Key Takeaways on Assisted Living in Texas
- The median monthly cost of assisted living in Texas is $3,998. In comparison, the national median monthly cost of assisted living is $4,500.
- Texas has 2236 assisted living communities.
- You can visit your local Area Agency on Aging to learn more about Assisted Living in Texas.
Texas is seeing a continuous increase in the number of older adults living there. Retirees who want to have their independence while still receiving some help with everyday tasks and managing their medicine have plenty of appealing housing choices.
What is Assisted Living?
In assisted living, older adults receive personal care based on their needs. Benefits may include communal meals, a social activities calendar, and help with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as getting dressed and maintaining personal hygiene.
Assisted living communities are for older adults who need some help with daily activities but still want to live in a home-like environment with their own things. Some people move to assisted living after living at home or in a place where they had more independence. Assisted living facilities usually offer help with medicine, social activities, cleaning, meals, laundry, and rides to different places. These facilities are made for older adults to live comfortably in a home setting.
The assisted living facilities in Texas can suit many preferences, with some offering multi-acred campuses and others consisting of a single building with apartments and communal spaces. The goal of assisted living is to provide a sense of community and a degree of independence while ensuring all residents receive the care they need.
Assisted Living in Texas: The Big Picture
The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) reports that Texas has 2236 assisted living communities. In Texas, the median monthly cost of assisted living is $3,998, while the national average is $4,500.
According to the NCAL, 51 percent of assisted living facility residents in Texas are over the age of 85, with 8 percent relying on Medicaid for long-term care. 43 percent of assisted living residents in Texas are living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.
What Services Are Provided in Assisted Living?
Assisted living facilities often offer services like helping with medication, keeping the place clean, doing laundry, providing three meals a day, organizing activities, and assisting with some daily tasks. However, the level of care provided may differ depending on the state’s regulations. Read about the scope of care for assisted living facilities in your state in the National Center for Assisted Living State Regulatory Review.
Assisted Living Scope of Care in Texas
Because assisted living is regulated at the state level, the scope of care will vary depending on where you live. The primary factors that vary from state to state are minimum staffing requirements and background checks for staff members.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Does Texas have a minimum staffing requirement for assisted living facilities? | no |
| Does Texas require an administrator to be onsite 24 hours per day? | no |
| Does Texas require state and federal background checks for all staff members? | no |
The Cost of Assisted Living in Texas
According to Genworth, the median monthly cost of assisted living in Texas is $3,998. In comparison, the national median monthly cost of assisted living is $4,500. Still, that median monthly cost varies depending on your location within Texas.
The cost of assisted living often reflects a state’s overall cost of living. In Texas, the cost of living index is 93%. The process of figuring out the cost of living index starts with finding the average cost of living in the United States, which is used as a baseline. The baseline for the US is set at 100. After that, the cost of living in each state is compared to the national average. So, if a state has a cost of living index of 150, it means it’s 50% more expensive than the national average. Similarly, if a state has a cost of living index of 50, it means it’s half as expensive as the national average.
How to Pay for Assisted Living in Texas
When older adults move to an assisted living facility, they may feel a bit overwhelmed and concerned about how they will afford it. However, there are different ways to cover the costs of assisted living. Many residents usually use a combination of different resources.
Common ways to pay for assisted living in Texas include:
- Personal savings: This may include Social Security benefits, pension payments, stocks, and 401(k) or IRA accounts.
- Reimbursement from long-term care insurance: Know the details of your policy. Many have an initial 90-day out-of-pocket period. If the 90 days begin when you start assisted living, you could face thousands of dollars in non-reimbursable expenses.
- Home equity: This may include proceeds from the sale of your home or a reverse mortgage plan. Always consult a trusted financial advisor before deciding how to structure your assets.
- Veterans benefits: Check with the Department of Veterans Affairs or use BenefitsCheckUp to discover your options.
- Medicaid benefits: For Medicaid-eligible older adults, Medicaid can help cover the cost of care received in assisted living. In combination with a state-level Medicaid waiver, Medicaid dollars can also help cover the room and board costs of assisted living.
Will Medicare Pay for Assisted Living in Texas?
Medicare will not pay for any form of long-term care, whether the care is received at home or in a facility. Because the federal government regulates Medicare, this is true in every state, including Texas.
Here are the goods and services often covered by Medicare for assisted living residents:
- The cost of physician-ordered physical, occupational, and speech therapy, which residents can often receive onsite in assisted living settings
- Up to 100 days of care in a skilled nursing facility
- Durable medical equipment (DME) such as bedside commodes and shower stools
- Outpatient health care services and some prescription drug costs
Will Medicaid Pay for Assisted Living in Texas?
Medicaid is regulated by federal and state governments, meaning its coverage will vary widely from state to state. In most cases, Medicaid will cover the cost of personal and medical care received within assisted living, but it will not pay for room and board. In combination with a state-based Medicaid waiver, Medicaid dollars can help cover the total cost of assisted living.
Texas STAR+PLUS Waiver
A Texas Medicaid managed care program for adults who have disabilities or are age 65 or older. Adults in STAR+PLUS get Medicaid health-care and long-term services and supports through a health plan that they choose.
| Coverage Type | Included |
|---|---|
| Home Care | yes |
| Memory Care | no |
| Community-Based Care | no |
| Assisted Living | yes |
Resident Resources for Assisted Living in Texas?
Several resources are available in Texas to help support assisted living residents.
- The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. They help residents get quality care, assist in resolving conflicts, and prevent and address elder abuse. Find the LTCOP in Texas.
- An area agency on aging (AAA) is an organization designated by the state to address the needs and concerns of older persons at the regional and local levels. Area agency on aging is an umbrella term for this kind of organization, and specific names of local AAAs may vary. An AAA can provide information on health services, community engagement, and long-term care options. Find the AAA closest to your Texas location using the Eldercare Locator.
- Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits: Veterans and their families are eligible for federal benefits covering health care, life insurance, housing assistance, and pension payments. To maximize your benefits, ensure you receive the federal VA benefits you qualify for before checking with Texas Department of Veterans Affairs. Additionally, veterans are also eligible for services at the state level, such as State Veterans Homes, which offer full-time skilled nursing care.
Assisted Living vs. Other Types of Care in Texas
Assisted living facilities give residents help, fun activities, and care while still allowing them to be independent. However, not every older adult will find them the best choice, despite all the good things they offer. Fortunately, Texas offers various options for senior living, with distinctive differences to accommodate residents’ needs. Each senior care option comes with different levels of care and associated costs.
The five main senior living options available in Texas are:
1. Independent Living
Independent living facilities offer a community where you can live without having to do yard work, housekeeping, or cooking. These communities also provide social groups, games, exercise classes, outings, and other activities. All-inclusive fees for independent living in Texas vary widely based on the facility’s style and size, the types of amenities included, and the specific area’s cost of living.
Older adults needing personal care or help with ADLs while staying in an independent living community can receive that care through third-party service providers.
2. Assisted Living
Assisted living communities offer housekeeping, three communal meals per day, onsite activities, and daily help with ADLs and medication. The average monthly cost for assisted living in Texas is $3,998, and additional fees for personal care services could increase that fee. In comparison, the national average median monthly cost for assisted living is $4,500.
3. Nursing Homes
All of the services available in assisted living are also available in a nursing home, with the addition of skilled nursing care provided by RNs. In Texas, the average monthly cost for nursing home care in a private room is $7,092, while the average monthly cost for a shared room is $5,125. Nationally, the cost of nursing home care in a private room averages $9,034 per month, while sharing a room drops the national monthly average to $7,908.
4. Memory Care
Also called special care units, memory care can be found in assisted living facilities and nursing homes. The average monthly cost for memory care varies by facility. Our research found that, in Texas, the cost falls somewhere between the cost of assisted living care and nursing care, depending on individual needs.
5. Aging in Place
Staying at home with the help of in-home care is also an option worth considering, especially if you can’t find a residential facility that meets your or a loved one’s needs. Usually, Medicaid will cover in-home care services more readily than it covers the cost of an assisted living facility.
In-home care includes:
- Personal companions, or homemakers, provide companionship, light housekeeping, some meal preparation, and help with errands. In Texas, the median monthly costs of homemaker services for 44 hours a week is $4,576. Nationally, the average monthly cost is $4,957.
- Home health aides assist you or a loved one with ADLs such as bathing and dressing. They will also help with housekeeping and meal preparation. Hiring a home health aide in Texas for 44 hours a week will cost, on average $4,576 a month. The national average monthly cost of 44 hours a week of home health aide care is $5,148.
- A registered nurse (RN) can come to your home to provide medical care. This is important for people who want to stay at home as they get older but need help with things like wound care or chronic illnesses such as diabetes. The cost of in-home nursing services can be different depending on where you live and how many hours of care you need.
- Adult day centers provide social activities for older adults during the day while also offering caregivers a break from caregiver responsibilities. The median monthly cost for adult day health care in Texas is $769. Comparatively, the national average monthly cost for adult day centers is $1,690.