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Estelline Nursing and Care Center
205 Fjerestad Avenue East, Estelline, SD 57234 · Hamlin County · (605) 873-2278
60 certified beds, about 56 residents a day · Government - City · Medicare and Medicaid since 1996
CMS Care Compare ratings, data as of September 1, 2026 · CCN 435099 · See it on Medicare.gov · Compare with other homes
The record in brief
At its most recent standard inspection, on June 25, 2026, inspectors cited 1 health deficiency (the South Dakota average is 6.7, the national average 9.2).
Of 2 health citations since December 2023, 1 was rated as actual harm or immediate jeopardy to residents (1 immediate jeopardy).
CMS lists 1 fine totaling $16,826 in the last three years; the largest was $16,826, and the latest is dated December 14, 2023.
Nurses and nurse aides worked 2.04 hours per resident per day, against 3.79 across South Dakota and 3.86 nationally. Registered nurses accounted for 0.45 of those hours.
28.8% of nursing staff left within the year CMS measured (South Dakota average 48.2%).
Health inspections
Federal rules call for a standard inspection at least every 15 months, plus a visit whenever a complaint is filed. Each mark below is one citation, colored by how serious inspectors rated it. How to read a citation.
Under each citation, the quoted text is the inspector's own summary from the federal statement of deficiencies (CMS form 2567), word for word apart from a privacy scrub; CMS removes residents' and staff names before it publishes the text. The full notes are on Medicare.gov.
Where its citations fall on CMS's grid
CMS rates every citation by how much harm it caused (rows) and how many residents it touched (columns). The count in each box is this home's, across all 2 health citations on file.
June 25, 2026Standard inspection · 1 citation
- D Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and policy review, the provider failed to follow standard food safety practices for one of one cook (D) who did not submerge a cutting board into the hot water sanitation sink for the required amount of time to achieve proper sanitation, for one of one cook (C) who wiped food off her hand with an anti-slip mat and did not perform hand hygiene before continuing to serve food, and for one of one cook (D) who did not perform hand hygiene after putting soiled trash into the trash can.
April 3, 2025Standard inspection · 0 citations
December 14, 2023Standard inspection · 1 citation
- L Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, record review, and policy review, the provider failed to ensure that staff were able to verify the dishwasher rinse cycle temperature to confirm that the dishes were sanitized at the proper temperature. Failure to ensure that increased the potential risk of foodborne illnesses for the entire resident population who received meals prepared in the kitchen.
Fire safety inspections
2 fire safety citations on file: 2 on June 25, 2026.
Every fire safety citation2 citations
- F Add doors in an exit area that do not require the use of a key from the exit side unless in case of special locking arrangements.
- D Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.
Fines and payment denials
| Date | Penalty | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| December 14, 2023 | Fine | $16,826 |
A payment denial means Medicare and Medicaid stopped paying for new admissions for that period.
Staffing
Hours of care per resident per day, from the payroll records every home sends CMS. Higher means more staff time with each resident.
| Measure | This home | South Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| All nursing staff (RN, LPN and aides) | 2.04 | 3.79 | 3.86 |
| Registered nurses | 0.45 | 0.80 | 0.69 |
| All nursing staff on weekends | 1.62 | 3.26 | 3.42 |
| Nurse aides | 1.38 | ||
| Licensed practical nurses | 0.21 | ||
| Nursing staff turnover (share who left in a year) | 28.8% | 48.2% | 45.8% |
| Registered nurse turnover | 27.3% | 34.7% | 42.9% |
| Administrators who left | 0 |
CMS expects 3.03 hours a day for residents as sick as this home's (its case-mix figure). The staffing star compares the two.
Staffing by quarter, from daily payroll records
Every nursing home sends CMS its staff hours for each day (the Payroll Based Journal). Here they are added up by quarter. The latest quarter is the one behind the figures above. In January to March 2026, nursing staff hours per resident were 2.21 on weekdays and 1.62 on weekends, 27% lower on weekends (nationally, weekends ran 15% lower). Contract or agency staff worked 0.0% of nursing hours, against 5.3% nationally. Total nursing hours per resident went from 3.24 in April to June 2025 to 2.04 in January to March 2026.
| Quarter | All nursing staff | Registered nurses | Weekdays | Weekends | Contract staff share | Days with no RN hours | Residents a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan to Mar 2026 | 2.04 | 0.45 | 2.21 | 1.62 | 0.0% | 33 of 90 | 56 |
| Oct to Dec 2025 | 3.13 | 0.76 | 3.36 | 2.55 | 0.0% | 0 of 92 | 54 |
| Jul to Sep 2025 | 3.22 | 0.73 | 3.47 | 2.57 | 0.0% | 0 of 92 | 55 |
| Apr to Jun 2025 | 3.24 | 0.69 | 3.51 | 2.57 | 0.0% | 0 of 91 | 55 |
| United States, Jan to Mar 2026 | 3.75 | 0.62 | 3.92 | 3.33 | 5.3% | 0.5% of days | |
| South Dakota, Jan to Mar 2026 | 3.76 | 0.79 | 3.97 | 3.25 | 9.1% | 1.1% of days |
Hours per resident per day: staff hours in the quarter divided by resident days (the daily census CMS derives from resident assessments). Registered nurses include the director of nursing and RNs with administrative duties; aides include nurse aides in training and medication aides, as in CMS's own staffing measure. How these are calculated.
Quality measures
The measures CMS uses for the quality star. Lower is better for every one of them.
| Measure | This home | South Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 11.7 | 21.4 | 13.9 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 0.0 | 2.1 | 0.8 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 2.4 | 5.5 | 3.2 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication Short Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 4.8 | 2.0 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 10.9 | 19.4 | 14.1 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 1.4 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 16.5 | 24.6 | 15.4 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were rehospitalized after a nursing home admission Short Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 13.7 | 19.9 | 23.8 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who had an outpatient emergency department visit Short Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 11.5 | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Number of hospitalizations per 1000 long-stay resident days Long Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.9 |
| Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days Long Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
Owners and operators
Legal business name: CITY OF ESTELLINE.
| Name | Role | Type | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanssen, Jason | Corporate officer | Individual | 11/04/2024 | |
| City of Estelline | Operational/managerial control | Organization | 12/03/2024 | |
| Hanssen, Jason | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 11/04/2024 | |
| Cecil, Daniel | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 01/01/2021 | |
| Hanssen, Jason | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 11/04/2024 |
As listed in the CMS ownership file, which names owners with a 5% or greater stake and the people and companies with operational or managerial control.
Questions to ask on a visit
Chosen from this home's own inspection record.
- Can we see a week of menus and the kitchen, and how are special diets handled?Inspectors cited 2 problems in this area, most recently on June 25, 2026: "Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards."
- Who is on the floor on Saturday and Sunday, and how many residents does each aide care for?Weekend nurse staffing here was 1.62 hours per resident per day, below the South Dakota average of 3.26.
Other nursing homes nearby
- Avantara Lake Norden Lake Norden, 12.7 mi · 5 of 5 stars · 7 citations
- Jenkin's Living Center Watertown, 20.5 mi · 3 of 5 stars · 27 citations
- Avantara Watertown Watertown, 20.9 mi · 1 of 5 stars · 32 citations
- United Living Community Brookings, 22.9 mi · 2 of 5 stars · 22 citations
- The Neighborhoods at Brookview Brookings, 23.9 mi · 5 of 5 stars · 8 citations
South Dakota contacts for a concern about a nursing home
These are the official offices in South Dakota. NursingHomeClear cannot take or act on complaints.
- Inspections and complaints: South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Health Facilities Licensure and Certification, the state agency that inspects nursing homes for CMS and takes complaints about care.
- Resident advocate: South Dakota Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, Department of Human Services. The long-term care ombudsman is a free, confidential advocate for residents and families, set up under the federal Older Americans Act.
- State inspection reports: South Dakota Department of Health Nursing Facility Reports, where South Dakota publishes its own records on licensed homes.
Common questions
- What is Estelline Nursing and Care Center's Medicare star rating?
- CMS rates Estelline Nursing and Care Center 4 out of 5 stars overall, with 5 for health inspections, 1 for staffing and 4 for quality measures (CMS data as of September 1, 2026).
- How many deficiencies did Estelline Nursing and Care Center get at its last inspection?
- 1 health deficiency at the standard inspection on June 25, 2026. The South Dakota average is 6.7.
- Has Estelline Nursing and Care Center been fined?
- Yes. CMS lists 1 fine totaling $16,826 in the last three years.
- Does Estelline Nursing and Care Center accept Medicaid?
- It is certified to take Medicaid (CMS lists it as "Medicare and Medicaid"). Certification does not mean a Medicaid bed is open: ask the admissions office.
- Who owns Estelline Nursing and Care Center?
- CMS lists 5 owners and managers. Legal business name: CITY OF ESTELLINE.
Sources
- Ratings, staffing and fines: CMS Provider Information, released September 30, 2026, data as of September 1, 2026.
- Citations: CMS Health Deficiencies and Fire Safety Deficiencies.
- Owners: CMS Ownership. Penalties: CMS Penalties.
- Staffing by quarter: CMS Payroll Based Journal Daily Nurse Staffing, April 2025 to March 2026, summed by NursingHomeClear.
- Inspector summaries: CMS Full Statement of Deficiencies (CMS-2567 text), data as of September 1, 2026. Each quote is the part of the statement before the detailed findings.
- Inspection reports with the inspectors' full notes are on this home's Medicare.gov page.
- Something wrong on this page? Ask for a correction. We fix errors in our copy of the data; findings themselves can only be changed by CMS and the state.
- NursingHomeClear is independent and not affiliated with CMS, Medicare or any state agency. This page reports federal records; it does not rate, recommend or endorse any home, and it is not medical or legal advice.