Texas Assisted Living: Type A, Type B, Small and Large Facilities
How the Texas Health and Human Services Commission classifies assisted living facilities, and why the type matters when you choose one.
In Texas, assisted living is a licensed business. The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) issues the license, writes the rules and sends inspectors. A license is the baseline: if a place houses older adults, provides meals and help with daily activities and is not licensed, that is a red flag worth reporting. But not every licensed facility is built for every resident. HHSC sorts facilities by two things that matter to families: the type (A or B) and the size (small or large).
Type A and Type B
HHSC describes a Type A facility as one that cares for residents who do not require routine attendance during sleeping hours and are capable of following directions in an emergency. A Type B facility is for residents who require staff assistance to leave the facility, are not capable of following directions in an emergency, and require nighttime attendance. These definitions come from the HHSC assisted living facility page and the licensing rules in Title 26, Chapter 553 of the Texas Administrative Code.
In practice, Type B is the license that lets a facility keep someone whose needs have grown: a resident who needs help getting out of bed or the building, who is unsteady at night, or who may become confused. If you are choosing for someone who is independent today but likely to need more help, a Type B facility may let them stay longer. If you choose a Type A facility, ask what happens if your parent's needs change, and whether a move would be required.
Small and large facilities
Under the same rules, a small facility is licensed for 16 or fewer residents and a large facility for 17 or more. Small facilities are often a converted house or a purpose-built home with a family-style setting, and they can be a good fit for someone who finds a big building overwhelming. Large facilities usually offer more common space, activities and a wider range of apartment sizes. Neither size is better by definition. The listings on this site show the licensed capacity, which is the maximum the license allows, not the number of residents today.
Alzheimer's certification
HHSC treats an Alzheimer's facility as a Type B facility that is certified to provide specialized services to residents with Alzheimer's disease or a related condition. The directory records the certified capacity separately from the licensed capacity, so a building licensed for 80 may be certified for a memory care wing of 20. See our guide on memory care for what to ask.
What the license does not tell you
The license lists who owns the facility, who administers it and when it was first licensed. It does not tell you how staff treat residents, how long call lights take to answer, what the monthly rate is or how often the rate rises. Those answers come from visiting, from talking to residents and families and from reading the state's inspection records. A facility that has been licensed for many years has survived many inspection cycles, but that is a fact about longevity, not a grade.
How to check a license
- Find the facility's license number on its listing on this site.
- Search it in the HHSC provider search (TULIP) linked from every profile. The state page is the current record.
- Confirm the license has not expired and that the type matches the care your family member needs.
- Ask the facility for its most recent inspection report, and ask HHSC how to request inspection records for the license.
Where to go for more information
The HHSC assisted living facilities page lists the licensing rules, checklists and the unit that handles complaints. The federal Eldercare Locator can connect you to your local Area Agency on Aging, which helps families sort through options at no charge. Medicare's guide to long-term care explains that Medicare generally does not pay for custodial care in assisted living.
When you have narrowed to two or three places, tour each at a mealtime and at a different time of day, and bring the questions in our tour checklist guide. A license number is where the check starts, not where it ends.
General information only, current as of the date above. The information on Texas Assisted Living & Memory Care Index is not medical advice and does not replace a doctor, nurse, discharge planner or other qualified professional. Do not use it to make decisions about diagnosis or treatment. If you have a medical emergency, call 911. Rules and programs change; check the official sources linked in this guide.