Plano is called the City of Excellence, and it’s easy to see why. From a robust economy to a high quality of life, this ninth-largest city in Texas offers almost anything you need, whether you’re looking for senior living, health care, or something to do.
When people search for a nearby nursing home in the Plano area — which is one of the major suburbs of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area — they are often looking for a variety of senior living options. However, a nursing home is technically a skilled nursing facility that provides medical care to its residents 24/7. While this level of care is necessary for some individuals, it may not be the ideal choice for everyone. Many people might benefit more from an assisted living community or a memory care facility.
Our partner assisted living facilities in the Plano area provide personal care to residents, such as helping with eating, dressing, or grooming. Meals are provided, and chores like laundry and house cleaning are taken care of, too. Our partner memory care facilities in Plano also do all of that and — additionally — offer specialized care and security to residents with cognitive difficulties.
While A Place for Mom doesn’t partner with facilities dedicated solely to skilled nursing, we do have 100 assisted living and memory care partners within a 10-miles radius of downtown Plano, which includes Richardson, Frisco, Allen, and parts of Dallas. A few have dedicated skilled nursing wings, while 68% offer on-site nursing care to residents, too.
Within this guide, you will find information on our affiliated assisted living and memory care facilities in Plano, details concerning costs and payment methods, relevant laws and regulations, transportation and health care alternatives, as well as senior activities available in the Plano area.
We are very happy with the care and level of activity my mom gets at the Village on the Park. Thank you to the wonderful team who shows up every day with smiles on their faces. My kids also love visiting mom...
My mother is 93 and entered the Memory Care Community at Collin Oaks 4 months ago after recently losing her husband of 74 years. She has adjusted well and is very happy. At each visit she tells us how nice...
Very happy with Sunrise. Everyone is so friendly - honestly so friendly. We have been so incredibly pleased with our final choice. The food is fine but could improve, but overall we have been so happy.
It is a lovely facility and very very clean. There is never a bad odor. The staff on my mom's floor are friendly and they do care about the residents. [name removed], the activities director is phenomenal!!...
Value for the money is about a 10 !!!! HIGHLY recommend Juniper for a place that is lower in cost than most assisted living places. They have the nicest staff!! They cared For what was going on in my...
I would definitely recommend Brookdale Creekside. The staff has been so patient and kind with the many issues my mom had. They always communicate any questions or concerns they have. I feel like we are part...
The overall experience with Prestonwood Court has been great; it took a while for her to engage with others after the loss of her husband but now she's more involved in being out with others in the activity...
It was located very close to my home. The staff were friendly and welcoming. It was very clean and I loved the way the staff interacted with the residents.
Just a great place to live!!! I always enjoy talking to the front desk staff! Everyone does an exceptional job! Excellent food, good sleep conditions, nice and quiet atmosphere, singing and we love the...
They are not so good with the activities. We picked this community, becasue it afforded my loved one, the opportunity to bring a dog, we liked the people and I talked to them on the phone. They need to...
I moved my elderly father after taking him out of [facility removed] which was third world and awful. I made the best decision as he made such tremendous progress at the new facility. They treated him so...
Make yourself visible & show up for your loved ones! We picked this community because it was; well rated, was close, looked homey & was told the number of caregivers to residents was higher than it actually...
Very nice facility. The staff is very friendly, they care a lot about the residents and they take care of them really well. They're very knowledgeable when it comes to the needs of residents and if families...
I'm so grateful that we found Brookdale Assisted Living. The people here are so caring and sweet. We felt welcome from the very start of my moms time here. Mom walks a lot more than before she moved in the...
Mom spent the final 8 months of her life in Avalon Memory Care in Allen. The staff was great. There was rarely a day that my brother or I did not come by and they were always friendly to us and did their...
The comprehensive care and attention at Landing at Watermere Frisco have made a significant difference in our aunt's life. The personalized approach to her needs and well-being is truly commendable.
They have been really good with my dad in memory care and based on the experience we have had, we would recommend Legend of McKinney to other families who may need a place for their loved ones
All of the staff at Atria Carrollton were extremely professional and friendly. Mom ate the same breakfast everyday but her complaints were usually about dinner. Quality and quantity.
Thank you to the caring staff at Village on the Park. We moved our mother there in September after realizing she was no longer safe living in her home. She has blossomed in the environment and her quality of...
I'm going to give a 5 in all categories, the most important being the staff. We thought my mom would stay in memory care permanently, but she didn't! I believe this was in part due to the excellent care at...
We really like the facility and they take good care of her. I would recommend it. It is a good facility, great staff, and great food.
We developed a proprietary recommendation system that orders Plano community options based on factors we know are important to seniors and their families:
We collect proprietary data from our network of 14,000+ senior living communities in the U.S., with regular refreshes of data and information
We have 387,000+ reviews from senior living residents and family members that provide first-hand accounts about senior living communities
The monthly median cost of a nursing home in the Plano area (which is also considered the Dallas area) is $8,460 for a private room and $5,627 for a semi-private room.[02] According to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data, the average actual monthly cost of a Plano assisted living facility is $4,705 and $4,389 for a memory care facility.[03] These numbers are for our partner facilities in the Plano area and represent the actual price people paid, including service fees and any add-ons.
The cost of an assisted living or memory care facility includes the following:
The monthly cost of a nursing home also includes 24/7 skilled nursing care.
When looking into how to pay for a nursing home, assisted living facility, or memory care facility in the Plano area, there are several options to consider. In the following sections, we’ll discuss private payment options, benefits from the U.S. Veterans Administration, Medicaid, and Medicare — and discuss how each can help you or your loved one’s situation.
To cover the cost of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or memory care facilities, most people turn to private payment options first. That means using money from things like a personal savings account, Social Security benefits, pensions, investment returns, or any of the following:
Number of veterans who live in Plano
About 30% of Plano veterans are 75+
If you or your loved one are looking for a nursing home, assisted living community, or memory care facility, you may find some benefits available if you or your loved one served in the military. There are multiple Veterans Administration (VA) benefits, but here are some of the first you may want to consider:
Diving into the world of VA benefits can be overwhelming, and you don’t have to do it alone. Veterans services officers are trained to help you by answering questions and navigating the entire claims process alongside you. Their help is free, and you can find veterans services officers near you at Collin County Veteran Services or through Plano area veterans services organizations (VSOs) like the American Legion.
Claims Benefit Advisors are available through The Texas Veterans Commission. Like veterans service officers, they specialize in filling out VA paperwork and helping people file claims. You might want to call them because a phone appointment is much faster than an in-person one, which may have a 30-day wait time.
Collin County created this helpful list of Texas veterans benefits you can use to get a better understanding of what might be available for you or your loved one. For an in-depth discussion on this topic, watch VA Pension Benefits: How to Use Them to Help Pay for Long-Term Care, a video by the North Central Area Agency on Aging.
Resources for Plano veterans
Regional VA Benefits Office
701 Clay Ave.
Waco, TX 76799
Phone: 800-698-2411
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Texas Veterans Commission
Phone: 800-252-8387
Email: northeastclaims@tvc.texas.gov
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Collin County Veteran Services
900 E. Park Blvd., Suite 150
Plano, TX 75074
Phone: 972-881-3060
Email: veteranservices@collincountytx.gov
Contact: Gary Jackson, veteran service officer
Contact: John Thompson, veteran service officer
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 4380
601 E. Plano Parkway
Plano, TX 75074
Phone: 972-379-8628
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 3530
1210 W. Belt Line Road
Richardson, TX 75080
Phone: 972-231-3269
American Legion Post 321
1236 J Ave.
Plano, TX 75074
Phone: 972-423-5423
American Legion Post 178
8300 McKinney Road
Frisco, TX 75034
Email: Contact form
Veterans Center of North Texas
900 E. Park Blvd., Suite 170
Plano, TX 74074
Phone: 214-600-2966
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Low-income seniors in Plano can see if they qualify for Medicaid to help cover health care costs. For those who qualify, Medicaid does cover nursing homes; however, you can’t apply for this coverage unless you’ve already been a nursing home resident for at least 30 days. Another qualifying criterion is that a doctor must declare that a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLC) is medically necessary for you or your loved one.
Medicaid does not, however, cover the room and board costs of assisted living facilities or memory care facilities. But a home and community based services waiver can help eligible seniors get covered health delivered within those facilities as long as a doctor says it is medically needed.
For seniors who already qualify for Medicare, Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities (MEPD) is still an available Medicaid option, as long as income and asset eligibility requirements are met.
To familiarize yourself, you might want to look through the Texas Medicaid Reference Guide. Everything then goes through the Your Texas Benefits website when it comes to applying.
To get help with the process, contact the North Central Texas Aging and Disability Resource Center, which covers Collin and Denton Counties. The center can help you and your loved one apply for Medicaid, and the assistance is free. The long-term care ombudsman can also answer questions. The Area Agency on Aging of North Central Texas put together this Medicaid Made Simple video that is also a good explainer.
If your loved one has Alzheimer’s or dementia and doesn’t end up qualifying for Medicaid, Plano offers a program called Know Your Options. This program is designed to help seniors with memory issues pay for services and items (like monitors for wandering and respite care).
Plano resident Medicaid resources
Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
1059 S. Sherman St.
Plano, TX 75081
Phone: 972-480-5000
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
HHSC Benefits Office
5455 Blair Road
Dallas, TX 75231
Phone: 214-750-4619
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
North Central Texas Aging and Disability Resource Center
616 Six Flags Drive
Arlington, TX
Phone: 877-229-9084
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Phone: 817-695-9196
Managing Local Ombudsman: Tina Rider
Email: trider@nctcog.org
Know Your Options
Phone: 855-937-2372
Skilled nursing care is a covered expense through Medicare but not as a long-term care solution. Medicare — the federal health insurance for those 65+ — will cover nursing home care following a hospital stay for up to 100 days. Medicare won’t cover the room and board, also called custodial costs, at assisted living or memory care facilities. However, it is still very helpful with paying for medical needs and health care, which can help leave more room in your budget.
Some additional programs can provide additional cost savings for seniors. Medicare Savings Programs can entirely cover or at least reduce the cost of copayments, deductibles, and Medicare premiums. The Extra Help program gives extra prescription drug cost savings to eligible seniors.
You can sign up online for Medicare or download the enrollment forms, fill them out, and visit the Social Security Administration (SSA) office in person in nearby McKinney.
If you have questions or need some help, call the Texas Medicare Helpful, which is operated by the Texas Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). These trained expert advisors will help you at no cost. The North Central Texas Aging and Disability Resource Center also offer benefit counselors, and the long-term care ombudsman is also someone who can answer questions.
Plano resident Medicare resources
Social Security Administration Office
3250 Craig Drive
McKinney, TX 75070
Phone: 800-772-1213
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Texas Medicare Helpline
Phone: 800-252-9240
North Central Texas Aging and Disability Resource Center
616 Six Flags Drive
Arlington, TX
Phone: 877-229-9084
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Phone: 817-695-9196
Managing Local Ombudsman: Tina Rider
Email: trider@nctcog.org
The licensing and inspections of nursing homes, assisted living communities, and memory care facilities is the responsibility of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHS).
Nursing homes are governed by federal laws as well as state laws and regulations. Both skilled nursing care by licensed nurses and personal care is provided 24/7 to nursing home residents. Texas laws do not specify the ratio of nurses to residents; however, the laws do say that a sufficient number of licensed nurses and nurse aides have to be available at all times to provide resident care. Doctors must also visit monthly for a resident’s first 90 days and every other month after that. Residents of nursing homes in the Plano area have a long list of rights facilities must honor.
Texas Assisted living facilities (ALF) are required to follow licensing requirements and regulations outlined via the Texas Administrative Code and the Health and Safety Code. ALFs must provide their residents with housing, daily meals, personal assistance with activities of daily living, 24-hour supervision, and medication administration. Assisted living facilities need a Type A license from HHS. This type of license is for facilities that have residents who don’t regularly need help during the night and can follow directions given during an emergency or evacuation.
A memory care facility in Plano needs a Type B Assisted Living Facility license and would be a Certified Alzheimer’s Assisted Living Facility. The Type B license is given to facilities where residents wouldn’t necessarily be able to comprehend or follow directions during an emergency and who do need regular assistance during the night.
Additional rules apply to facilities with a Type B license. Regulations require memory care facilities to have security measures in place, such as controlled egress exits, for the safety of residents who are prone to wandering. Memory care facility staff also have to provide specific activities appropriate for engaging residents with cognitive issues. Finally, specialized training for staff members must be provided on how to best care for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Annual inspections take place at nursing homes in the Plano area, and assisted living and memory care facilities are inspected once every two years. If a complaint is received, it has to be inspected at that time. Use this long-term care provider search site to view inspection results for all long-term care facilities.
Texas Department of Health and Human Services
North Austin Complex
4601 W. Guadalupe St.
Austin, TX 78751
Phone: 512-424-6500
Plano doesn’t require any specific COVID-19 prevention tactics for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or memory care facilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) makes guidelines for COVID-19 prevention available for anyone to follow.
Vaccinations. The CDC highly recommends receiving COVID-19 vaccinations.
Masking. Wearing a mask is not mandatory, but the CDC recommends it in crowded indoor spaces.
Facility cleanliness. Improving ventilation is a suggestion from the CDC as a COVID-19 preventative measure.
Quarantining. The CDC recommends five-day isolation for those who test positive for COVID-19.
Plano is one of the best and safest places to live. It’s been ranked as one of America’s safest cities and voted into the top five for being a great place to live and work. These are just a handful of the reasons Plano calls itself the City of Excellence. It’s a thriving community in which to look for the perfect senior living option.
No matter what you’re looking for in a senior living arrangement, A Place for Mom has plenty of options that will help you find the perfect fit for your situation. We don’t partner with facilities that focus only on skilled nursing care, but we have 100 Plano area partners who offer a variety of services. Our partner breakdown is as follows:
Personal care homes in the Plano area are smaller, more intimate settings usually found in residential neighborhoods. They’re typically homes that are used for senior care.
In all our partner facilities, care and safety is always top of mind.No matter what time of day or night, there will always be someone awake and available to help residents at our partner assisted living and memory care facilities. In our partner memory care facilities, your loved one will be kept safe from wandering while still being allowed plenty of freedom within a secure community.
Your loved one’s health is a top consideration, too. Almost all of our partners have either visiting nurses or a doctor on call. Additionally, 68% offer on-site nursing, and a few have skilled nursing wings if your loved one needs 24/7 medical care.
Three meals a day, laundry service, and housekeeping are all covered in our partner assisted living and memory care facilities. Transportation and even delivery service are available at many of our partners, so you can easily get to appointments and have personal items brought right to your door.
With an activity director on staff at more than half our partner facilities, you or your loved one will have plenty of opportunities to socialize at planned events like art classes, live music performances, holiday parties, and trivia games. Even when there isn’t something on the calendar, there’s still no shortage of things to do. You can choose to catch a movie in the theater room or join a game of bridge in the game room or other common areas available at most of our partner facilities.
Know where to start.
Identify the right care for your loved one with our free assessment.
See what you can afford.
Understand cost and payment for long-term care based on your loved one's needs.
Find top facilities for you.
Free, personalized guidance from our Senior Living Advisors can help you narrow your search.
Tour your favorite facilities.
Our free touring checklist can help you choose the right community.
Number of seniors over the age of 65 currently living in Plano
Median annual income for Plano seniors 65 and older
Just 19 miles from downtown Dallas, Plano is one of the primary suburbs of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, so you can be sure there is plenty of access to great health care in this bustling city. Plano itself made the 2023 Top 50 list for America’s healthiest cities.[06]
Featuring a Level I Trauma Center, Medical City Plano is a large hospital that has been rated as high performing by U.S. News & World Report in five specialty areas.
The word heart is right in the middle of this hospital’s name and for good reason! Baylor Scott and White The Heart Hospital Plano ranked in America’s Top 50 for its excellence in cardiology. Additionally, it has been given high-performance ratings from U.S. News & World Report in all areas of cardiology, as well as other specialty areas.
Since 1991, the residents of Plano, Carrollton, Addison, Frisco, Richardson and McKinney have been able to rely on Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital for general medical care and surgery. U.S. News & World Report rates the hospital as high performing in four specialty areas, including stroke care and knee replacements.
Getting around Plano or making it to doctor’s appointments is convenient for residents of our partner assisted living and memory care facilities, as 43% of them provide complimentary transportation, and 53% provide it at cost.
But if you or your loved one are looking for additional options, you’ll be happy to hear that Plano is one of 12 suburbs of the Dallas-Fort Worth area to opt into the Dallas Area Rapid Transit System (DART) so that Plano has access to DART light rails, buses, and on-demand transportation.
In Plano, you can use the DART Rail System’s Orange or Red Lines at the Downtown Plano Station or the Parker Road Station. Take a look at this rail system map to get a better idea of how they all connect to other lines. The DART Bus System offers two Plano park-and-ride locations: the Jack Hatchell Transit Center and the Northwest Plano Park-and-Ride.
A DART travel training program allows people with disabilities (either physical or mental) to spend one-on-one time with an instructor to learn all about how to get around on the DART system. Call 214-828-8676 to sign up or ask questions about the program.
GoLink is the DART On-Demand service available seven days a week from 5 a.m. to midnight. DART also has a door-to-door paratransit service for people with disabilities who can’t use the regular DART system.
Finally, there is DART Rides, which is a rider assistance program for people who have a qualifying disability or are at least 65 years old. You have to apply for and qualify for this program, which you can do online or by downloading the application and mailing it or emailing it to:
While our partner assisted living and memory care facilities offer a wide array of on-site activities and local outings, you and your loved one still might want to get out and have lunch, spend time outside, or explore the area. While Plano itself has plenty to fit the bill, you can also hop on the DART Red Line or Orange Line and quickly go into Dallas to find even more to do!
The Downtown Plano Arts District is a great starting point for fun and relaxation. You can participate in events like the Third Thursday Sip and Shop or the Jazz Concert Under the Starz. You’ll also find Haggard Park there, where you can take in lakeside views and enjoy concerts in the gazebo from the Plano Community Band and local choirs. Pick up a treat at the Tell Me Something Sweet Bakery or stop for lunch at The Plano Tortilla and Tamale Factory.
If you enjoy local history, the Heritage Farmstead Museum is a perfect stop. This facility brings the history of life on the North Texas Blackland Prairie to life. You can see live animals and visit historic structures. The Interurban Railway Museum is another fun stop (and admission is free)! Due to the historic nature of some of the structures, there are accessibility challenges, so you’ll want to check before you go. There are plenty of exhibits that are always available as well as some rotating and visiting exhibits.
If you like to fish or take a walk, Plano has excellent options. Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve offer miles of trails and a fishing lake where you can cast a line. A full eight miles of the trail system are smooth concrete making them great for accessibility. Bob Woodruff Park North boasts a fishing pier, trails, and an equestrian area. You may not ride horses, but it is fun to do some people- and horse-watching.
Southfork Ranch sits slightly North of Plano. If you decide to drive by, it may look quite familiar to you! It’s no wonder because it was featured as the Ewing mansion on the popular T.V. show “Dallas.”
Speaking of Dallas, you’ll want to head into the city to visit the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, where thousands of colorful plants and flowers await, as well as plenty of sculptures and water features. Seniors get a discount on admission, and wheelchairs and trams are available, making the gardens accessible.
If sports are more to your liking, Dallas has plenty for you in that realm. Cheer on the Dallas Cowboys or get a special behind-the-scenes look at this popular NFL team through a tour of AT&T Stadium, where they play. There’s plenty of pro-team excitement in Dallas, where you can enjoy rooting for the MLB’s Texas Rangers, the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, or the NHL’s Dallas Stars.
If you are interested in American history, visit the George W. Bush Presidential Center. In addition to being a presidential library and museum, it features a Texas rose garden and a 15-acre prairie. You can dive even deeper into presidential history at Dealey Plaza, where you’ll find The Sixth Floor Museum. Located inside the former Texas School Book Depository from where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, this museum covers the life and death of JFK.
Brookdale Lake Highlands, Rosewood Assisted Living and Memory Care and Brookdale Farmers Branch are the top-rated Nursing Homes facilities near Plano, TX. These Nursing Homes facilities received the highest rankings based on verified family reviews. See full list of communities.
The average cost of Nursing Homes in Plano is $5,782 per month. This cost may vary based on location, amenities, floorplan, level of care and other factors.
Plano Chamber of Commerce. (2023). Community Facts and Figures.
Genworth Financial. (2021). Cost of Care Survey.
A Place for Mom. (2023). A Place for Mom proprietary data.
United States Census Bureau. (2021). Veteran Status (S2101) [Data Set]. American Community Survey.
United States Census Bureau. (2021). Age and Sex (S0101) [Data Set]. American Community Survey.
WalletHub. (2023). 2023’s Healthiest Cities in America.
U.S. News & World Report. (2023). Best Hospitals in Plano.
Ask an A Place for Mom local advisor at no cost.
Plano Chamber of Commerce. (2023). Community Facts and Figures.
Genworth Financial. (2021). Cost of Care Survey.
A Place for Mom. (2023). A Place for Mom proprietary data.
United States Census Bureau. (2021). Veteran Status (S2101) [Data Set]. American Community Survey.
United States Census Bureau. (2021). Age and Sex (S0101) [Data Set]. American Community Survey.
WalletHub. (2023). 2023’s Healthiest Cities in America.
U.S. News & World Report. (2023). Best Hospitals in Plano.