How Texas certifies memory care in assisted living

Does Texas require a special license for memory care?

Texas requires an Alzheimer's certification rather than a separate license: under 26 TAC 553.27, any assisted living facility, or distinct unit inside one, that advertises or promotes specialized care for people with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders must be certified by HHSC.

• A facility, or a distinct unit inside one, that advertises or promotes specialized care for people with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders must hold HHSC's Alzheimer's certification
• Only a building licensed as Type B can be certified
• HHSC certifies only after the physical plant passes a Life Safety Code inspection and an on-site health inspection observes care given to at least one resident of the unit
• Certification is not required to advertise medication reminders, meal and activity reminders, escort service, or help with short-term memory loss, confusion or forgetfulness

The certificate has its own number and its own expiration date, and HHSC's directory shows the certified capacity separately from the building's total capacity. That makes the directory the quickest way to tell a certified unit from a sales phrase.

Which McAllen-area assisted living facilities are Alzheimer's certified?

In Hidalgo County, 4 licensed assisted living facilities hold HHSC Alzheimer's certification, for 132 places in all, in Edinburg, Mission, Pharr.

HHSC's directory lists these certified buildings: The Bridges at Mission in Mission (61 certified of 61 licensed places); The Gardens at Brook Ridge in Pharr (30 certified of 65 licensed places); Avalon Memory Care - Edinburg in Edinburg (25 certified of 25 licensed places); Assisted Living Partnership I in Edinburg (16 certified of 16 licensed places). Some of these are certified throughout, meaning every licensed place is in the certified unit; others certify one wing or building on a larger campus. See the memory care roster for each one, with license dates and its nursing home counterparts.

What does HHSC check before certifying an Alzheimer's unit?

HHSC certifies a unit only after the physical plant passes a Life Safety Code inspection and an on-site health inspection in which surveyors observe the care given to at least one resident admitted to the unit.

That sequence matters for a new building. A unit that has just opened may be licensed as Type B before its certification is granted, and until then it may not market specialized Alzheimer's care. Ask a new building for the certificate number and its date, then check it in HHSC's directory. Certified units must also meet added standards for staff training in dementia care, activities planned for residents with cognitive loss, and a physical space designed for safety, including controlled exits.

Can a McAllen assisted living facility without certification care for someone with dementia?

Yes, within limits: Texas does not require certification for a building that only helps with medication reminders, meal and activity reminders, escort service, or short-term memory loss, confusion or forgetfulness, so many uncertified buildings serve residents in the early stages.

The line is advertising specialized Alzheimer's care, and the practical limit is safety. When a resident starts trying to leave, cannot be redirected, or can no longer follow directions in a fire drill, an uncertified Type A building in particular cannot keep them. Families who expect dementia to progress often choose a certified building from the start to avoid a second move.

What about nursing homes and dementia in Hidalgo County?

Texas nursing facilities can report Alzheimer's beds in HHSC's directory, and in Hidalgo County one does: the Alfredo Gonzalez Texas State Veterans Home in McAllen lists 60 Alzheimer's beds within its 160-bed license, for eligible veterans and spouses.

Other Valley nursing homes care for many residents with dementia without a separate reported unit. When dementia comes with medical needs that assisted living cannot meet, such as frequent falls with injury, wounds, or a feeding tube, a nursing home is usually the right setting. Each nursing home page shows the home's CMS ratings and inspection record.