A new law in Texas requires memory care providers to make a new disclosure, but it won’t mean big changes for the sector, according to a senior living association expert.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott last week signed Senate Bill 383 after it was approved by legislators. The new law requires assisted living communities and nursing homes that advertise memory care services to share a disclosure with consumers stating whether the community or facility meets state standards for providing care for people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
Realistically, however, the law won’t change anything for assisted living operators, Texas Assisted Living Association President and CEO Diana Martinez told McKnight’s Senior Living. Current disclosure forms already require assisted living providers to indicate whether they meet state standards and provide personal care services for residents with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, she said.
“We think that is a request for the consumer that will start a dialogue on what exactly that is and how does that relate to my loved one,” Martinez said. “That is a discussion point at that time that needs to take place.
“Residents know when they are coming in whether the community is Alzheimer’s-certified or not, what that means and have the discussion around that,” she said.
