News

Kindred Hospice sponsored our Keynote Speaker, Laura Wayman.

Superior Healthplan sponsored our TORCH 2018 Conference.

Amerigroup sponsored our Keynote Speaker, Laura Wayman, for the TORCH 2018 Conference.

This beautiful infographic details how to create the perfect daily routine as a senior trying to stay in shape! As you grow older, it gets harder and harder to keep your body in working order, but this infographic makes it easier! From exercises to meals to hobbies, this infographic details all that you'll need to take great care of yourself as you grow older! It's also perfect for those who are filled with love as they care for their aging parents, grandparents, or other meaningful people in life! Take a look at this wonderful, interesting, and useful infographic to discover a few things about senior care you maybe never knew! All in all, this infographic will give you all of the ingredients needed to create an absolutely perfect senior daily routine for you, your loved one, or anybody in your life that may find some extra exercise, diet, and mindfulness advice!

Did you know that the TORCH website has a search functionality that allows viewers to search our database by selected features? These are "categories" that you can add to your listing.

Log into your account on the TORCH website to update your profile and ensure that your listing is being found!
Browse to your profile page, then select "Categories" in the "Website" section on the right side.

Register now for upcoming seminars by Jeanoyce Wilson of Assisted Living Regulatory References!

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.

Long Term Services Supports providers and other interested parties may view a previously recorded webinar, “Individual Emergency Preparedness Guidance to Support People with Disabilities”.
This webinar is captioned and includes information on community resources and recommendations for staying safe in an emergency, with a special emphasis on hurricane preparedness.
Together Against the Weather, a public service video, provides additional information for those with special needs to plan when a hurricane is coming.

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.

Whipping winds, torrential downpours, power outages and floods — hurricane season in the Atlantic brings a host of dramatic and dangerous weather with it.

But when exactly does the Atlantic hurricane season start and how long does it last? And what can people do to prepare in the face of the most dangerous storms on Earth?

Be aware that older adults are particularly susceptible to heat related injury and death. Heatstroke occurs 12 to 13 times more often in persons 65 years or older than it does in younger persons.
When transporting people from your facility to another location during hot weather, ...

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.

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.