IPSWICH, S.D. (KELO.com) — The long-range staffing crisis within South Dakota nursing homes is playing out with devastating consequences in Ipswich, S.D., where the town’s only nursing home will soon close and an inspection from 2021 revealed serious deficiencies in how residents were cared for and treated.
A shortage of staff was given as one reason that officials for the Avantara Ipswich nursing home said they will close the 40-bed home on May 31, 2022, leaving the town of 1,000 people west of Aberdeen without a long-term care facility.
Staffing problems were also identified by the South Dakota Department of Health, which compiled a list of 13 code violations during a 2021 inspection of the home, including incidents of inadequate or unsafe care of residents.
In the latest article published by South Dakota News Watch, available here, reporter Bart Pfankuch reveals the details of the inspection and shares expert views on why the closure of the Ipswich home is an ominous sign for the long-term care industry in South Dakota.
