Local Guide · Highland Park, Dallas, TX

Aging in Place in Highland Park & the Park Cities, Dallas, TX: A Family's Home-Safety Guide (2026)

Q: What local agency helps seniors stay home in Highland Park and the Park Cities area of Dallas?

The Dallas Area Agency on Aging (DAAA) is administered by The Senior Source, a nonprofit serving Dallas County. They coordinate home-based services, caregiver support, and benefits counseling for older adults in the region, including Highland Park and University Park. Their main line is published on The Senior Source website at theseniorsource.org.

Q: How dangerous is summer heat for elderly residents in the Park Cities and Dallas?

Extremely dangerous. The Dallas area regularly sees heat indexes above 105°F from June through September. Older adults lose the ability to regulate body temperature efficiently and may not recognize early heat-illness symptoms. Key precautions include keeping air conditioning functional, scheduling a backup cooling plan, and ensuring hydration. Dallas County Health and Human Services tracks heat-related illness and issues heat emergency guidance each summer.

Q: What should Park Cities families do to prepare an aging parent for a Texas winter storm and power outage?

Winter Storm Uri in 2021 showed that extended power outages are a real risk in Texas, even in affluent neighborhoods. Preparation steps include: registering a parent who depends on electric medical equipment (like a CPAP or home oxygen) with Oncor Electric Delivery's Medical Baseline or Life Support program; having an alternative heat source and a plan to shelter with family; and keeping a 72-hour supply of medications. The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) publishes preparedness checklists at tdem.texas.gov.

Q: Does Texas Medicaid help pay for in-home care for seniors in Dallas County?

Yes. Texas Medicaid's STAR+PLUS program provides Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) for eligible low-income older adults and people with disabilities, including personal attendant services, home health, and other supports to help people stay out of a nursing facility. Eligibility is income- and needs-based. Contact Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) at hhs.texas.gov or call 2-1-1 Texas to start the process.

Q: How much does in-home care cost in the Highland Park and Park Cities area of Dallas?

Non-medical home care (companion/personal care) in the Dallas metro typically runs roughly $25–$35 per hour as of 2025–2026, though rates can be higher in the Park Cities market. A full-time home aide (44 hours/week) can easily exceed $5,000–$6,000 per month — a major reason families seek every resource available to stretch home safety further.

Senior home safety · Highland Park & University Park, Dallas County · ~9 min read · Updated 2026

The Park Cities — Highland Park and University Park — are quietly one of the most family-oriented places to help an aging parent stay home. Beautiful neighborhoods, walkable blocks, proximity to UT Southwestern and Presbyterian Dallas. And yet: 110-degree heat indexes, a power grid that froze over in 2021, tornado season every spring, and in-home care costs that can run $5,000–$6,000 a month. This guide pulls together the local resources, climate realities, and home-safety basics that actually matter here.

This is general local information, not medical advice, and not a substitute for professional guidance. It is not for emergencies — in any emergency, call 911 first. Memory Assist is not a medical device and does not diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition.

The Dallas-area resource families should know first

The Dallas Area Agency on Aging (DAAA) is administered by The Senior Source, a long-running Dallas nonprofit. They are the official entry point for publicly funded aging services in Dallas County, which includes the Park Cities. The Senior Source coordinates:

In-home support and caregiver respite programs
Benefits counseling (Medicare, Medicaid, prescription assistance)
Care transition and community referral services
The Caregiver Coalition of North Texas, for family caregivers specifically

Their website is theseniorsource.org. If you are not sure where to start, start there. They are not a crisis line — for emergencies call 911 — but they can connect your family with the range of local options.

You can also reach 2-1-1 Texas (dial 2-1-1 or visit 211texas.org) for a broad directory of local services: food, transportation, utility assistance, and senior supports throughout the Dallas metro.

Texas Medicaid and HCBS: the safety net for in-home care costs

Texas runs a managed long-term care program called STAR+PLUS under Texas Medicaid. For eligible low-income older adults and people with disabilities, STAR+PLUS can cover Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) — including personal attendant services, home health, and other supports specifically designed to help people remain at home rather than enter a nursing facility.

Eligibility is income- and needs-based. The Park Cities is an affluent area, so many families there won't qualify — but adult children with an aging parent on a fixed income, or families who have spent down assets on care, should check. Contact Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) at hhs.texas.gov or call 2-1-1 to start the assessment process.

Private non-medical home care in the Dallas metro typically runs $25–$35 per hour in 2025–2026. A 44-hour work week easily reaches $5,000–$6,500 per month — before any skilled nursing or therapy costs. That is why knowing every public resource matters, even for families who can partially self-pay.

Free: the Home Safety Checklist for Aging Parents

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Extreme summer heat: the most underestimated risk in Dallas

The Park Cities sits firmly in one of the hottest urban zones in the country. Dallas regularly records heat indexes above 105°F from June through September, and some years push past 115°F. For older adults, the risk is physiological: the body's ability to regulate temperature declines with age, certain common medications (diuretics, beta-blockers, antihistamines) impair sweating, and the early signs of heat exhaustion — fatigue, mild confusion — are easy to dismiss as an ordinary "bad afternoon."

What families in the Park Cities should actually do

Treat air conditioning as non-negotiable medical infrastructure. Get a tune-up before June. Budget for a backup window unit if the central system is old.
Have a plan for a power outage during a heat event. Know which neighbor, family member, or cooling center your parent can go to within two hours of losing AC.
Dallas County Health and Human Services (dallascounty.org) publishes heat emergency guidance and cooling center locations each summer. Check annually — locations change.
Hydration, not just reminders. Cognitive decline and some medications reduce thirst sensation. Leaving a visible, full water bottle on the kitchen counter is more reliable than "make sure Dad drinks water."
Check on your parent at least once a day during heat advisories — a phone call or smart sensor is fine; the point is any check-in.

Texas winter storms and the power grid: planning for what Uri proved can happen

Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 was a defining event for Texas families with elderly parents at home. Millions lost power for days in subfreezing temperatures. The Park Cities and Dallas County were not spared. For an older adult with reduced cold-tolerance, limited mobility, or electric medical equipment, a 48-hour outage is a genuine emergency.

The steps that actually protect an aging parent

Register with Oncor's Life Support / Medical Necessity program if your parent depends on electric medical equipment (home oxygen concentrator, CPAP, nebulizer, electric hospital bed, etc.). Oncor Electric Delivery serves the Park Cities; their website (oncor.com) lists the process. This does not guarantee power, but it gives you advance notice of planned outages and puts your address on the priority restoration list.
Keep a 72-hour supply of critical medications on hand, not relying on next-day delivery. Pharmacies close in major storms.
Have a written shelter plan. Where will your parent go if the house drops below 55°F? Family nearby? A hotel? This conversation needs to happen in October, not during the storm.
Heating safety indoors: Never use a gas oven, outdoor propane grill, or generator indoors for warmth — carbon monoxide is lethal. A properly rated indoor-safe space heater with tip-over auto-shutoff is the right tool.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management (tdem.texas.gov) publishes preparedness checklists for older adults and people with disabilities. Worth reading before each winter season.

Tornado and severe weather awareness

The Dallas–Fort Worth area is in the heart of Tornado Alley. Spring and early fall bring active severe-weather seasons. For an older adult living alone or with early cognitive changes, the challenge is acting quickly when warnings are issued.

Have a designated interior room on the lowest floor (an interior bathroom or closet, away from windows) identified and accessible — no clutter blocking the door.
A battery-powered NOAA weather radio is more reliable than a smartphone alert during a fast-moving storm, and doesn't depend on cell networks staying up.
The City of Highland Park and the City of University Park both maintain emergency management pages through Dallas County. Sign up for Dallas County's Alert Dallas system (alertdallas.com) — the county's official emergency notification platform — for direct alerts.
If your parent has mobility limitations, the time to plan assisted evacuation to a safe room is well before storm season.

Fall prevention: the universal priority at home

Falls are the leading cause of injury hospitalization for older adults nationally, and they are largely preventable through environment modification. No technology replaces a home that has been deliberately made safer. The basics:

Bathroom: Grab bars at the toilet and in the shower (not towel bars — they pull out of drywall). A tub transfer bench or roll-in shower if balance is a concern. Non-slip mat inside the tub and on the bath floor.
Flooring: Remove or secure area rugs with non-slip backing or tape. Keep floors clear of extension cords, pet beds, and low furniture legs in traffic paths.
Lighting: Motion-activated night lights from bedroom to bathroom. Bright stairwell lighting with switches at both top and bottom.
Stairs: Secure handrails on both sides if possible. Consider whether the bedroom should move to the ground floor.
Footwear: Indoor non-slip shoes or slippers — bare feet and socks on hardwood floors are a slip hazard.

A home modification assessment by a certified aging-in-place specialist (CAPS) can identify risks a family walkthrough misses. Ask The Senior Source for a referral, or search the National Aging in Place Council (naipc.org) directory.

What the Park Cities context means for home safety

Highland Park and University Park homes are typically large, older (many built mid-20th century), and designed for full mobility. High ceilings, multi-story layouts, formal dining rooms rarely used — beautiful for raising a family, but harder to adapt for a parent who now uses a walker or has early cognitive changes. Specific things to look at in this housing stock:

Door thresholds and step-ins in older construction are common trip points. A threshold ramp costs under $40.
Gas appliances are common in these neighborhoods. If your parent forgets a burner is on, an automatic stove shut-off device (such as FireAvert or similar) physically cuts power regardless of what your parent remembers. This is one of the highest-value single interventions for cognitive safety.
Long driveways and detached garages create distance between the house and the car — consider whether your parent should still be driving, and if not, what their transportation plan is. The Senior Source can connect families with transportation resources for older adults in Dallas County.
Lawn and outdoor heat exposure: Park Cities homeowners often have significant outdoor property. In summer, early morning is the only safe time for outdoor activity. Even brief exertion in midday heat can cause heat illness in an older adult.

Common questions

What local agency helps seniors stay home in Highland Park and the Park Cities area of Dallas?

The Dallas Area Agency on Aging (DAAA) is administered by The Senior Source (theseniorsource.org), a nonprofit serving all of Dallas County, including Highland Park and University Park. They coordinate home-based services, caregiver support, and benefits counseling. You can also reach 2-1-1 Texas for a broad local services directory.

How dangerous is summer heat for elderly residents in the Park Cities and Dallas?

Very dangerous. Dallas heat indexes routinely exceed 105–115°F in summer. Older adults are physiologically less able to regulate body temperature, and some common medications worsen that vulnerability. Key actions: maintain working AC as a priority, have a cooling plan for outages, and monitor hydration actively. Dallas County Health and Human Services issues heat emergency guidance and cooling center locations each summer.

What should Park Cities families do to prepare an aging parent for a Texas winter storm and power outage?

After Winter Storm Uri (2021), this is no longer hypothetical. Steps: register electric medical equipment with Oncor's Life Support program (oncor.com); keep a 72-hour medication supply; write a shelter plan before storm season; never use outdoor gas appliances for indoor heating. The Texas Division of Emergency Management (tdem.texas.gov) publishes older-adult preparedness checklists.

Does Texas Medicaid help pay for in-home care for seniors in Dallas County?

Yes, for eligible individuals. Texas Medicaid's STAR+PLUS program provides Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) — including personal attendant and home health services — for eligible low-income older adults and people with disabilities in Dallas County. Contact Texas HHS at hhs.texas.gov or call 2-1-1 to begin an assessment.

How much does in-home care cost in the Highland Park and Park Cities area?

Non-medical home care (companion and personal care) in the Dallas metro runs roughly $25–$35 per hour, with rates sometimes higher in the Park Cities market. Full-time weekday care (44 hours/week) can easily reach $5,000–$6,500 per month. This is a major reason families explore every public resource and layered safety technology to extend how long a parent can remain safely at home with less round-the-clock coverage.