Good Samaritan De Smet: Care Plan Failures - SD
That was the answer Good Samaritan Society De Smet put in writing in its own facility assessment, completed in August 2025. When asked how the facility staffs all shifts, including nights and weekends, to meet the acuity and needs of residents, administrators wrote that they staff "on a per diem basis," that they "listen to feedback from our staff when they feel they could use more support," and that they also listen to residents and families.
There was no documentation of what the actual staffing levels were.
Federal inspectors who arrived October 23, 2025 on a complaint inspection found the same gap in the facility's staffing and scheduling resource packet, updated just months earlier in July. The packet described general principles — maintain enough staff to fulfill resident needs, stay attentive to census fluctuations — but contained nothing specific to Good Samaritan De Smet's actual census or its actual staffing numbers.
The violation was cited at a level of actual harm, meaning inspectors determined residents were hurt, not merely placed at risk.
The facility's own written assessment acknowledged that staffing decisions were partly evaluated by reviewing quality measures and outcomes. That framing puts the measurement after the harm, not before it. By the time outcomes reflect a staffing problem in a nursing home, someone has already gone without care.
Inspectors tagged the deficiency under F0684, which covers the standard that residents receive care and treatment that meets professional standards of quality. The violation affected a small number of residents.
Good Samaritan Society De Smet sits on Calumet Avenue in De Smet, a town of roughly 1,000 people in eastern South Dakota, where staffing options are limited and residents have few alternatives if care falls short.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Good Samaritan Society De Smet from 2025-10-23 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: August 7, 2026 · Our methodology
GOOD SAMARITAN SOCIETY DE SMET in DE SMET, SD was cited for violations during a health inspection on October 23, 2025.
That was the answer Good Samaritan Society De Smet put in writing in its own facility assessment, completed in August 2025.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.