10 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Sweetwater, TX

Sweetwater, Texas

Assisted Living

An assisted living community is a residential community which offers supervision, support, and care to self-sufficient individuals who do not need skilled nursing care. Assisted living communities commonly provide supervision of care, outings for social activity, and assistance with appointments and transportation. In certain situations, communities may provide “aging in place”, nursing care, or hospice. The state of Texas maintains specific regulations associated with this type of community. The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) licenses several types of assisted living communities regulates this type of community. Before a resident is accepted, they must go through a service plan screening to make sure their needs are going to be met. This screening includes a number of areas of interest such as interviews, and home visits, a comprehensive assessment , and must address the residents individual needs, preferences, and strengths. This community type has a number of provisions pertaining to medication assistance. These provisions include listing the medication taken on a resident’s medication profile record, reminders to take medications at the prescribed time, and supervision of a resident’s medication regimen. Staff must receive training in a number of areas. These areas include basic emergency first-aid, community resources, resident characteristics (including dementia), and resident and provider rights and responsibilities. There is a maximum occupancy of 4 residents per room. There must be one toilet for every 1 residents and one bath or shower for every 10 residents. This community has a number of provisions concerning food and diet which include menus must be prepared to provide a balanced and nutritious diet and such as that recommended by the national food and nutrition board, Therapeutic diets as ordered by the resident’s physician must be provided according to the service plan, The meals must be served daily, at regular times, with no more than a 16-hour span between a substantial evening meal and breakfast the following morning, and communities must provide at least three balanced and nutritious meals or the equivalent per day. Public assistance is available through Medicaid 1115 demonstration managed care waiver program–called STAR+PLUS. This type of community is required to offer a number of services. These include personal care, supervision or direct administration of medications, assistance with activities of daily living, and general supervision or oversight.

Demographics and Values

Racially, the population of Sweetwater is 0.9% Native American, 41.8% Hispanic, 0.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 2.2% mixed race, 5.4% other or not specified, 84.3% white, and 6.9% black. In terms of education, 8.6% have a college degree, 34.6% have a high-school diploma, and 2.1% have a graduate degree. Sweetwater has a population density of 368 people per square mile. The current population of Sweetwater consists of 9,940 people and in total the Sweetwater metro area has a population of 10,579. Out of the total city population, 49.4% are female and 50.6% are male. The median age of Sweetwater is 36 years old. In Sweetwater, 7.8% of the citizens are veterans of the United States military. In Sweetwater, 18.9% live in poverty, 18.0% do not have health insurance, 59.2% participate in the labor force, and 10.6% are widows.

Cost of Living

The total cost of care for a community is influenced by the destination in which it is located. The median monthly cost for rent in Sweetwater is $465 and the median price for a home for Sweetwater is $56,750. The rent burden for Sweetwater is about 12.9% of the average person’s monthly income.

State Information

An overview of Texas

Overall, Texas ranks 38th in quality of life and 37th in healthcare compared to other US states. The state of Texas has 468 hospitals and 501 health centers, providing care to a population of 28,701,845. Nix Health Care System, Grace Medical Center, and Houston Methodist Hospital are among the top three highest ranked hospitals in the state. Residents of Texas enjoy its natural beauty which ranks 40th in the United States. In terms of resources, Texas has a cost of living index of 91.3, a grocery index rating of 88.9, and a housing index rating of 85.3. These index ratings are based on a system where 100 is considered the national average and anything below 100 is considered less expensive than the national average.

Social demographics of the state

In Texas, 42% of the population attend some form of religious service and there are 27,848 different congregations. The top three non-Christian denominations in the state are Jewish-<1%, Muslim-<1%, and Buddhist-<1%, with the most common Christian denominations consisting of Evangelical Protestant-31%, Mainline Protestant-13%, and Historically Black Protestant-6%. In Texas there are 1,292 masonic lodges. The median age in the state is 35, and 24% of the population is over the age of 55. In the last presidential election 43% of Texas residents voted Democrat and 52% voted Republican. The state of Texas ranks 2nd in the country for diversity.

State-wide weather information

The average temperature in the winter falls to around 48F. During the winter, the average high temperature peaks at around 75F during the month of February. In the winter months, the average low temperature falls to around 16F during the month of January. During the summer, the average temperature in Texas is around 82F. Over the summer months the average high temperature peaks at around 102F during the month of June. In the summer, the average low temperature drops to around 56F during the month of June. The average humidity across the state is 65%. Humidity levels tend to reach their peak in the month of February at around 81%. On average, the state receives 31.68 inches of precipitation a month. The most precipitation occurs in June with an average of 7.44 inches of precipitation a month. On average, Texas has an air quality index rating of around 36.8 AQI. The highest seasonal air quality index rating occurs in the month of July with a rating of 51.4 AQI. While residents of Texas mostly enjoy pleasant conditions, it’s important to be aware of inclement weather as well, which in Texas can include tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods.

Wildlife to be found in Texas

The state of Texas has a diverse array of plant and animal life. Local plant life can consist of Whitebrush, Post Oak, Prickly Pear (Opuntia) Cactus, and Huisache. While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the White Tail Deer, the Alligators, the Manatees, or the Bats. The state animal of Texas is the Nine-banded Armadillo. Some of the plants species native to the Texas region include Mesquite, Perennial Bunchgrasses, and Live Oak.