Nursing Homes near Waco, TX

Nursing Homes in Waco, TX

There are now more seniors living in the United States than at any other time in our history. This is due to breakthroughs in medical technology allowing people to live longer than ever before. Also, the massive baby boomer generation is aging at a rate of 10,000 celebrating their birthday every day. With so many older adults living in this country, there is a growing demand for senior care. Fortunately, there are dozens of Waco skilled nursing facilities to meet the need.

What Are Skilled Nursing Facilities?

Nursing homes in Waco, Texas, also referred to as skilled nursing facilities, provide golden agers with nursing care at all hours of the night and day. Gone are the days of the stereotypical "old folks' home" with bored retired people playing cards and watching TV day in and day out. Nowadays, there are a broad range of special events and social activities along with important rehabilitative and daily care services.

Before returning home after a hospital stay, seniors can regain their skills and recover in skilled nursing facilities in Waco, TX. In addition, they can get speech and occupational therapy after a stroke as well as physical therapy after surgery. This is the ideal long-term care alternative for older adults with Alzheimer's disease or other chronic conditions that require around the clock monitoring.

What Services Are Available in Waco Skilled Nursing Facilities?

Nursing homes in Waco, TX provide the highest level of care outside of medical centers. Some of the services they offer are coordination of care with patients' doctors and staff, meal preparation and dietary counseling, security to make sure that residents do not wander off unsupervised, toileting and incontinence care, and help with managing medications. Additionally, they get assistance with tasks of day to day life, such as bathing, dressing, cleaning, and more.

How Expensive Are Nursing Homes?

There are a range of factors that play a role in determining the price of Waco nursing homes, such as where you live and the cost of living there, what kind of care you need, and how long your stay will be. For example, specialized dementia care in a skilled nursing facility in the city center will cost more than general retirement home care in Mart, TX or other small cities. Medicare, Medicaid, private health insurance, and long term care coverage can help with the expenses. Plus, veterans can often get financial aid from the Veterans Administration.

What Makes Waco Great?

Thomas M. Duke was the first European to explore the area that would become Waco. The city is named after the Wichita Native American group that originally inhabited the area. They were known as the Waco, or Hueco in Spanish. Located halfway between Austin and Dallas along the Brazos River, today, Waco has a population of 124,805 as of the 2010 census, a ten percent increase from 2000.

There are several attractions throughout Waco to which nursing homes often take day trips. Cameron Park Zoo is a 52 acre zoo next to the river with more than 1,700 animals representing 300 species from across the globe. Hawaiian Falls Waterpark is a faith based waterpark in Waco. There are several rides, including an 800 foot long lazy river, as well as shopping and dining opportunities.

What Do Golden Agers Like about Waco?

Waco has a large proportion of younger families. However, there are still plenty of retired people. Seniors are attracted to the beautiful climate. In the summer, the average highs are in the mid-90s. In the winter, snow is rare, and the average lows at night are in the mid-30s. The taxes are low in Texas, and the cost of living in Waco is among the lowest in the country. Residents spend 21 percent less for goods and services than the national average. In fact, housing, groceries, health care, utilities, and other miscellaneous expenses are all cheaper here.

There are two main general medical and surgical facilities in Waco: Providence Health Center and Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center. Providence is the bigger of the two with 647 licensed beds and over 270 doctors on staff.

The Area Agency on Aging of the Heart of Texas helps keep Waco residents 60 and over healthy, active, and engaged by providing a wide range of services, programs, and resources. With the idyllic climate, the low cost of living and taxes, and the many attractions, it has never been a better time for golden agers to consider Waco for skilled nursing.