Texas Senior Resources
Benefits of Working With A Gerontologist & Geriatric Care Manager Call 949-346-5960
Assistance from a Geriatric Care Manager in Rowlett, Rockwall or North Texas with ongoing monitoring can prevent costly crises and unnecessary hospitalization. Geriatric Care Managers can be especially helpful when family members live far apart or when there are family dynamics and a facilitator is needed. Sometimes seniors are fearful of losing their independence and they don’t feel comfortable sharing their fears and concerns with their loved one. A Geriatric Care Manager will act as a liaison with families to help maintain good communication with families and other support systems to build or maintain important links between seniors and their families and, with permission, to alert families to problems areas that they may be able to assist with.
Geriatric Care Managers can reduce inappropriate institutional care and overuse of services as well as reduce miscommunications, time, stress, and cost to clients.
Yolanda Lawler, MASM RCFE
Serving North Texas and California
Gerontologist
Texas Adult Protective Services (APS)
Texas Adult Protective Services (APS) plays a vital role in safeguarding the wellbeing of vulnerable adults. Every county in Texas operates an APS agency that assists:
- Older adults (age 65 and older)
- Dependent adults (ages 18–64 with physical or mental disabilities)
APS steps in when these individuals are unable to care for themselves or when they may be victims of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation. Investigations cover adults living in private residences, apartments, hotels, and hospitals—excluding licensed care facilities like nursing homes, which are monitored by other agencies.
APS caseworkers assess the safety of adults reported to be at risk, work to reduce or eliminate any danger, and connect them with supportive services to help them live safely and independently.
Report Abuse or Neglect Immediately
If someone is facing an urgent situation—such as being at immediate risk of serious injury or death—call the Texas Abuse Hotline at:
1-800-252-5400
File a report online (non-urgent only)
Texas Caregiver Resource Centers & ADRCs
Navigating the system to find care and support for older adults and people with disabilities can be overwhelming. That’s where Texas Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) come in.
ADRCs are part of the state’s “No Wrong Door” approach—a system designed to simplify access to long-term services and supports (LTSS) for older adults, people with disabilities, veterans, and their caregivers.
What ADRCs Do:
- Provide one-on-one guidance to individuals and families
- Offer referrals to local services such as in-home care, housing assistance, transportation, respite care, and more
- Help navigate complex eligibility requirements for state and federal support programs
- Serve as a single point of entry for services in all 254 Texas counties
If you’re unsure where to start, an ADRC can help you figure out what services you’re eligible for and how to access them.
Advance Care Planning Resources
Advance care planning helps individuals and families make informed decisions about future healthcare, ensuring their wishes are understood and respected. Whether you’re preparing your own plan or supporting someone else, these tools and organizations can help guide the process:
Start the Conversation:
- The Conversation Project Starter Kit – Helps families begin important discussions about end-of-life care wishes.
- Kitchen Table Conversations – Texas-based resource offering tools and workshops to help you decide, discuss, and document care preferences.
Resources for Healthcare Professionals:
- National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) – Education and tools for professionals leading advance care conversations.
- Respecting Choices – Evidence-based programs to build sustainable systems for advance care planning.
- Serious Illness Care (Ariadne Labs) – Frameworks and training to improve conversations about care during serious illness.
Digital Planning Tools:
- MyDirectives – A secure digital platform to complete, store, and share advance directives.
- Cake – Offers guided checklists to plan, store, and communicate end-of-life wishes online.
- Vynca – Health tech company providing digital tools for storing and sharing care plans across healthcare systems.
Policy and Legal Resources:
- National POLST Program – Information about the POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) form and its use in Texas and beyond.
Texas-Based Programs:
- Hospice Austin – The GIFT Program – A local initiative that helps individuals complete advance directives through personalized support.
- Care and Prepare – North Texas nonprofit encouraging meaningful end-of-life conversations through community education and training events.
Why This Matters
Being informed about the services and support available to older adults and caregivers in Texas can make a profound difference. Whether you’re protecting a vulnerable loved one, coordinating care, or making your own future plans, these resources provide clarity, connection, and peace of mind.
Helpful Resources for Advance Care Planning
Advance care planning allows individuals to make important decisions about their future healthcare in case they become unable to speak for themselves. These resources offer valuable tools, education, and platforms to help individuals, families, caregivers, and healthcare providers engage in these vital conversations and document care preferences clearly.
The Conversation Project Starter Kit
A nationally recognized initiative, The Conversation Project provides simple, compassionate tools to help people talk with their loved ones about their end-of-life care preferences. The Starter Kit includes easy-to-follow prompts and questions to start meaningful discussions and helps ensure that care aligns with a person’s values and wishes.
theconversationproject.org
Kitchen Table Conversations
Based in Texas, Kitchen Table Conversations offers workshops, guides, and educational events that empower individuals and families to reflect on and document their end-of-life choices. Their community-centered approach emphasizes comfort and clarity in having these important conversations in everyday settings—like around the kitchen table.
kitchentableconversations.org
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO)
NHPCO supports hospice and palliative care professionals through training, resources, and policy advocacy. They offer materials that help healthcare providers guide patients and families through the process of advance care planning with compassion and sensitivity, especially during serious illness or end-of-life situations.
nhpco.org
Respecting Choices
This internationally respected program offers evidence-based advance care planning systems for healthcare providers, communities, and long-term care organizations. Respecting Choices provides scalable training and planning tools that support shared decision-making and ensure that care preferences are understood and honored across care settings.
respectingchoices.org
Serious Illness Care – Ariadne Labs
Developed by Ariadne Labs, the Serious Illness Care Program equips clinicians with the language, tools, and confidence to lead compassionate conversations with patients about their values, goals, and preferences in the face of serious illness. It includes structured guides, communication strategies, and training programs.
ariadnelabs.org
MyDirectives
MyDirectives is a free, secure digital platform that allows users to complete, store, update, and share their advance care plans anytime. It includes tools for writing living wills, appointing healthcare agents, and recording video messages to guide future care decisions. Healthcare providers and loved ones can access these plans when needed.
mydirectives.com
Cake
Cake is an online end-of-life planning platform that helps people explore, document, and communicate their wishes. The platform offers checklists, digital storage for advance directives, funeral planning, estate guidance, and tools for sharing preferences with family members in a secure and thoughtful way.
joincake.com
National POLST Program
The Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) is a medical order that clearly outlines a patient’s preferences for emergency care and life-sustaining treatment. The National POLST Program provides education, guidance, and standardized forms used across many U.S. states, including Texas. It’s especially useful for people with serious illness or frailty.
polst.org
Vynca
Vynca creates technology platforms that integrate with electronic health records (EHRs) to ensure advance care plans are accessible across healthcare settings. Their solutions support the creation, digital storage, and real-time access to advance directives, POLST forms, and care preferences, improving coordination and honoring patient wishes.
vyncahealth.com
Hospice Austin – The GIFT Program
Hospice Austin’s GIFT (Giving Instructions for Tomorrow) Program is a local initiative designed to help individuals thoughtfully prepare advance directives. Through community outreach, workshops, and support, the program encourages proactive planning and ensures that people in Central Texas have the resources they need to document their care choices.
hospiceaustin.org
Care and Prepare
A North Texas-based nonprofit, Care and Prepare is dedicated to educating the public and medical professionals on advance care planning. Their programs include free community workshops, healthcare provider training, and resources for families to encourage honest conversations and timely completion of legal documents like living wills and medical powers of attorney.
careandprepare.org
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Geriatric Care Management in North Texas
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Assisted Living in North Texas
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Board and Care in North Texas
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Memory Care in North Texas
There is nothing more important than your and your family’s health and safety. That is our priority, too. We’re safely seeing clients, both in person and through virtual visits, in adherence with federal and state executive orders and guidance.
Video and phone visits can be great options for appointments before, after, or in place of face-to-face visits. We can coordinate a virtual or in-person visit, whichever best fits your individual needs.