McAllen Senior AdvisorWhat situations usually start a senior care search in the Valley?
Most searches start with a hospital discharge, a fall or small warning signs in a parent who lives alone, dementia that begins to include wandering, an exhausted family caregiver, a winter resident who falls ill far from home, care that crosses the border, or savings that are running low.
Each guide below explains the first decisions, the local agencies that help, and the Texas rules that apply.
What if more than one situation applies?
Start with whichever is most urgent for safety, usually a hospital discharge or wandering, and come back to the money and planning questions once your parent is safe.
A local advisor can help sort the order of steps at no cost to your family, in English or Spanish.
Who in the Valley can help in the first days?
A hospital case manager handles discharge planning, the Area Agency on Aging of the Lower Rio Grande Valley ((956) 682-3481) offers information, case management and a post-discharge health coach for people 60 and older, and a STAR+PLUS service coordinator arranges Medicaid-funded help for members.
For anything urgent involving safety, call 911 first. For suspected abuse or neglect, call HHSC at 1-800-458-9858 if a licensed provider is involved, or Adult Protective Services at 1-800-252-5400 if the person lives at home.
Situations: every guide
When a parent is leaving a Valley hospital
Hospital discharge in McAllen, Edinburg, Mission and Weslaco: rehab vs home, Medicare's three-day rule, choosing a nursing home, home health, and the Area Agency on Aging's transition coach.
Read the guide →When a parent living alone starts to struggle
Warning signs and first steps when a parent living alone in McAllen or Hidalgo County needs help: attendants, adult day centers, meals, medical alerts and when to consider a move.
Read the guide →When dementia starts to include wandering
What to do when a parent with dementia in McAllen or Hidalgo County starts wandering: immediate safety steps, adult day centers, certified Alzheimer's units and nursing home options.
Read the guide →When the family caregiver needs a break
Respite and caregiver support for McAllen and Hidalgo County families: adult day centers, respite through STAR+PLUS and the Area Agency on Aging, attendants, and signs of burnout.
Read the guide →When a winter resident needs care in the Valley
For Winter Texans and seasonal Valley residents who need care: Medicare and Medicare Advantage networks, home-state Medicaid, hospital discharge far from home, and getting back north.
Read the guide →When family lives on both sides of the border
For McAllen-area families caring for a parent with ties on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border: Medicare and care in Mexico, Texas Medicaid residency rules, documents and planning.
Read the guide →When the money for care is running low
What McAllen families can do when savings for senior care are running out: Texas Medicaid and STAR+PLUS, nursing homes that take Medicaid, VA pension, and free benefits counseling.
Read the guide →