The Dakota Territorial Legislature met in February of 1889. While in session, they passed a bill establishing the Dakota Soldiers’ Home to be located in Hot Springs, South Dakota. The bill carried an appropriation of $45,000 for construction. The object of the Home was to provide the care and subsistence for veterans and their wives and widows who meet eligibility requirements for admission to the Home. The cornerstone of the first building was placed on November 11, 1889. This building remains in service and houses the Home’s administrative offices and recreational facilities.
The Veterans Home grounds cover approximately 193 acres. This offers a serene setting carved out of the beautiful Black Hills. By preserving the old and adding conveniences of the new, a true home environment exists. The four major structures are for residents alone with a central heating plant, laundry, and maintenance shop.
The Veterans Home has just completed a remodeling of the fifty-two bed nursing unit and dining facility. The rooms and surrounding support areas now meet the standards of the American with Disabilities Act and current nursing home regulations. The new dining area allows for a very positive social and dining experience.
The Home offers the following services: dietitian, pharmacist, physical therapist, laundry, physician, chaplain, social services, and extensive activities.
The Home has one hundred assisted living beds and fifty-two nursing care beds. We serve veterans who have served during a wartime period and are honorably discharged, ambulatory, and able to care for themselves and their living quarters once admitted; are a resident of South Dakota; have limited income and assets; are not addicted to drugs or alcohol; and are not mentally ill. Spouses, widows and widowers of veterans are also admitted and must meet the financial and physical requirements of the Veterans Home. Spouses must be 60 years old.
Single members pay 50% of their monthly incomes. Married couples pay 55% of their combined monthly income, while single persons requiring Nursing Care pay 80 % of their monthly income, not to exceed actual costs of care. Rents are adjusted so that a single member may retain a minimum of $175 a month, married couples $225. A single person receiving Nursing Care may retain a minimum of $150.
For further information, please contact your County Veteran Service Officer or call (605) 745-5127, extension 123.