Assisted Living Types Available in Texas

| Tuesday, June 21, 2011
By Janine Sanderstine


There may be more to the decision than you thought, once you decided on assisted living in the state of Texas. In Texas, it is necessary to determine which type of assisted living facility you need.

All Personal Care Homes, Residential Care Homes and Assisted Living Facilities which provide services of a personal care nature to more than three residents, unrelated to the owner, must be licensed under the Texas Department of Aging and Disability (DADS) licensing requirements. Unlike nursing homes, these assisted living facilities offer a home-like setting. They typically provide meals, laundry, housekeeping, medication supervision, some assistance with activities of daily living and an activity program. Other amenities such as transportation may also be offered in some facilities. People with mental or physical disabilities find that they foster a sense of independence and offer an attractive alternative to nursing homes.

Assisted living facilities with a Type A license can only accept residents that:

1) Have the ability to independently evacuate the building in the case of an emergency. This requires mental capacity to recognize and emergency and act accordingly. It requires that they have the physical capability of evacuating without assistance. Residents who use a wheelchair or an electric cart may still reside in a Type A facility if they are capable of transferring themselves and evacuating without assistance in an emergency. If they need assistance in and out of bed, they will not be able to reside in a Type A facility.

2) Do not need supervision on a routine basis overnight.

3) Residents must be able to follow instructions in an emergency. 4) The resident must be able to meet all the requirements for evacuation and must be able to demonstrate that ability to DADS.

Assisted living facilities with a Type B License can accept only residents that are not permanently confined to bed. Residents who are not able to evacuate independently, require supervision during sleeping hours and are unable to follow instructions in an emergency may reside in a Type B assisted living facility. The facility must an adequate number of caregivers to check on residents throughout the night. It is not required that the caregiver on duty overnight be awake, only that there are sufficient number of employees in the building to assist residents during an emergency.

Facilities with a Type B License are not able to provide substantial assistance with the activities of daily living (assistance with dressing, bathing, movement, meals, etc.). The resident must be able to administer their own medication with only medication supervision provided by the caregivers. They must be physically and mentally able to evacuate the building in an emergency without assistance ans must be able to follow instructions in an emergency. DAD can require the resident to demonstrate the ability to meet the evacuation requirements. They must not require routine attendance during sleeping hours.

It's always wise to do a needs analysis before selecting an assisted living facility. It's important so that you can select the type of facility that will best meet the needs of the resident. You may find that Type A facilities have a lower fee, but you must consider what services are needed. If the resident's health is declining, you might be able to avoid a second move if you select a Type B facility right from the start. By planning for future as well as current needs, you may avoid having to relate the resident.




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1 comments:

Md. Abu Zafor Fagun Ahmad said...

Thank you. This one is a nice article.

Now I am informing you a lost cost assisted living service in texas. And that is highland assisted living.
This one offers assisted living for the mentally ill

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