Avantara Norton: Infection Control Failures - SD
The violations centered on Enhanced Barrier Precautions, the layer of protection required when standard contact precautions don't apply. Inspectors found staff were not consistently wearing gowns and gloves during the hands-on care activities that create the most opportunity for bacteria to move from a resident's body to a worker's hands and clothing, and then to someone else.
The list of activities where that transfer can happen is long and ordinary: dressing a resident, bathing them, helping them to the toilet, changing a brief, moving them from a bed to a chair, tending a wound, managing a catheter or feeding tube. These are the tasks that fill every shift in every nursing home. At Avantara Norton, inspectors determined staff were not reliably protected during those moments when residents were known to be infected or colonized with organisms like MRSA or VRE.
MRSA and VRE are not routine infections. Both are classified as multidrug-resistant organisms, meaning the antibiotics that would normally clear them have stopped working. A resident who carries one of these organisms without showing symptoms can still pass it to a neighbor whose immune system cannot fight back.
Inspectors rated the harm level as minimal or potential, meaning no resident was documented as having been harmed at the time of the inspection. The violation affected some residents at the facility.
Avantara Norton is a skilled nursing facility serving the Sioux Falls area. The inspection was conducted on November 14, 2025, in response to a complaint.
The gap between a gown left hanging and a resident who develops an infection no one can treat is not always visible in an inspection report. At Avantara Norton, inspectors found the gown wasn't always being put on.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Avantara Norton from 2025-11-14 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 4, 2026 · Our methodology
AVANTARA NORTON in SIOUX FALLS, SD was cited for violations during a health inspection on November 14, 2025.
The violations centered on Enhanced Barrier Precautions, the layer of protection required when standard contact precautions don't apply.
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.