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Reviewed by Victoria Collier, VA-Accredited Attorney Patriot Angels has helped 63 families in South Dakota access the VA benefits they've earned.
South Dakota Memory Care by the Numbers
What Memory Care Costs in South Dakota
Memory care in South Dakota costs about $5,545 a month, based on 2025 move-in prices, 17% below the U.S. figure of $6,690. That is $645 more than the South Dakota assisted living median, the gap families pay for secure doors, more staff per resident and dementia training. With the maximum benefit, roughly $1,700 a month would be left to cover from Social Security, a pension or the family home.
| Type of care | South Dakota per month | U.S. per month | Share up to $3,845 covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memory care | $5,545 | $6,690 | 69% |
| Assisted living | $4,900 | $6,200 | 78% |
| In-home care (non-medical, 44 hrs/week) | $8,437 | $6,673 | 46% |
| Nursing home, semi-private room | $9,444 | $9,581 | 41% |
South Dakota assisted living, in-home care and nursing home figures are CareScout 2025 medians. Each community prices memory care by apartment and care needs.
Check South Dakota Aid & Attendance Eligibility for Memory Care
Memory care is paid, round-the-clock care, which is what Aid & Attendance is for. A South Dakota veteran or surviving spouse living with dementia may qualify for up to $3,845 a month. A spouse of a living veteran can sometimes qualify too; see whether a spouse of a living veteran can get Aid & Attendance.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (844) 757-3047
Veterans in South Dakota
South Dakota has 53,890 veterans, 26,960 of them 65 or older (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024). About 16,500 South Dakota residents 65 and older were living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2020, and 29,000 family members provide unpaid dementia care, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. A spouse caring for a veteran with dementia at home is often the one who first calls us.
Patriot Angels Memory Care Partners in South Dakota
Patriot Angels works with 8 South Dakota memory care communities, and 5 of them also offer assisted living on the same campus.
| City | Partners | Also offer assisted living |
|---|---|---|
| North Sioux City | 1 | 0 |
| Huron | 1 | 1 |
| Brookings | 1 | 1 |
| Milbank | 1 | 1 |
| Fort Pierre | 1 | 1 |
| Spearfish | 1 | 1 |
| Aberdeen | 1 | 0 |
Operators with the most South Dakota locations: HME Care/Peaceful Pines (5), Cornerstone Caregiving (1), Primrose Retirement Communities (1).
Featured South Dakota Partners
How South Dakota Regulates Memory Care
In South Dakota, oversight of secured dementia units falls to South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Licensure and Certification, which licenses the host community and sets the added rules on exit security, caregiver dementia training and awake night staff. State site
Under South Dakota rules, a secured dementia unit can operate inside these license categories: Assisted Living Center; Secured units for dementia. Ask which one the community holds and whether its dementia unit is listed on that license.
Before you tour, confirm: South Dakota assisted living centers with secured dementia units must meet added requirements. Also ask how many caregivers are on the memory care floor at night and what dementia training each one completed.
Recent citations for a South Dakota memory care unit show up in the SD DOH Assisted Living Centers page (survey reports); look for anything on wandering, falls or staffing. Search reports
South Dakota Programs That Help With Memory Care
Medicaid for dementia care
HOPE Waiver is the South Dakota route Medicaid offers here. It may cover hands-on dementia care in a locked unit once a resident qualifies, but rarely the room itself, and not every memory care community takes it.
Aid & Attendance
Paid to the veteran or surviving spouse, so it can go toward a secure memory care unit at any private community in South Dakota.
The family home
Selling or renting a South Dakota house often pays for memory care. VA counts sale proceeds, so plan the timing with the claim.
Find Memory Care in Your South Dakota City
8 South Dakota cities have a memory care page. Numbers show Patriot Angels partners.
Neighboring states: North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana.
Veteran Families We’ve Helped
Families looking at memory care in South Dakota and across the country rate Patriot Angels 4.9 on Google. BBB A+ accredited. See all reviews
South Dakota Memory Care Questions
How much does memory care cost in South Dakota?
About $5,545 a month is typical in South Dakota, based on 2025 move-in prices. Prices depend on the apartment and how much care is needed.
Can Aid & Attendance pay for memory care in South Dakota?
Yes. A qualifying wartime veteran or surviving spouse can receive up to $3,845 a month and use it toward a South Dakota memory care bill.
Who oversees memory care in South Dakota?
South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Licensure and Certification.
Does South Dakota Medicaid cover memory care?
Partly. HOPE Waiver is the South Dakota route Medicaid offers here. It may cover hands-on dementia care in a locked unit once a resident qualifies, but rarely the room itself, and not every memory care community takes it.
How many Patriot Angels memory care partners are in South Dakota?
8 partner communities in 8 cities.
New to Memory Care? Start Here
For the memory care basics that apply in South Dakota and every other state, start with the national guide.
Related Patriot Angels guides
Other Care Options in South Dakota
Assisted living in South Dakota
Daily help in a private apartment for South Dakota veterans who don’t need a secure setting.
Independent living in South Dakota
Senior apartments in South Dakota for a spouse or veteran who doesn’t need daily care.
In-home care in South Dakota
Help at home in South Dakota for a veteran who wants to stay put a while longer.
