Nursing home complaints up 38% since last year

Nursing home complaints up 38% since last year
South Dakota Searchlight, 12/21/23
Complaints against South Dakota nursing homes are the highest they’ve been in at least eight years. The state Department of Health oversees 97 long-term care facilities, according to its website, It fielded 54 complaints as of Dec. 19—a 38% increase over 2022 and three times higher than 2021 and 2020, when the state received 18 complaints each year. Most complaints in 2023 concern quality of life and care, neglect and abuse, and nursing services. In just over two-thirds of the cases, inspections found no violations. Of the complaints deemed credible, many involved a lack of adequate care and documentation for residents after a fall or change in health condition.