The Century Club is free to enroll, and each inductee receives a specially designed, framed certificate and membership card. The Century Club has inducted over 1,500 applicants since its founding in 1997. The Centenarian of the Year award is presented each July to the eldest living Century Club member.

Century Club — South Dakota Health Care Association Century Club The Century Club℠ is open to any SD residents upon reaching their 100th birthday. There are no dues to belong to this Club. Century Club Members will receive a professionally framed and matted certificate. This is a free club to South Dakota residents. Complete the Century Club appli...

Please nominate the volunteers that give so much to your facility! SDHCA is looking to recognize your outstanding Adult, Young Adult and Group volunteers! Applications must be in SDHCA office no later than July 25, 2024.

Awards — South Dakota Health Care Association  Awards Administrator of the Year Learn more SDALA/NCAL Administrator of the Year Learn more Millie E. Olson Award Volunteer Award Individual Council Award 2024 Scholarship Award AHCA/NCAL Quality AwardsNoble Caregiving in Assisted Living Award Assisted Living Nurse of the Year Quality Initiative R...

These funds will make a real difference for residents and staff in long term care.

South Dakota offering millions in tech grants to nursing homes Up to $7 million in grants will soon be available to expand the use of telemedicine and innovative technology to improve health care for the elderly in South Dakota.

Celebrate 'Radiant Memories: A Tribute to the Golden Age of Radio' May 12-18, 2024. Explore the Planning Guide and Gifts!

National Skilled Nursing Care Week ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The 2024 National Skilled Nursing Care Week (NSNCW)​ theme, Radiant Memories - A Tribute to the Golden Age of Radio , embraces a time when the airwaves resonated with captivating stories and melodies. More than nostalgia, &qu...

Exhibitors welcome for our upcoming SDHCA Annual Spring Institute! Learn more: https://members.sdhca.org/site_event_detail.cfm?pk_association_event=29664

The winners of the Dakota MasterWorks Art Show will be on display at the SDHCA legislative reception at the Ramkota Hotel in Pierre on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, 6 PM – 8 PM in Gallery D! The public is welcome!

"Two states, however, have managed to achieve surprisingly high vaccination rates: In North Dakota, 55 percent of nursing home residents have received the latest coronavirus vaccine. In South Dakota, almost 57 percent have."

Opinion | How to boost covid vaccination rates in nursing homes? Look to the Dakotas. Despite political opposition to the shots, these states are excelling at protecting their most vulnerable residents.

“This rule risks closing down half of the nursing homes in South Dakota at a time when we already don’t have enough capacity to take care of aging South Dakotans,” Johnson said.

Proposed federal staffing mandate could devastate rural nursing homes -President Biden made nursing home reform a priority during his 2022 State of the Union address, hoping to build a long-term care system where Americans can age with dignity.

An impossible to meet staffing mandate is not the way to improve care for our residents.

AHCA Wrong Time 30-Second

Please read this wonderful story about SDHCA's Volunteer of the Year award recipient!

Someone You Should Know: Love of volunteering Menno's Roberta Stoebner is this week's "Someone You Should Know."

“This really is a disaster waiting to happen,” Deak said. “The folks we need to be in long-term care are not there to hire. This rule has no money attached to hire them.”

Proposed nursing home staffing standards are 'disaster waiting to happen,' industry reps say - South Dakota Searchlight Proposed federal staffing standards for nursing homes that accept Medicaid would be catastrophic for South Dakota facilities, industry representatives warn.

“As our state’s population continues to age in the years to come, we must make sure we are doing all we can to preserve access to long term care across our state.”

Third SD nursing home to close in 2023 as Legislature studies long term care sustainability - South Dakota Searchlight A third South Dakota nursing home will close this year — citing short staff, rising costs and years of poor Medicaid reimbursement.

Want to talk with South Dakota's long term care decision-makers? Reserve your spot as an exhibitor at our upcoming SDHCA Fall Convention!

SDHCA Fall Convention Exhibit Show Check out this Real Estate Flyer designed by LuAnn.

“We want to be positive and it’s getting a little better all the time. But the reality for long term care is that there are 1,000 fewer staff now compared to before the pandemic,” Deak said.

Staff shortage creates empty nursing home beds in SD A project in Brookings to add more independent living, assisted living and memory care living spaces in South Dakota is good news, said Mark Deak, the executive director of the South Dakota Health …

Calling SD artists aged 60 and older for the Dakota MasterWorks Art Show

DMW 2023 Calling All Artists Calling all artists aged 65 and older for the Dakota MasterWorks Art Show!

Encourage your staff to apply for the SDHCA scholarship!

$1,000 will be awarded by SDHCA to each chosen scholarship recipient. An additional $1,000 will be awarded from the scholarship recipient’s employer.

Please complete the entire application packet no later than July 20th.

Find the application here:

Awards — South Dakota Health Care Association  Awards Administrator of the Year Learn more SDALA/NCAL Administrator of the Year Learn more Millie E. Olson Award Volunteer Award Individual Council Award 2023 Scholarship Award AHCA/NCAL Quality AwardsNoble Caregiving in Assisted Living Award Assisted Living Nurse of the Year Quality Initiative R...

We couldn't do it without volunteers! Nominate a volunteer in your facility for the SDHCA Volunteer of the Year Award – Deadline July 23, 2023

SDHCA will recognize the Volunteer of the Year winners at the SDHCA Fall Convention in September. Nominees must work at a SDHCA or SDALA member facility.

Deadline: July 25, 2023.

https://www.sdhca.org/awards

SDHCA invites you to be an exhibitor our Fall Convention on September 20-21, 2023, in Sioux Falls, SD.

As an exhibitor you will have the attention of decision-makers from Skilled Nursing Facilities, Assisted Living Centers and Senior Living Communities during a dedicated Social Reception and Exhibit Show hours.

Showcase your products and services by reserving a booth. Don’t miss this opportunity!

South Dakota Health Care Association - Powered by AMO The South Dakota Health Care Association (SDHCA) Fall convention show is the premier educational event for Long Term Care providers in South Dakota. It is an opportunity for your company to exhibit to increase your business exposure! To highlight your company, simply mark “Showcase Row” on your...

“When you look at the rate of acceleration, there will be more closings to come if we don’t take further action,” Deak said. “This bill makes it a priority to care for our elderly and disabled South Dakotans.”

House passes bill to reimburse nursing homes, care facilities at 100% - South Dakota Searchlight The House passed a bill that would annually adjust the reimbursement rate for community-based providers, such as nursing homes, to 100% of costs.

"According to Wilson, there are two major threats to South Dakota’s nursing homes: the amount of money nursing homes are reimbursed by Medicaid and staffing. So she has focused on her staff. She set up a program to pay 50 percent of her workers day care costs. And she recently raised salaries, using money she would normally fork out to highly-paid traveling nurses to meet staffing requirements."

Amid staffing crisis, Marion nursing home gets creative to attract workers South Dakota is in the midst of a nursing home crisis. We’ve lost 15 over the last five years, seven in the last year alone. Many of the homes struggling right now are in smaller communities.

“What’s been a crisis is really starting to become a catastrophe,” said Mark Deak, executive director of the South Dakota Health Care Association.

Workforce woes, nursing home closures pressure sustainability of long term care - South Dakota Searchlight As some nursing homes close, a South Dakota long term care official says, "What’s been a crisis is really starting to become a catastrophe."

“The residents just love Ralph,” Good Sam administrator Luke Wanous said. “We pride ourselves on being a family here, and a lot of the residents grew up on farmland, so he reminds them of home. Seeing the light in their eyes brings so much joy. It truly is the little things in life, and we’re thankful for Ralph for being a part of our little community.”

'He reminds them of home' Good Sam in Sioux Falls has a new resident — and he's a rooster The Good Samaritan Society in Sioux Falls has unofficially adopted a rooster named Ralph, who reminds residents of home.

https://youtu.be/C__1pK5OEcc

Careers in Caring: Long Term Care is a Calling For those who work in long term care, they are moved to serve others and make a difference in the lives of their residents.

“What is happening now is just unprecedented,” said Mark B. Deak, executive director of the South Dakota Health Care Association. “In the last 12 months we have had six close; and now we just heard Elk Point is going to close. We have never seen a rash of closings like that.

“What started out as a crisis is quickly becoming a catastrophe.”

Disappearing nursing homes could suffer more under Noem's tax cut - South Dakota Searchlight On Tuesday during her annual budget address, Gov. Noem is expected to make it more difficult to solve the nursing home crisis.

Another closure, this time in Elk Point. It's a story that we've seen too many times recently.

Medicaid reimbursement in focus as Elk Point nursing home closes Another nursing home in South Dakota will close. Nursing home advocates point to Medicaid reimbursement as the main reason long-term care facilities’ doors are shutting.

The Dakota MasterWorks Art Show is just around the corner, November 3-4. Please come out and see this amazing artwork, and support all the artists! Details below!

Hear our Executive Director, Mark B. Deak, on South Dakota Focus discussing the nursing home closure crisis.

What's causing South Dakota nursing homes to close? Mark Deak is the executive director of the South Dakota Health Care Association. It’s a lobbying organization that represents many of the state’s long-term care facilities. He says there is a range of challenges facing the industry today.