10 Best Nursing Homes in Dallas, TX

There are numerous ways to pay for nursing home and senior living care. Many families use a combination of private and public sources to cover their loved one’s senior care costs. Here, you’ll find information and resources to help you understand how to pay for nursing homes and senior living facilities in Dallas, Texas.

When searching for a suitable senior care facility, families should prioritize their loved one’s safety. All Texas senior care facilities, including nursing homes, must be licensed and regulated by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (also known as the HHSC) before they provide housing and care to residents. If a nursing facility wishes to accept Medicaid or Medicare, they must be certified by Texas Health and Human Services to do so. Here is a look at some HHSC certification requirements of care facilities in Texas:

Evaluation of residents upon admission

• The skilled nursing facility will develop a person-centered care plan for each resident that will take into account a doctor’s order and the patient’s dietary, therapeutic, social, psychological and daily care needs.

• In memory care-specific assisted living communities, residents have a more specialized admissions process to identify the patient’s need for memory care services. Unlike in nursing homes, care plans in assisted living do not require a doctor’s order to complete the care plan for a resident.

Regulation of management and staffing

• Caregivers in Texas nursing home facilities or skilled nursing units must include licensed nurses, certified nursing assistants and nurse aides, and registered nurses. All nursing units must meet specific staff-to-resident ratios: one nurse for every 20 residents must be on site at any given time.
• Assisted living facilities require a full-time manager to oversee the facility’s day-to-day operation. Facility managers are required to complete at least one 24-hour assisted living management training course. Caregiving staff are also required to complete training courses.
• For memory care facilities, managers and their staff must meet ongoing and supervised memory care training and specialization requirements in order to remain licensed as a memory care facility.

Building a safe and healthy environment

• A state-certified skilled nursing facility’s design, construction, and equipment must support the health and safety of residents, staff members, and visitors. Each facility must have safety equipment and emergency plans in place in case of accidents, fires, or power outages.

• Assisted living and memory care facilities require similar provisions and procedures. Memory care units or facilities must have additional measures in place to prevent residents from harming themselves or wandering. All facilities must allow for safe access to fresh air and common areas for activities.
• Memory care-specific units are required to encourage socialization. An activities director should assess each resident affected by dementia and plan tailored, person-centered activities just for them. The activities director must also arrange for special equipment that would enable all residents to participant in activities.

Inspections and nursing home reviews

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission, also known as the HHSC, inspects all nursing homes, assisted living facilities, memory care facilities, and group/care homes for the certification criteria, as well as their compliance with the Texas health code and life safety code. Each facility is inspected approximately every two years.

The health code inspections include a survey of the following in a facility:

• Appropriate supervision levels for residents
• Employee background checks
• Facility management
• Any items that could affect residents’ health

The safety code inspections include a survey of the following in a facility:

• General construction
• Safety and emergency features
• Protection from hazardous areas
• Documentation of fire drills, system checks, etc.

The public has access to each licensed community’s most recent inspection report and general facility information through the Texas Health and Human Services Division’s Long-term Care Provider Search. You can also request any additional information by emailing RSLTCR.RecordsMgmt@hhsc.state.tx.us.

To continually enhance the quality of care in nursing homes, the state of Texas regularly performs a Nursing Facility Quality Review — a statewide survey given to the residents at Medicaid-certified nursing facilities. This survey assesses residents’ satisfaction with quality of care and quality of life at the facility. The most recent published report was conducted in 2015.

To further compare and contrast ratings, staffing practices, and overall quality of Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes, visit the federal Medicare website and look up facilities by name or location.

Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) 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 Dallas, Texas, senior care facilities

Dallas, Texas, senior care facilities are required to develop their own policies and procedures regarding masks, social distancing, and additional protocols for personal protective equipment (PPE). Visitors are allowed on site at these facilities. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (also known as the HHSC) provides two COVID-19 response plans:

• Assisted living COVID-19 response plan
• Nursing facility COVID-19 response plan

Dallas nursing home facilities are required to meet the following standards, among others:

• Have an Infection Prevention and Control Program.
• Screen visitors and staff for a positive COVID-19 test result and symptoms.
• Evaluate staff members for COVID-related work leave.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission also regularly provides updated COVID-19 FAQs to help facilities stay up to date with current safety practices.

Dallas’ 65+ population has grown by more than 30% in the last 10 years. This growth reflects the state’s rising senior population, which is projected to more than double by 2050. To support the growing population, Texas passed an executive order and developed Aging Texas Well — a strategic guide to help state agencies develop better resources to support the needs and different lifestyles of Texas seniors. As part of this strategy, Dallas has grown to have a dynamic senior living market with the following features.

Several care types under one roof

Dallas offers many senior care facilities that provide multiple care options all on the same campus. Some are even licensed as continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), though communities do not need this license to have multiple care levels on site. Many multi-care facilities separate their units by independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing or rehabilitation care types. This multi-care layout promotes an “aging-in-place” philosophy, so residents won’t need to move if their care needs ever change. It also enables couples with different needs to reside in the same community indefinitely.

Lifestyle programming suitable for all residents

Many senior living facilities in Dallas, Texas, provide an extensive list of activities and amenities built for both active and laidback lifestyles. More active seniors can utilize amenities like fitness centers, pools, and walking paths, while seniors with limited mobility can relax in gardens and enjoy serene water features, find good reads in the libraries, or get creative in arts and crafts centers.

Residents can also take advantage of a community’s activities calendar, which can include happy hours, game nights, movie nights, holiday celebrations, devotional services, and more. Plus, off-site trips keep things interesting, as several communities plan visits to parks, golf courses, and other off-site destinations based on residents’ interests and mobility levels.

Small and big community options

Choosing a suitable senior care facility will largely depend on the senior’s personality, care needs, and financial situation. However, the Dallas, Texas, area allows seniors to be as choosy as they’d like due to the range of market options available. Dallas seniors can choose from an array of community types — luxury living communities, cozy group homes, person-centered memory care, expansive CCRCs, and everything in between. Depending on the community, seniors can even customize their service plans to help ensure they stay within their financial means and don’t pay for services or amenities they don’t need.

Senior living in the surrounding Dallas suburbs

Many Dallas seniors want to remain near the city without having to deal with the city’s daily hustle and bustle. Luckily, Dallas offers many senior living options in surrounding cities. South Dallas nursing homes and other senior care options can be found in Lancaster and Red Oak. Other popular suburbs include Plano, Mesquite, and Richardson.

Health care for seniors in Dallas, Texas

The city of Dallas has several hospital systems, including some of the most highly rated and nationally recognized hospitals in the country.

Transportation for seniors in Dallas, Texas

Public transportation isn’t the most practical way for seniors in nursing, assisted living, and memory care facilities to get around. That is why several senior care facilities offer on-site transportation options. Assisted living communities and care homes often provide their residents rides for medical appointments, errands, and off-site activities.

Seniors are also free to use the local DART Rides rider assistance program that’s available through the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (also known as DART). It’s specifically for elderly and disabled Dallas residents. DART riders must first enroll and meet specific requirements to ride.