It is natural to feel like staying in your home as you age and become more dependent on others. If you need just a little "extra help," our in-home personal care services are available. 

Home Connections is a private home care agency that operates in Codington, Clark, Deuel, Grant, Roberts, Day and Hamlin counties. Registered nurses and trained staff work together to help you in your home while providing a direct link to your physicians. 

Let us help with:

• Personal Care Services
  • Bathing
  • Meal planning
  • Nutritional support for special diets
• Companionship Services
• Housekeeping/Household Management Services
• Supportive Care
• Nursing
  • Toe nail trims
  • Medication Management
  • Screens like blood pressure reading
• Therapy
  • Home safety assessment
  • Fall risk assessment
  • Home exercise programs
  • Safety and activities of daily living plans/interventions
  • Incontinence interventions and exercise programs
  • Assistive device assessments and interventions

Prairie Lakes Home Connections does just that; keeps you connected to your home by providing an array of services that can allow you to remain safely independent in your home.  Let us help you stay connected, call 605-882-7841. In the Sisseton area, call 605-698-4413.

Care you need -- with the comforts of home

When recovering from joint-replacement surgery, a stroke, congestive heart failure, COPD or other condition, most patients would rather stay in the familiar surroundings of their homes. Research has shown that many patients actually recuperate faster at home. Prairie Lakes Home Therapy is is a service that gives you that option -- safely and effectively.

How it works
Working as a team, our therapists, nurses and aides design a home therapy plan suited to your specific needs. Then therapists come to your home to help you follow it. They train your family and caregivers on how to help. Nursing care is also available, and aides can handle personal care, linen changes and additional exercises.

Is this covered?
Medicare and most private insurances will cover in-home rehabilitative therapy. When you reach a certain recovery milestone, you continue your rehabilitation in the Rehab Department on the Prairie Lakes Healthcare System campus. Your inpatient social worker or therapist can help define your eligibility for home therapy.

What to expect

• Up to five visits per week by a physical or occupational therapist
• Occupational therapy training for daily living and postoperative home care
• Fall prevention training
• Home safety and family training
• Speech therapy for swallowing and speech issues
• Intermittent nursing visits for dressing changes, assessments, blood draws, etc.
• Pain management
• Daily assistance with personal and bathing needs as often as once per day
• Additional private pay options available

Home Health Therapy coinsides wtih other home care services. You will need to have a caregiver who can help with meals, housekeeping, support and help when the home care staff aren't present. See more Home Care Services or Home Connections personal care services.

For more information about in-home services, contact Prairie Lakes Home Health at 605-882-7745.

With your doctor's referral, Prairie Lakes can provide inpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy. Therapists help improve your strength, flexibility, pain, balance and activity tolerance. We bring this therapy right to your hospital room or work with you at the inpatient therapy gym on the hospital's second floor.

The goals are to improve your functional mobility, help you make a safe transition from hospital to home and to help coordinate the aftercare services and equipment you might need upon discharge.

Assess, train, educate

Our process begins with a thorough assessment by our therapy team. We show you and your caregivers how to use assistive devices. We show you how to modify your home. We show you how to prevent falls and conserve energy.

• Physical therapy improves mobility -- walking on level surfaces, climbing stairs and other daily functions. Therapist work with patients on balance, strength, range of motion and activity tolerance. Therapist may also be involved in pain control and fitting the patient for assistive devices.
• Occupational therapy focuses on training in Activities of Daily Living -- ADLs, for short. We also educate patients about use of adaptive equipment, activity strengthening, fine motor control, improving activity tolerance and managing the effects of lymphedema.
• Speech pathology involves treatment and evaluation of swallowing problems and cognitive issues as well as problems with speech expression and comprehension.

The medical condition known as vertigo is defined a sense of spinning -- you feel like you are spinning, or the room is spinning. It makes you dizzy, and you can't stop the sensation. Primary care physicians, audiologists, and ear-nose-throat physicians play an integral role in the diagnosis and treatment of vertigo.

Possible causes

• BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo)
• Inner ear infections or disorders
• Migraines
• Stroke
• Head injury
• Tumors, such as an acoustic neuroma
• Surgery that removes or injures the inner ear
• A hole in the inner ear

One of the most common forms of vertigo is Benign Paraoxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). This is a disorder of the inner ear that causes short periods of vertigo when the head is moved in a certain position. Physical therapists are the health care providers of choice in managing BPPV, and often the symptoms can be reduced or resolved in one or two visits.

Treatment options

Our physical therapists also can help patients with other forms of vertigo and dizziness. The treatment and exercise that a physical therapist recommends depends on the specific cause of the vertigo. Treatment might include:

• Exercises to improve balance
• Exercises to help the brain 'correct' differences between the inner ears
• Exercises to improve ability to focus your eyes and vision
• Strengthening
• Flexibility exercises

Keeping yourself in a good physical condition is an important part of competing in sports and enjoying recreational activities. Our highly skilled team of orthopedic surgeons, physical and occupational therapists, strength and conditioning coach, and athletic trainers work together to not only get you back in the game, but to prevent injuries and improve athletic performance.

Our team-based approach ensures expert diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of sports-related injuries. Our team provides services on and off the field, working with local athletes at high schools in and around Watertown, SD providing personalized care close to home.

Treatment can include prescribed fitness programs, surgical procedures, equipment recommendations, and sport-specific rehabilitation work to restore the body.

Certified Athletic Trainers

The Prairie Lakes Athletic Trainers provide service coverage for Watertown Arrow Athletics, Clark Athletics, Willow Lake Athletics, Hamlin Athletics, and Castlewood Athletics. Services include injury prevention, injury diagnosis, and immediate care of injuries. Sam Cappadora serves as the Athletic Trainer for the Watertown Shamrocks traveling with the team to ensure they stay healthy and protected in the ice. 

They both work closely with Prairie Lakes Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Services. You can see these athletic trainers supporting athletes at local games and events.

• Jodi DeVaal. Athletic Trainer
• Faith Tyler, Athletic Trainer
• Sam Cappadora, Athletic Trainer

Strength & Conditioning 

Prairie Lakes offers strength and conditioning to Watertown High School student-athletes. The program focuses on reducing the likelihood of athletic related injuries, improving athletic performance (speed, strength, agility), educating and improving nutritional understanding as it relates to athletic performance, and creating confidence and healthy habits. The strength and conditioning coach provides in-season and off-season programing for student-athletes to optimize sports performance and prevent injuries.

• Aaron Jung, Strength & Conditioning Coach

Physical Therapists

Prairie Lakes has physical therapists that are focused on sports rehab and are specialized to help patients and athletes develop and restore functional mobility, strength, and balance through a variety of therapies. 

• Stacey Thury, PT
• Jackie Lake, PT

Orthopedic Surgeons

Prairie Lakes has three board-certified orthopedic surgeons who provide personalized sugical and nonsurgical care for patients with a variety of conditions and injuries related to joints, bones, ligaments, nerves and tendons. The Orthopedics team works closely with the Athletic Trainers and Rehabilitation Services to not only get athletes back on the playing field, but to prevent injuries and improve performance. 

• Michael Vener, MD
• Gerald Rieber, MD
• Casey Johnston, MD 

Losing a child is a devastating tragedy. At Prairie Lakes, we take special care in helping parents who have suffered the loss of a child. Our Infant Loss Coordinator spends as much time as needed with parents who have lost a child and offers support, keepsakes, and other resources that might help during this difficult time. 

As heartbreaking as losing a child is, many parents find it comforting to remember their child with a photograph. Prairie Lakes can help coordinate with local photographers to capture these precious moments. 

For questions regarding infant loss, please contact the Prairie Lakes Maternal Child Health Department at 605-882-7735.

Newborn Safety Precautions in Place at Prairie Lakes Healthcare System

Prairie Lakes welcomes nealy 600 babies into the world each year. During their stay with us, we implement many safety measures that help ensure each and every baby's safety and well-being is at hand. 

• The baby will wear two ID bands that match the mother's wristband. Each time staff brings the baby to its mother, nurses and mothers should check to make sure the bands match.
• The father or partner of the mother receives a fourth matching ID, providing access to the OB Department at all hours.
• Parents should never allow anyone to take the baby from their room other than a known staff person with a hospital ID.

During Your Stay

• If the mother is alone in the room with the baby and wants to nap, she should close the door and keep the baby in the crib on the  side of the bed away from the door. This way she can hear whether someone approaches.
• If you are uncomfortable with anyone requesting to take your baby for a procedure, you or your support person have the right to accompany the infant.
• Question any unfamiliar person(s) entering your room or inquiring about your baby, even if the person is wearing hospital attire.

Checking for Proper Identification Badge

• All Prairie Lakes OB staff have a hospital badge with photo identification.

At Home Safety Reminders

• Carefully consider the publication of your baby’s birth through newspapers, radio, and social media.
• Do not allow anyone claiming to be affiliated with Prairie Lakes into your home, unless discussed prior to discharge.
• Make sure all home visitors are well-known and not recent acquaintances, especially if met through social media.
• When out in public, always keep your baby in your direct line of site and within arms reach.

Prairie Lakes Nephrology provides diagnosis and treatment for patients with kidney diseases. Our nephrology program also provides service for patients with disorders like electrolyte disturbance and hypertension and operates three dialysis units located in Watertown, SD; Sisseton, SD; and Ortonville, MN. 

You may see a nephrologist, if you are feeling symptoms of chronic kidney disease, such as:

• A metallic taste in the mouth or ammonia breath
• Protein aversion (no longer wanting to eat meat)
• Swelling in the face, feet or hands
• Shortness of breath (from fluid in the lungs)
• Making more or less urine than usual
• Urine that is foamy or bubbly
• Feeling cold all the time

Dr. Tina Melanson, nephrologist, Stefanie Roby PA-C and Chelsey Sundberg CNP, are committed to providing comprehensive care to northeastern South Dakota and western Minnesota residents. 

Our Nephrology Specialists

Tina Melanson, MD

Nephrology (Kidney)

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Chelsey Sundberg, CNP

Nephrology (Kidney)

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Stefanie Roby, PA-C

Nephrology (Kidney)

Learn More

Nephrology is located on the 1st floor of the Prairie Lakes Specialty Clinic in Watertown. Patients may make a clinic appointment by calling 605-882-7777 or toll free at 855-465-8897.

Prairie Lakes Cardiology Clinic offers ongoing, easy-to-access outpatient cardiac care for heart patients -- whether they are following up after an emergency procedure or heading off future heart problems. Our Cardiology Clinic uses state-of-the-art technology to diagnose and treat patients who have suffered a variety of conditions, including:

• Resistant high blood pressure
• Coronary artery disease
• Heart Failure
• Preventative cardiology
• Atrial fibrillatioin and arrhythmia
• Heart valve problems
• High cholesterol
• Vascular problems
• Acute heart attack management
• Lipid clinic
• Anticoagulation management
• Pacemaker and defibrillator implantation
• LVAD follow-up
• Adult congenital heart disease

Cardiology is located on the 1st floor of the Prairie Lakes Specialty Clinic in Watertown. Patients may make a clinic appointment by calling 605-882-7777 or toll free at 855-465-8897.

Prairie Lakes offers cutting-edge treatments at our Cancer Center before they are widely available to the public. These clinical trials also test new ways to prevent, detect, diagnose and treat cancer and other diseases. 

Dr. Bipin Amin leads the efforts of the clinical trial at Prairie Lakes Cancer Center.  He has more than 30 years of medical oncology and hematology experience. He participated in more than 75 clinical trials prior to joining Prairie Lakes Cancer Center in 2010.

Current Clinical Trials:

• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
• Follicular Lymphoma
• Lung Cancer
• Marginal Zone Lymphoma
• Multiple Myeloma
• Myelofibrosis
• Prostate Cancer
• Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma

Registry Trials:

• Myelodysplastic Syndrome
• Acute Myeloid Leukemia
• Myelofibrosis

Reviewed November 2, 2023.  Please call the Prairie Lakes Cancer Center at 605-882-6800 for more information on our clinical trials.