1103 South Second Street, Milbank, SD 57252
For more information about senior living options: (866) 208-4318
Overall Review of Avantara Milbank
Pros
The staff are great.- The staff are excellent, very caring and respectful.
- Such amazing staff.
- Relatives were given extraordinary care; great place and great service.
- Been here since 2002 and it is a great place to be.
- Ethan, the new guy in charge, has been very helpful and respectful.
Cons
The reviewer warns that loved ones should not be placed there.- The facility did not test or treat their great grandmother for influenza for several days.
- The family had to ask them to perform tests and provide treatment that werenât given promptly.
- A nurse argued with the family and said she was DNR while she was still alive.
- The nurse argued with them as she was drowning from all the fluid in her lungs.
- The place is described as a dumpy place with poor care.
- After her death, belongings were thrown away or lost, including her walker being used by others.
- Some of her belongings have not been found; they urge readers to find a different nursing home.
Review
Avantara Milbank is best suited for families seeking a dependable, home-like assisted living experience where daily care and personal warmth are the strongest selling points. The community earns trust through long-standing service and a staff culture that residents and families repeatedly describe as caring and respectful. For seniors who value stable routines, approachable caregivers, and a facility with deep local roots, this is a compelling option. It may appeal especially to families who want recognizable faces, continuity of care, and a setting that prioritizes daily quality of life over high-acuity medical management. In short, Avantara Milbank excels as a practical, people-focused home for relatively stable seniors who prefer a warm, low-friction environment.
The strongest positive thread centers on the caregiving staff. Reviews consistently highlight staff as caring, patient, and genuinely respectful, with several calls that the team goes above and beyond in daily interactions. Residents and families describe an atmosphere where caregivers build meaningful relationships, creating comfort and trust in the moment-to-moment experience of living there. The longevity of operation, implied by the longstanding tenure since 2002, adds a layer of reliability and local familiarity. For families who want active, attentive daily support, these traits translate into clear, tangible benefits: predictable assistance, personal attention, and a sense that staff know the residentâs preferences and needs.
Yet the facility is not without serious warning signs. A troubling account portrays a crisis where illness escalation was not promptly tested or treated, and where communication with the family was blunt and dismissive in a time of acute distress. Allegations that a nurse insisted on a DNR stance while the patient was still alive, followed by delays in hospital transfer, raise questions about crisis management, escalation protocols, and the responsiveness of leadership. The report of lost belongings after a loved one passed further erodes confidence in the administrationâs ability to safeguard valuables and maintain accountability. These episodes are not small imperfections; they strike at the core trust families place in a community when urgent medical needs arise.
How the positives balance against the negatives depends on what a family expects from risk management and crisis responsiveness. For residents with relatively stable health who prize daily warmth, thorough assistance with activities of daily living, and consistent, friendly interactions, the pros can substantially offset the cons. The day-to-day experience, the human touch, the predictable routines, and the sense of belonging, often translates into a meaningful quality of life. However, for families prioritizing rock-solid crisis protocols, transparent escalation, and precise, timely hospital transfers, the cons may loom large enough to seek alternatives. In other words, Avantara Milbank delivers great daily care, but its handling of emergencies and family communication requires careful scrutiny.
Families evaluating Avantara Milbank should demandspecific assurances and concrete, testable policies before moving forward. Key questions should probe staffing levels and nurse coverage across all shifts, the exact chain of escalation for medical emergencies, and how quickly hospital transfers are arranged when a residentâs condition worsens. It is essential to review how care plans are developed, updated, and communicated to families, and who holds accountability when things go wrong. Seek clarity on the process for safeguarding personal belongings, and request recent examples of how leadership addressed past concerns. A candid tour should include conversations with front-line caregivers as well as the administrator to gauge whether the cultural emphasis on warmth is matched by robust operational controls.
In sum, Avantara Milbank provides a welcoming, people-first environment backed by a loyal, well-regarded caregiving team. That foundation offers real advantages for residents who thrive on daily kindness, routine, and steady assistance with everyday tasks. But the weight of a serious negative incident cannot be dismissed; it foregrounds a need for rigorous crisis protocols, transparent communication, and accountable leadership. If a family cannot tolerate the possibility of delayed escalation or opaque family updates in urgent moments, exploring alternatives is prudent. A thorough, in-person assessment, focusing on crisis readiness, staff responsiveness, and the senior leadershipâs willingness to address past concerns, will reveal whether this community can meet the specific, risk-tolerant profile required for a loved oneâs long-term care.
60 resident community capacity
Assisted Living
Skilled Nursing Facility
Activities on-site
Air-conditioning
Beauty salon
Cable or satellite TV
Computer center
Devotional services off-site
Dining room
Fitness room
Fully furnished
Gaming room
Garden
Housekeeping services
Indoor common areas
Kitchenette
Move-in coordination
Outdoor space
Private bathrooms
Restaurant-style dining
Small library
Telephone
Wellness center
Wi-Fi/high-speed internet available
Community operated transportation
12-16 hour nursing
24-hour call system
Ambulatory care
Assistance with bathing
Assistance with dressing
Assistance with transfers
Diabetes diet
Diabetic care
Medication management
Mental wellness program
Special dietary restrictions
Concierge services
Planned day trips
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