10 Best Nursing Homes in Katy, TX

Most seniors and their families use a combination of private funds and public payment methods to cover their senior care costs in Katy. A senior’s options largely depend on their personal history and current financial situation. Some public programs to help offset costs may include VA benefits, Medicare, and/or Medicaid.

Below, you’ll find a summary of how you can use all three options to cover nursing home and senior care costs, along with some private pay options.

The state of Texas requires all senior care facilities — skilled nursing, assisted living, and memory care facilities — to be licensed and regulated by Texas Health and Human Services (otherwise known as HHS or HHSC). Facilities must acquire a license before they begin to provide housing and care services to residents. Additionally, nursing homes and senior care facilities must be certified by the HHSC to accept Medicaid or Medicare payments.

In this section, you’ll find a detailed summary of the licensing and certification requirements for Texas nursing homes and senior care facilities:

Resident admission processes

• Using a doctor’s order, skilled nursing facilities are required to develop a person-centered care plan for each resident. Care plans must account for each resident’s dietary, social, psychological, and other daily care needs.
• Assisted living and memory care facilities must follow a similar procedure for care plans, except they are not required to have a doctor’s order. Administrators often use family guidance, which may also include physician recommendations. For memory care facilities, a specialized admissions process must be 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. They must also meet specific staff-to-resident ratios, i.e., 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 must complete at least one 24-hour assisted living management course, while their staff is required to complete 16 hours of supervised, on-the-job training.
• Memory care facility managers and staff members must continually participate in specialized memory care training in order to remain a licensed memory care facility.

Health and safety 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. For example, each facility must have safety equipment and emergency procedures for accidents, fires, or power outages. All facilities must also allow for safe access to fresh air and common areas for activities.
• Assisted living and memory care facilities must follow similar health and safety standards as nursing facilities.
• Memory care facilities must take additional precautions to prevent residents from harming themselves or wandering. Memory care facilities are also required to designate an activities director to encourage socialization among residents. Activity directors must tailor activities based on each memory care resident’s specific abilities, and arrange for special equipment so all residents can participate in activities.

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

Nursing home quality monitoring in Texas

The Health and Human Services Commission implemented a Quality Monitoring Program (or QMP) to continually enhance the quality of care provided in Texas nursing homes. This program monitors nursing facilities with a history of deficiencies. QMP reviews are conducted by nurses, pharmacists, and dieticians. They 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.

To compare and contrast Katy nursing home ratings, staffing practices, and overall quality of Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes, families can visit the federal Medicare website.

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 nursing homes in Katy

There are currently no COVID-19 regulations specific to nursing homes or senior care facilities in Katy. However, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission does require all care facilities to set their own infection prevention and control measures. This is so facilities take accountability to prevent the spread of all common diseases and infections, including COVID-19.

A senior care or skilled nursing facility’s infection prevention and control measures may include guidelines on the following:

• Staff hygiene practices
• Disinfection and sterilization techniques
• Use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Safe injection methods
• Physical distancing requirements

Because facilities are allowed to set their own regulations, it’s best to check with your prospective community about what measures are in place to protect residents against common infections. You can also visit the COVID-19 informational page on the City of Katy website to access regular updates regarding local risk levels, testing, vaccinations, and more.

Katy is a popular retirement destination in Houston due to its care options and affordability.

A Place for Mom doesn’t partner with skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers. However, some of our senior care facilities offer robust nursing services. These services are reserved for current residents with common senior medical conditions. Seniors often need assistance with their activities of daily living as well as nursing services like medication administration.

Some senior care communities also have a skilled nursing unit on-site to prevent relocation in case a resident starts to need 24-hour medical supervision or intensive rehabilitation. In Katy, only a handful of our senior care partner communities have a skilled nursing unit. However, seniors still have access to a number of nursing care services at our Katy senior care facilities.

Learn about what assisted living and memory care facilities in Katy have to offer below.

Assisted living for seniors

Seniors who don’t require 24-hour medical supervision may benefit from the personalized care services available in Katy assisted living communities. These communities help seniors and their families cut care costs significantly. Senior care communities also enable seniors to receive personalized care within a social and engaging environment.

The following personal care services are typically found in Katy assisted living senior care communities:

• Assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs)
• Three meals per day and snacks
• Housekeeping and linen or laundry services
• Medication reminders
• Some transportation

Some senior care communities provide more advanced on-site nursing services common to the needs of their senior residents, for instance:

• Diabetic care
• Dental care
• Hospice or palliative care
• Medication management
• Podiatry
• Rehabilitative therapies (physical, occupational, and speech)
• Urinary or bowel incontinence management
• Vitals monitoring (body temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure, etc.)

To help ensure proper care and nursing, over 50% of our partner senior care communities in Katy have a medical director on-site. Most communities also have a medication care manager or visiting, licensed nurses to help ensure quality treatment.

Memory care for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia

Memory care facilities in Katy offer many of the same personal care services available in assisted living communities, with the addition of specialized care for memory loss. Amenities are often similar too, but layouts and design features may be adjusted for safety. The care at these memory care facilities is typically more personalized to accommodate the unique needs of people with dementia. Additional security measures also help to prevent wandering and aggression.

Licensed memory care facilities in Texas are required to maintain the following standards on-site or risk losing their license:

• Staff should personalize services and activities to residents to accommodate the unique needs that may come with a dementia diagnosis.
• Staff must undergo specialized training in dementia care. This helps ensure that all staff who interact with residents are trained to understand and properly manage common dementia behaviors and symptoms.
• Lifestyle programs at memory care facilities in Texas must include activities for a range of mobility and cognitive levels.
• Memory care communities should host similar activities and events as assisted living communities.

Oftentimes, communities implement therapeutic, memory care programs and activities to enable residents to reminisce, cherish past memories, and create new, meaningful memories. Memory care communities might focus more on musical events, movie nights, brain-stimulating games, and other activities that support well-being as well as brain health.

Health care for seniors in Katy

Katy offers many robust health care options. The city often ranks high on retirement lists due to its health care offerings. The city itself doesn’t have many hospitals, because Houston tends to house most of them, but Katy does have many recognized clinics. Residents also have a few hospitals in the area, which you can learn about in this section.

Transportation for seniors in Katy

To help seniors get around Katy safely, nearly 90% of our partnering senior care facilities in Katy offer at-cost and/or complimentary transportation services. Some communities limit rides to medical appointments and essential errands, while others offer personal rides as well.

Communities that don’t offer their own transportation service may offer concierge services to connect riders to reliable ride programs in the area.

For instance, senior Medicaid recipients have access to the medical transportation program provided by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHS). Houston’s METRO also offers some buses and rail lines in Katy. Seniors 65+ can apply for discounted METRO fare cards. Seniors between 65 and 69 get a discounted rate, while seniors 70+ can ride for free. METRO also offers discounts for individuals with disabilities and free rides for qualifying veterans.

If your senior loved one is disabled and must use an external transportation service, it’s a good idea to make sure a caregiver can supervise to ensure their safe arrival and return.