State Authorities Shut Down North Texas Assisted Living Facilities

State authorities are abruptly shutting down a string of North Texas assisted living facilities, leaving families scrambling to relocate their elderly and high-needs loved ones. The sudden closure has caused concern and confusion among families, who are struggling to find new homes for their loved ones.

Texas Health and Human Services informed families on Thursday that the agency is shutting down a number of facilities operated by Silver Leaf Assisted Living. The agency initially told families to relocate their loved ones within 72 hours, according to relatives. This tight deadline has put a lot of pressure on families, who are trying to find new facilities that can provide the necessary care and support for their loved ones.

Texas Health and Human Services is responsible for regulating long-term care facilities in Texas. Thomas Vazquez, a spokesperson for the agency, said in an email statement that the agency’s “top priority is protecting the health, safety and well-being of people served by the facilities and providers we regulate.” The agency’s primary concern is the well-being of the residents, and they are working to ensure that they receive the best possible care.

Background Information

Silver Leaf has locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Vazquez said 11 facilities, with a total of 60 residents, were impacted by the state’s orders. The facilities provide assisted living services to elderly and disabled individuals who require 24-hour care and support.

Dallas resident Betty Murray said her 90-year-old mother Bonnie Brenneman has lived at a Dallas Silver Leaf home for more than a year and a half. Her mother needs 24-hour care, Murray said, and also has dementia. Murray is concerned about the impact of the closure on her mother’s health and well-being.

Murray said she got a call from a state worker on Thursday, telling her she had 72 hours to move her mother out of the home. She then went to the facility and found state workers there. She repeated her questions to one of the state workers, she said. The state worker confirmed that the facility was being closed and that Murray needed to find a new home for her mother.

The Closure Process

State authorities closed the facilities while they were being transferred from Silver Leaf to a new operator, Evergreen Assisted Care. While Evergreen operates other facilities in Texas, Vazquez said in the Health and Human Services statement, Silver Leaf had not signed the paperwork to transfer its facility licenses to Evergreen. This meant that Evergreen did not have licenses to operate the facilities that the state closed.

At least two impacted Silver Leaf homes in Dallas were foreclosed on earlier this year, according to Dallas County records. Samantha Hankerd, Chief Marketing Officer for Evergreen, said the company was working to take over the foreclosed Silver Leaf homes so residents could remain in place without an interruption in care.

Hankerd and another Evergreen staff member provided copies of the state’s closure notices to The News. Those notices, dated March 26, order the facilities “closed effective immediately on this date.” Hankerd said the closures could be devastating to the “extremely fragile and vulnerable” residents who are being forced to move.

Impact on Residents

Chris Smith worries about moving his 94-year-old mother-in-law out of the Dallas Silver Leaf home she currently lives in. His mother-in-law, who will turn 95 soon, has dementia and uses a wheelchair, which she needs assistance to get into and out of, Smith said. Smith is concerned about the impact of the move on his mother-in-law’s health and well-being.

Smith got a call from a Texas Health and Human Services worker on Thursday morning, telling him that his mother-in-law’s care home would be closed within 72 hours. He later received an email from the state, nearly identical to the one that was forwarded to Murray, implying that the window may be closer to 10 days. Smith is concerned about the impact of the move on his mother-in-law’s health and well-being.

Conclusion

The sudden closure of the Silver Leaf assisted living facilities has caused concern and confusion among families, who are struggling to find new homes for their loved ones. The state’s primary concern is the well-being of the residents, and they are working to ensure that they receive the best possible care. However, the closure process has been convoluted, and families are worried about the impact on their loved ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why are the Silver Leaf facilities being closed?

A: The facilities are being closed due to the state’s orders, as Silver Leaf had not signed the paperwork to transfer its facility licenses to Evergreen Assisted Care.

Q: How many facilities are being closed?

A: 11 facilities, with a total of 60 residents, are being closed.

Q: What is the timeline for the closure?

A: The facilities were initially given 72 hours to close, but the state later said that residents need to be moved “as