El Paso Senior AdvisorWhich laws govern senior care facilities in El Paso?
Texas law governs them: Health and Safety Code chapter 247 and 26 TAC chapter 553 for assisted living, chapter 242 and 26 TAC chapter 554 for nursing facilities, chapter 142 and 26 TAC chapter 558 for home health, hospice and personal assistance agencies, and 26 TAC chapter 559 for adult day centers, with federal CMS requirements added for certified nursing homes.
Last verified: November 2026One agency, the Health and Human Services Commission's Long-Term Care Regulation division, licenses, inspects and penalizes all of them. The City of El Paso and El Paso County apply building and fire codes but do not license care settings.
What sets Texas's approach apart?
Texas sorts assisted living by evacuation ability into Type A and Type B licenses rather than by care level, treats memory care as a separate Alzheimer's certification on a Type B license, licenses even non-medical home care agencies, and publishes every assisted living inspection finding on its TULIP website.
Across El Paso and Hudspeth counties, that means 31 licensed assisted living facilities, 8 of them Alzheimer's-certified, and 22 nursing facilities.
Where do El Paso families report a problem?
Complaints about a licensed facility or agency go to HHSC Complaint and Incident Intake at 1-800-458-9858; abuse, neglect or exploitation of someone living at home goes to Adult Protective Services at 1-800-252-5400; and residents can get free advocacy from the long-term care ombudsman at the Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging, (915) 533-0998.
HHSC's intake line lists its hours in Central time, so in El Paso it answers from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Each guide below explains one part of the system in detail.
Texas Rules: every guide
How Texas licenses assisted living in El Paso: Type A, Type B and Type C
El Paso assisted living is licensed by Texas HHSC under Health and Safety Code chapter 247 and 26 TAC chapter 553 as Type A, Type B or legacy Type C, based on residents' ability to evacuate. What each type means for families.
Read the guide →How Texas regulates memory care: the Alzheimer's certification
El Paso memory care operates under HHSC's Alzheimer's certification for Type B assisted living facilities, with unit standards in 26 TAC 553.311. Which facilities hold it and what it requires.
Read the guide →Who a Texas assisted living facility may admit and keep
Texas admission and retention rules for El Paso assisted living: evacuation ability, Type A versus Type B residents, bedfast residents, hospice and home health inside assisted living, and discharge notices.
Read the guide →How nursing homes in El Paso are licensed and inspected
El Paso nursing facilities are licensed by Texas HHSC under Health and Safety Code chapter 242 and 26 TAC chapter 554 and certified by CMS for Medicare and Medicaid. How inspections, star ratings and penalties work.
Read the guide →How to check an El Paso facility's state record
How El Paso families can look up a Texas assisted living or nursing facility on HHSC's TULIP provider search, read inspection findings, Life Safety Code citations and administrative penalties, and what to ask afterward.
Read the guide →Where El Paso families report a problem
How to report a complaint about an El Paso assisted living facility, nursing home or home care agency to HHSC, abuse at home to Adult Protective Services, and how the long-term care ombudsman at the Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging helps.
Read the guide →How Texas licenses home care, home health and hospice agencies
El Paso home care agencies are licensed by Texas HHSC as home and community support services agencies under Health and Safety Code chapter 142 and 26 TAC chapter 558, in categories for home health, hospice and personal assistance services.
Read the guide →Side by side
| Texas's rules do | Texas's rules do not | |
|---|---|---|
| Assisted living | License by Type A, B or C based on evacuation ability | Set a fixed staff-to-resident ratio |
| Memory care | Require a separate Alzheimer's certification to advertise it | Create a separate memory care license |
| Inspections | Require an inspection at least every two years and post findings on TULIP | Give assisted living star ratings |
| Payment | Let STAR+PLUS pay assisted living services for eligible members | Pay assisted living room and board |
