Texas Memory Care Facilities

When you ask your typical senior what they consider as one of the best states to live in during retirement, chances are, Texas is going to get mentioned frequently. Along with Florida and California, Texas senior living is considered one of the best places for retirees as well as the elderly needing more extensive care through a nursing home, assisted living or a memory care community.

What separates Texas from California, and partly Florida, is the affordable prices. It is not too expensive for seniors to live in Texas, even in dementia care facilities. All in all, memory care homes rank in the middle of the pack here, far cheaper than California and comparable to Florida, and with a selection that is phenomenal top to bottom.

If you’re looking for a good memory care community in Texas, here are some of the things you should know and consider.

Texas - Secured Memory Care Units

Memory care facilities in Texas are sometimes known as secured memory care units. This type of facility is specifically made for patients with various forms of dementia. Therefore, the type of services they offer is especially designed for such individuals and their needs.

Among the most essential requirements of dementia patients is security. It should also be one of the main priorities of family members when looking for a Texas senior care facility for their loved one with dementia.

As most families would know, elderly people diagnosed with dementia have problems with their memory. Because of this, the outside world poses a big threat to their safety. It’s a common occurrence for dementia patients to go out and get lost for hours. Sometimes, police help is needed to search for them. This can be extremely stressful for the family, but often, it happens because there is no available caregiver and they can’t keep a close eye on their loved one.

At secured care units or SCUs, the entire facility is guarded, and the staff always keeps an eye out for the residents. Personnel frequently check in on residents to ensure they are doing well and are not roaming around.

To ease your worries, you can always arrange a visit and even take your loved one home on special occasions. However, do remember that once they are out of the facility, it becomes your full responsibility to keep an eye on them.

Detailed Cost of Memory Care in Texas

Texas dementia care homes have a good variety that very few states can even stack up with. Did you know that there are over 5,800 senior housing providers in the state, and more than 1,100 of those complexes feature some type of Alzheimer’s care facilities? There are very few states, if any, that can provide that number of options and at affordable prices.

The projected cost for dementia care homes in Texas is $5,100 per month, or $170 per day. Comparable to the national median of $160 per day, Texas memory care communities do not cost a fortune like most of those in the northeast and parts of the west coast. Furthermore, with such a huge variety, there are several communities that charge even less.

Texas Alzheimer’s care homes’ rates can range anywhere from $1,200 per month to $12,500 per month. It’s a difference of $11,000 a month, so you can really find a gap that nowhere else can stack up to, both for affordable dementia care and more luxurious, top rated facilities.

Statistics point out that the Midland metro area of Texas generally has the highest costs for dementia care, with a median yearly average of $90,000. The projected monthly expenses for these high-end Alzheimer’s care homes can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $7,750 per month. On the other end of the spectrum, dementia care facilities with cheap prices average only $35,600 per year, or $2,300 to $3,500 per month. The table below shows detailed average monthly memory care costs in Texas, from cheapest to most expensive:

Why Choose Texas Memory Care

The good news is, with such a diverse lineup of dementia care options in Texas, there is something for everyone to find in a state that boasts nearly 40 cities with a population of 100,000 or more. There is no other state besides California that can brag about such a high representation of big metropolitan areas with a wide spectrum of memory care costs.

The biggest cities of Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, El Paso and Arlington feature a huge range of memory care options from the most luxurious to the most budget friendly. There, it is common to find top rated Alzheimer’s care homes just outside the downtown areas in the numerous suburbs.

Garland, Lubbock, Corpus Christi, Irving, Amarillo and Grand Prairie are other communities that often get recognized for top dementia care in Texas. The facilities are either a part of a bigger nursing home or assisted living complex, or an exclusive community dedicated to Alzheimer’s care.

Texas Memory Care Facilities vs. Other Residential Care

Special care units may exist independently or within a typical long-term care facility. Some memory care units in Texas are not locked, but they have other security measures in place to ensure residents are safe inside the premises and can’t go out unless with a guardian or as part of the facility’s program.

Most settings place elderly people with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia on another floor or in a separate building of a much larger residential care facility.

In Texas, you can find both types of memory care facilities, and it really depends on your preference which one you believe can provide the best care for your loved one.

Secured Care Units Regulations in Texas

Some US states require memory care facilities to disclose all the fees and the specialized services they offer, including trained staff and special programs and activities for residents with dementia.

In the State of Texas, assisted living and memory care facilities could offer medication administration services, but this is restricted to licensed staff members. In addition, they provide assistance for the basic needs of elderly residents, including mobility, bathing, and dressing. In the event of medical emergencies, Texas assisted living facilities may extend limited skilled nursing services, such as special care and care coordination.

Admission Requirements

A memory care facility in Texas cannot admit an elderly whose needs they cannot meet, unless they are supplemented by a licensed home health agency. Moreover, dementia and Alzheimer’s care facilities in Texas cannot admit patients who are completely bedridden.

However, there are Type B assisted living facilities in Texas which can provide specialized memory care to elderly residents who require mobility assistance and the assistance of a caregiver during emergency situations, including evacuations.

Care Plan and Medication Management Requirements

The state of Texas has requirements in place for the care plan and medication management offered by assisted living facilities.

When it comes to care plans, the state requires a facility to provide each new resident with a service plan within 14 days of their admission. This plan should include detailed information on the nursing services and all the special services the residents would receive while they’re in the facility, including medication administration.

As mentioned above, medication administration can be provided by the dementia care facility, but it must be through a staff member holding a current Medication Aide license and acting under the supervision of a licensed nurse. They could help with opening the medication, checking the dosage, and providing residents with medication reminders.

The licensed staff could also provide direct assistance to residents unable to take medicine on their own.

Staffing and Facility Requirements

Of course, there are also requirements specific to the staff and the facility itself.

Texas memory care facilities should have one manager on duty 24/7. Their main obligation is to supervise the staff and ensure that the residents’ needs are met. The facility must also employ enough personnel to maintain the order, safety, and cleanliness of the place at all times, and to provide assistance during emergencies, such as evacuations. In addition, there should always be enough staff members on duty to ensure that all residents are well taken care of.

Nevertheless, the state does not have any rule requiring staff-to-resident ratio.

With regard to memory care home requirements, these secured care units in Texas are not allowed to assign more than four elderly residents in a single room. Moreover, at least one half of the total number of units should accommodate a maximum of two residents per unit.

Each resident must be provided with at least 80 square feet of personal space when they are in shared rooms. Single private rooms, on the other hand, should be at least 100 square feet in size. For the restrooms, facilities are allowed to have communal ones, but these must be gender specific. There should also be one restroom per six residents, which includes one sink, one shower, and one toilet.

How to Pay for Texas Memory Care Facilities

The good thing with memory care facilities in Texas is the wide range of affordable facilities you can choose from if you’re on a budget. In addition, there are different Medicaid and non-Medicaid programs which can help you pay for the services of these facilities.

Here are some of those programs:

• STAR+PLUS – This is a Medicaid waiver which provides care for elderly people aged 65 and above, as well as for adults with disabilities. It provides families with reimbursement for the cost of living in long-term care facilities. The waiver is for seniors who are financially eligible for a Texas Medicaid.

• Community First Choice (CFC) Waiver – This waiver is for seniors who live in memory care and assisted living settings in Texas. It is available to those financially eligible for Medicaid and who require an institutional level of care.

• PACE - A non-Medicaid but all-inclusive program that provides all-access healthcare services to seniors within the same network. There is no financial eligibility requirement in this program, but the reimbursement amount is determined by a sliding scale, which means that those with low income could receive PACE services at no charge.

You can also pay memory care facilities via long-term care insurance, but it really depends on the insurance policy you purchased. It’s also best if the policy is acquired earlier than the diagnosis as the coverage is more likely to be denied if your loved one already requires long-term care during the time of purchase. Some life insurance providers also allow policyholders to cash out their policy before a qualifying death, but there are downsides to this, so be sure to check with your provider.

A few other sources that can help you pay for assisted living facilities in Texas include reverse mortgages and Veterans benefits.

Memory Care Facilities in Texas - Amenities

Memory care communities in Texas often have the same range of amenities: from helping with basic daily activities such as dressing, bathing, and mobility, to therapies that could help tone down their dementia symptoms such as art therapies, group activities, and aromatherapies. They also provide all three important meals of the day, so you can be assured your loved one is well taken care of.

If your senior has special dietary requirements or restrictions, you must ask the facility if they can provide special food accordingly.

Memory care facilities in Texas provide long-term residential care for elderly residents, so the seniors must stay within the facilities for 24/7 care and attention. This means the residents are provided with living spaces, which could be either private or semi-private. Of course, the private ones are more expensive, but you can expect that your loved one will have the independence and privacy they want and need.

You can also expect the staff to always be available when your loved one requires their assistance. At the same time, they extend the utmost regard to all residents and will respect their privacy.

Of course, the most important feature of Texas assisted living facilities for dementia patients is security. Most spaces are guarded and locked to assure no one slips away unnoticed. Some facilities may even employ a variety of technology to assure they can track all residents wherever they go.