10 Best Nursing Homes in Austin, TX

Most seniors and families use a mixture of private funds and public health insurance programs to pay for their nursing home or senior care. Depending on your senior loved one’s personal history and current situation, they may be eligible for some of the most common public support methods — VA benefits, Medicare, or Medicaid. In this section, you’ll find an overview of the private and public methods you may want to utilize for senior care in Austin.

In Texas, all senior care facilities — nursing home, assisted living, and memory care facilities — are licensed and regulated by Texas Health and Human Services (also known as HHS or HHSC). Facilities must be licensed before they start providing housing and care services to residents. Furthermore, if a nursing home or senior care facility wishes to accept Medicaid or Medicare, it must be certified by the HHS to do so.

Here’s a summarized list of licensing and certification requirements for Texas nursing homes and senior care facilities:

Resident admission processes

• Using a doctor’s order, skilled nursing facilities must craft a person-centered care plan for each resident. Care plans must account for each resident’s dietary, therapeutic, social, psychological, and daily care needs.
• In assisted living and memory care facilities, a similar procedure must be followed except they are not required to use a doctor’s order for care plans. They’ll usually use family’s guidance, which might include a physician’s recommendations. For memory care facilities, there must be a specialized admissions process in place to confirm a resident’s need for memory care services.

Management and staffing requirements

• Texas nursing homes and skilled nursing units are required to have licensed nurses, certified nursing assistants, nurse aids, and registered nurses on staff. All nursing facilities must also meet specific staff-to-resident ratios: one on-site nurse for every 20 residents at all times.
• Assisted living facilities must have an on-site, full-time manager to oversee the facility’s day-to-day operation. These managers are required to complete at least one 24-hour assisted living management course alongside their staff.
• Memory care facility managers and staff members must continually participate in specialized memory care training in order to remain a licensed memory care facility.

Safety and health standards

• A certified skilled nursing facility in Texas must meet design, construction, and equipment standards that support the health and safety of residents, staff, and visitors. Each nursing facility must have safety equipment and emergency procedures for accidents, fires, or power outages.
• Both assisted living and memory care facilities are required to have similar processes in place. Furthermore, memory care facilities must have measures in place to prevent residents from harming themselves or wandering. All facilities must also allow for safe access to fresh air and common areas for activities.
• Memory care facilities must designate an activities director to encourage socialization among residents. It’s required for the director to tailor activities based on each individual’s abilities. These directors are also responsible for arranging special equipment that enables all residents to participate in activities.

Senior care facility inspections

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission performs inspections on all skilled nursing, assisted living, and memory care facilities. These inspections take place approximately every two years and check for a facility’s compliance with Texas’ life safety code and health code.

The health code and life safety code require nursing homes and senior care facilities to regulate the following:

• Sufficient staff-to-resident ratios
• Employee background checks
• Management of the facility
• General construction of the facility
• Implementation of safety and emergency features
• Protection from hazardous areas
• Documentation of fire drills, system checks, etc.

You can access a licensed community’s most recent inspection report and general facility information through the Texas Health and Human Services’ Long-term Care Provider Search. You can also email rsltcr.recordsmgmt@hhsc.state.tx.us to request any information not found on the site.

Nursing home reviews

In an effort to continually enhance the quality of care provided in Texas nursing homes, the Health and Human Services Commission implemented a Quality Monitoring Program (or QMP) to monitor nursing facilities with a history of deficiencies. These QMPs are conducted by nurses, pharmacists, and dieticians that may recommend changes to policies or procedures, conduct staff trainings, offer technical assistance, and educate staff about evidence-based best practices during their visits to facilities.

Families can also visit the federal Medicare website to compare and contrast local nursing home ratings, staffing practices, and overall quality of Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes.

Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC or HHS) contact information

4601 W. Guadalupe St.
Austin, TX 78751
Phone: 512-424-6500
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

COVID-19 regulations for Austin nursing homes

There are currently no COVID-19 regulations specific to Austin nursing homes or senior care facilities. However, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission does require all facilities to set their own infection prevention and control measures to prevent the spread of common diseases and infections, including COVID-19. The measures may include guidance on the community’s hygiene practices, disinfection and sterilization techniques, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), safe injection methods, and physical distancing requirements.

Because communities set their own regulations, it’s best to check with your prospective community to see what measures are taken to protect residents against common infections and COVID-19. You can also visit the COVID-19 in Austin page on the city website to see regular updates regarding risk levels, testing, vaccinations, and more.

The city of Austin has taken many initiatives to become more aging-friendly for current and future seniors. One of the biggest initiatives includes enacting Age-Friendly Austin. This action plan addresses eight areas that influence the health and quality of life for local seniors:

• Civic participation and employment
• Communication and information
• Community support and health services
• Housing
• Outdoor spaces and buildings
• Respect and social inclusion
• Social participation
• Transportation options

Austin also offers a selection of robust skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities for seniors that require nursing services around the clock. And, for seniors who don’t require round-the-clock medical care, Austin offers many other senior care community options. In fact, seniors can find specialized communities for their unique care needs with options like assisted living and memory care.

Read on to see how our partner senior care facilities in Austin are accommodating seniors’ unique lifestyles and care needs.

On-site nursing services accommodate seniors’ medical needs

In Austin, 75% of our partner assisted living and memory care communities offer on-site nursing care services. These services include wellness checks where on-site licensed nurses can monitor vitals, monitor and administer medications, and help manage common health conditions inside the resident’s unit. This offers an additional safety net for seniors and families who want to avoid the stresses of relocation in the later stages of life when more medical attention may be required.

Additionally, a select few of our partner senior care communities offer a skilled nursing unit on-site. Skilled nursing units offer a range of 24/7 medical services, including but not limited to the following:

• Cardiac care
• Diabetes care
• Disease management
• Oxygen therapy
• Pain management
• Physical, occupational, and speech therapies
• Post-surgical care
• Rehabilitation
• Hospice

Multi-tiered levels of care to support various care needs

Austin senior care facilities are committed to helping seniors age gracefully in place. To do so, they offer multiple levels of care on-site — most often independent living, assisted living, and memory care. In fact, almost all of our partner senior care facilities in Austin offer at least two care types on the same campus, e.g., independent living and assisted living or assisted living and memory care. This multi-tiered approach minimizes the stress of moving for seniors, as residents are able to remain in the community even if their care needs increase. It also enables senior couples with different care needs to age together.

Seniors often enter a senior care facility at the lowest level of care — independent living. The purpose of independent living is not care, but to eliminate the stress of homeownership and to provide convenient services, such as restaurant-style dining, housekeeping, laundry, and transportation. Seniors in assisted living benefit from the same services but also receive personal care services, such as assistance with their activities of daily living and medication management. Memory care residents receive even more specialized assistance with dementia-specific care. This care type includes assisted living personal care services along with behavior management and specialized therapies to help manage common dementia symptoms in residents experiencing memory loss.

A range of amenities and activities for all mobility levels

Seniors and families often associate nursing homes and senior living communities with boredom and a lack of freedom. However, that’s far from the case at our partner communities. Austin nursing homes and senior care facilities offer a diverse range of amenities and activities to keep senior residents healthily engaged and active. Austin skilled nursing facilities offer a smaller range of activities due to limited mobility levels among most residents. You’ll find assisted living and memory care communities generally have more robust activity schedules.

Some of the most common activities in nursing home facilities can include the following:

• Arts and crafts classes
• Church services
• Cooking lessons
• Group games
• Ice cream socials
• Music nights with local musicians

Some of the most common activities in Austin assisted living and memory care communities include the following:

• Art and cooking classes
• Brain-stimulating activities and puzzles
• Devotional services
• Fitness classes (tai chi, strength training, chair yoga, water aerobics, etc.)
• Game nights (card games, board games, trivia, bingo, etc.)
• Group outings (museum trips, picnics at local parks, dining at local restaurants, etc.)
• Interest clubs (walking club, book club, etc.)
• Life-long learning classes and educational lectures
• Reminiscence activities (activities that enable dementia patients to recall cherished memories)
• Singing (choir groups, singalongs, karaoke, etc.)
• Happy hours and holiday parties
• Live music

Seniors are also free to use on-site amenities whenever they’d like. Some of the most common on-site amenities at our partner Austin senior care communities include the following:

• Arts and crafts centers
• Common areas and lounges
• Enclosed courtyards or secure walking paths
• Game rooms
• Gardens with raised garden beds
• Libraries and/or business centers
• Life skill stations (interactive replicas of familiar environments for dementia patients)
• Movie theaters
• On-site bars or pubs
• On-site bistros or cafes
• On-site fitness centers
• Swimming pools
• Therapeutic whirlpools

Health care for seniors in Austin

Austin offers a wealth of health care options for seniors and their families. There are several medical centers throughout the city. Check out this section for some information on Austin’s top-rated medical centers.

Transportation for seniors in Austin

While it’s not necessary for seniors in skilled nursing facilities to travel for care, more mobile seniors may benefit from on-site transportation services available at senior living communities. As a matter of fact, 85% of our partner assisted living and memory care facilities in Austin offer complimentary and/or at-cost transportation services to their residents.

Seniors without access to on-site transportation services may also utilize the city’s public transportation options designed just for seniors. The citywide public transportation system, CapMetro, offers buses, rail lines, shuttles, and more across Austin. CapMetro offers a Reduced Fare ID (RFID) Card specifically for seniors 65+ and individuals with disabilities. The card is available to purchase for $3 and offers half-priced fares to seniors.

Note: If using public transportation, seniors with immediate care needs should always be accompanied by a caregiver — whether that’s a community caregiver or a visiting loved one.

Seniors enrolled in Medicaid may also benefit from the statewide medical transportation program offered by Texas Health and Human Services. This program offers seniors rides to doctors’ appointments, pharmacies, hospitals, or any place that accepts Medicaid. If using this service, it’s still important that seniors with immediate care needs are accompanied by a caregiver, which may also be provided by Medicaid.