South Dakota

Residential assisted living licensing rules and official state resources

Licensure term: Assisted Living Center
Resident capacity: Up to 16 residents
Staff ratios: No stated ratios for day staff; however needs to be sufficient to handle the resident's needs at all times
Cost of licensing: $150 (up to 16 beds)
Bedroom square footage: 75 square feet of floor space per resident in shared rooms
Memory care: “Secured Units”:

Full requirements

Contact Phone Number: (605) 773-3356
Licensure Term(s): Assisted Living Center
Census Requirements: Up to 16 residents
Qualifications for Managers: The governing body must designate a qualified administrator to represent the owner or governing body and to be responsible for the daily overall management of the facility. The administrator must designate a qualified person to represent the administrator in their absence. The governing body shall notify the department in writing of any change of administrator. The administrator of a nursing facility must be licensed pursuant to article 20:49. The administrator of an assisted living center must be a licensed health professional as defined in subdivision 44:04:01:01(30) or must hold a high school diploma or equivalent and must become a qualified administrator within a year of employment by successfully completing the training program and competency evaluation outlined in chapter 44:04:18 or a training program that is substantially equivalent, as determined by the department. Oversight by a qualified administrator with at least two years experience as an assisted living center administrator must continue until the administrator training is complete.
Qualifications for Caregivers: Supervisors must be 18 years of age or older. Written job descriptions and personnel policies and procedures must be made available to personnel of all departments and services. The facility may not knowingly employ any person with a conviction for abusing another person. The facility must establish and follow policies regarding special duty or staff members on contract.
Staff Ratios: No stated ratios for day staff; however needs to be sufficient to handle the resident's needs at all times The following applies to staffing during sleeping hours: Staffing exception for assisted living centers during sleeping hours. Certain staffing exceptions for assisted living centers during sleeping hours are allowed as follows: (1) For assisted living centers with ten beds or less, one staff person in the facility is required during sleeping hours. This staff person may sleep if: (a) The facility fire alarm promptly alerts staff; (b) Exterior door alarms are audible in the staff bedroom; (c) A staff call system is available; (d) The staff bedroom has an egress window; and (e) The residents have an evacuation score which shows them capable of prompt evacuation (three minutes or less) as defined in § 3.3.56, evacuation capability, of NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, 2000 edition; (2) For assisted living centers with 11 to 16 beds, inclusive, one staff person who is awake is required during sleeping hours if: (a) The facility fire alarm promptly alerts staff; (b) A staff call system is available; and (c) The residents have an evacuation score which shows them capable of prompt evacuation (three minutes or less) as defined in § 3.3.56, evacuation capability, of NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, 2000 edition;
Staff Ratios (continued): 3) For an assisted living center with 16 beds or less, that is a stand-alone facility, one staff person who is awake is required during the sleeping hours if: (a) The facility fire alarm promptly alerts staff; (b) The facility is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system as defined in § 9.7, automatic sprinklers, of NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, 2000 edition; (c) An automatic fire alarm dialer as defined in § 9.6.4, Emergency Forces Notification, of NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, 2000 edition, to summon the local fire department is provided; (d) A staff call system is available; and (e) The residents have an evacuation time which shows them capable of evacuation in five minutes or less;
Cost of Licensing: $150 (up to 16 beds)
Square Footage Requirements: 75 square feet of floor space per resident in shared rooms 95 square feet in single occupied resident's rooms 10 sq ft of storage space per resident, and 37.5 sq ft for recreational activities No more than 2 residents to occupy a bedroom.
Bathrooms Required: Each resident's room must have a toilet with a sink.
Memory Care Requirements: “Secured Units”: Dementia care staff: At least one caregiver must be awake and on-duty at all times. Dementia Staff training: Staff in secured units must have annual in-service training regarding the needs of residents in the unit. Dementia Facility requirements: Facilities must comply with the Life Safety Code regarding locked doors and must be located at ground level and have direct access to an outside area that is enclosed by a fence. Secured units. Each facility with secured units must comply with the following provisions: (1) A physician's order for confinement that includes medical symptoms that warrant seclusion or placement must be documented in the patient's or resident's chart and must be reviewed periodically by the physician; (2) Therapeutic programming must be provided and must be documented in the overall plan of care; (3) Confinement may not be used as a punishment or for the convenience of the staff; (4) Confinement and its necessity must be based on a comprehensive assessment of the patient's or resident's physical and cognitive and psychosocial needs, and the risks and benefits of this confinement must be communicated to the patient's or resident's family; (5) Locked doors must conform to Sections: 18.2.2.2.4 and 19.2.2.2.4 of NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, 2000 edition; and (6) Staff assigned to the secured unit must have specific training regarding the unique needs of patients or residents in that unit. At least one caregiver must be on duty on the secured unit at all times.