Texas licenses two types of assisted living under Ch. 247: Type A for lower-acuity ambulatory residents, Type B for higher-acuity residents who need evacuation assistance. Here's the difference and why it matters.
By Rosa Martínez, CSA · May 7, 2026
Texas HHSC licenses assisted living facilities under Texas Hum. Res. Code Ch. 247 in two distinct types. A Type A ALF serves residents who are capable of self-evacuation in an emergency — meaning ambulatory and able to respond to an alarm and exit without staff assistance. A Type B ALF serves residents who need staff assistance to evacuate, including those who use wheelchairs, have significant cognitive impairment, or rely on mobility devices.
Memory care in Texas — unlike California, which uses an RCFE endorsement — is almost always housed in a Type B ALF because residents with moderate to advanced dementia cannot self-evacuate. If you're placing a parent with Alzheimer's or vascular dementia, confirm the facility holds a Type B license before touring.
Both Type A and Type B ALFs provide personal care, meals, housekeeping, and 24-hour supervision. A Type B facility must maintain a higher staffing level and a detailed evacuation plan reviewed annually by the local fire marshal. Higher-acuity Type B facilities may also hold an HHSC hospice waiver allowing a licensed hospice provider to co-deliver services on-site.
Texas Ch. 247 requires that every ALF resident have an individualized service plan reviewed at least annually and updated after any significant change in condition. Families should ask how often the plan is reviewed and who is involved — at better facilities, the resident and family are active participants.
Go to the HHSC Health and Human Services Public Disclosure Portal at apps.hhs.texas.gov/HSPubDisclosure/ and search by facility name or Bexar County. Review the license type (Type A or B), license status, capacity, and any deficiency history from HHSC inspections.
A free local advisor checks HHSC licensing for every community before recommending it — including open citations, complaint history, or enforcement actions. Don't rely solely on what a community tells you about its license.
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