News

On Tuesday, April 16th, members of TORCH’s legislative committee and other interested members met in Austin at the Capitol to provide testimony and to register in favor of HB 3611 and to register our dissent of HB 1922.

HHSC is currently offering a webinar to explain scope and severity for providers impacted by House Bill 2025, 85th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2017. The training is designed specifically for providers for whom scope and severity is new to the survey process.

Too often, we’re told aging must be a time of diminished expectations, contribution, and exploration. We vigorously disagree.

A one day workshop will be hosted focusing on emergency preparedness under revised CMS rules. There will be hands-on workshops for emergency notifications and bed reporting, plan reviews, and more. Interested? Want to know more? Click here.

Acts Retirement-Life Communities is conducting a study in its communities which will track changes in the residents' brain health habits. This is set to last two years, and the results may serve as a blueprint for brain health maintenance in seniors.

The Texas Organization of Residential Care Homes invites you to submit a speaker proposal for our 2019 Education Conference and Trade Show to be held October 3-5 at the Renaissance Dallas Richardson hotel in Richardson, TX. The educational program for the conference is being designed to ensure the attendees leave each session equipped with effective strategies to achieve operational excellence in assisted living.

The Lubbock Chapter of TORCH was honored by Lubbock Adult Protective Services in March.

Registration is live for the TORCH 2019 Conference, to be held in North Texas. Register today!

The Licensing Standards for Assisted Living Facilities Handbook, 40 TAC Chapter 92, is no longer updated by HHS and has been removed. Go to the Secretary of State’s website to request 40 TAC Chapter 92 via email. Refer to Provider Letter PL19-02 for additional information and to complete the steps to request the rules.

We are pleased to offer a Startup Bootcamp for new ALF owners and managers, and for those who want a refresher on the basics of running an assisted living facility.

A summary of bills filed in the Texas Legislature

Pursuant to the new rules adopted by the HHSC, which became effective April 5, 2018, a new Resident's Bill of Rights has been released. Each assisted living facility must post the Resident's Bill of Rights, as provided by the department, in a prominent place in the facility and written in the primary language of each resident. A copy of the Resident's Bill of Rights must be given to each resident.

Older men and women who eat a healthy diet tend to have larger brains, which may help to protect against dementia. Those are the findings of a new study from the Netherlands that found that, using a very large cohort of individuals, a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, dairy and fish and low in sugary beverages were associated with larger brain volumes.

Falls are common in older men and women, and can lead to prolonged hospital stays and serious medical complications. Falls are a particular problem in those with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, an opportunity to support the millions of older adults who suffer abuse and exploitation each year. Learn the signs of abuse, and what you can do to protect seniors.

Researchers have found a way to use EHRs, or Electronic Health Records, to help identify associations between genetics and mental disorders. This is opening an enormous source of data for researchers who are diving in to researching mental illness compared to using traditional diagnostics. Read more here!

The Texas Organization of Residential Care Homes is thrilled to announce that the board has hired John Darby as the new Executive Director.

New analysis explores the ethics of ‘granny cams’ in nursing homes, urges further research before expansion

A recent and promising advancement in memory care has been the rise of "small home communities". These provide a more person-centered care model reducing agitation, aggression, and other dementia-related behaviors. Read more here!

Kai Hsiao, CEO of Eclipse Senior Living in Portland, Oregon, is mixing his senior living career with former experience in hospitality to attract an "untapped consumer base" through the multi-brand strategy. Read more here!

It is with immense sadness that we share with you the news of Pat Mack's passing.

The era of single senior housing community operators is "going the way of the dodo and the dinosaur", as said by Chuck Sudo for Senior Housing News. Read more.

Silverado hosted a belated celebration on October 10th for its new hospice in the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines, Illinois. Read more here!

Berry College, located in Rome, Georgia, announced plans earlier this month for The Spires at Berry College, a $130 million development featuring 170 apartment homes, cottages, an amenities package, and a full suite of healthcare services. Read more here!

Over the next decade, the "Baby Boomers" will enter into senior living facilities. To bring them in, these facilities will have to give them purpose. Read more

It could be that they don't want to be burdens to their children. It could also be that they're placing faith in future innovation. Whatever the reason, a recent survey shows that older adults prefer assisted living over moving in with family. Read more here!

Senior housing is considered one of the best bets for real estate investment and development as we look to 2019. Read more here!

EMResource allows communities to register their occupancy and provides a mechanism for determining availability for evacuating communities.

The HHSC has recently released a web-based training that meets the requirement for facility managers' annual training on aging in place and retaliation. The ALF rule is found at Texas Administrative Code, Title 40, Part 1, §92.41(f)(6).

Would you like to participate in a pilot program of the Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Electronic Authorization program? Find out more...

Three of the country’s best-known business leaders have turned to Dr. Atul Gawande, a Boston surgeon and best-selling author, to head their new company aimed at reinventing how health care is delivered.

The June 22, 2018 issue of the Texas Register includes several proposed rule changes, some of which affect Assisted Living Facilities.

In the coming months, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission will introduce TULIP, an online system for submitting long-term care licensure applications.