Frequently Asked Questions

What are the admission criteria for Independence Village?

• Be 19 years old or older

• Have a primary diagnosis of intellectual or developmental disability

• Be ambulatory (inclusive of self-mobility with adaptive equipment;

• Be able to self-medicate with supervision;

• Be able to communicate needs and understand instruction;

• Be capable of accomplishing self-help tasks with minimal or no assistance;

• Be free of disease (communicable or otherwise contagious) which could endanger other residents;

• Be without mental health problems or any major emotional/behavioral problems;

• Ability to evacuate the building in an emergency without the need for one-on-one staff

• Assistance;

• Ability to give informed consent or must have a legal guardian readily available;

• Ability to provide necessary funding for present and future care and needs. Be prepared to provide your long-term financial plans for caring for this individual prior to admission.

How much is the monthly tuition?

The current monthly tuition fee is $1400 for a semi-private room, and $2800 for a private room. Responsibility for current and future funding lies solely with the resident’s family or guardian. The Independence Village is not a Medicaid facility. A resident’s Social Security and/or SSI payments received for the resident, may be applied to the cost of tuition. The remainder of the monthly tuition would have to come from personal funds or trust funds.

How many residents live at The Independence Village?

The Village has a licensed capacity for 30 residents. However, ideally each suite can accommodate two individuals for an ideal occupancy of 24 individuals.

What are the room arrangements?

The layout of The Village consists of two “wings” containing 6 separate suites each (for a total of 12 suites). Each suite can either be semi-private or private. Semi-private suites house two residents.

Are the suites co-ed?

No; each suite is either occupied by males or females. However, each “wing” contains 6 individual suites so there are both male and female suites on each wing. Staff are on duty 24/7.

Can I have a telephone in my room?

Yes, but the resident is responsible for any related fees, maintenance and costs. The Village has a phone, so residents may use the telephone as it is available. Many residents have personal cell phones, and they are expected to respect the schedule that is maintained at The Village, and are asked to refrain from personal cell phone use after 9:00 p.m. unless it is an emergency. This practice is in place to respect other residents in the building. In addition, the residents are asked to refrain from personal cell phone use during meals or other group activities, and photos of one another are discouraged.

Can I have cable TV?

Yes, each room is wired for cable TV.

Can I have a pet?

No, unfortunately pets are not allowed due to health concerns for some residents. However, we have various service organizations who bring their dogs to The Village on a monthly basis for the residents who desire to do so to interact with them.

Can I receive mail?

Yes. All mail is received at The Village, 905 Highway 3 N., Texas City, TX 77591, and individual mail is distributed from the Administrative Office.

What about my laundry?

Every resident is encouraged to do their own laundry if possible, to encourage their independence. However, at all times, the resident is under the supervision of a staff to assist in doing laundry. In the event a resident is unable to do their own laundry, the staff will wash and dry your clothing. Please no dry cleaning or delicate items that require special attention.

Are personal hygiene items provided by The Village?

No. Each resident is responsible for providing all hygiene items on a continual basis. However, often The Village receives various donations of items from individuals or organizations in the community and as it is available these items are freely provided to any resident who needs additional hygiene items.

Is transportation provided?

In general The Village does not provide personal transportation; however every effort is made to work with the legal guardian to make arrangements for residents to get to/from work, school of volunteer opportunities utilizing local transportation options. There are generally charges for these services, depending upon the circumstances of the transportation needs of the resident. If The Village is sponsoring an outing for the residents, the transportation IS provided for those events.

Are residents allowed to go off campus alone?

There are some residents who work off campus, and they have permission granted by The Village administration and the residents’ legal guardian. For most residents, leaving The Village is only allowed with the approval of the legal guardian. For the safety and well-being of all residents, a list of approved individuals with whom the resident can be released, is maintained by The Village administration in conjunction with the legal guardian.

What are your visiting hours?

Family members are welcome to visit at any time (generally from 8am to 9pm), however we ask that the privacy of all residents be respected. It is best to call the staff beforehand to inquire of meal times, bed times, special activities, etc.

Does The Independence Village have scheduled activities?

Yes. The Village plans many activities for the residents, including bi-weekly bowling, dances, and other recreational and social activities such as going to the library, holiday parties, occasional Astros baseball games, and local rodeos and fairs.

Is The Independence Village affiliated with any other facility?

No. The Village is a non-profit assisted living facility and is a stand-alone. The Village is the only one of its kind in the Galveston County.

How is food service provided?

Meals are prepared and served by The Village staff.

Do you have special diets?

No, however it is our goal to provide healthy, nutritious meals and we can provide low-fat, low-sugar options for most meals.

What medical and dental services are provided?

The Independence Village does not provide any dental services. There is an LVN on duty weekdays during normal business hours to assist with medication administration. Each resident is required to have a medical physician and dentist of record and a yearly physical exam. The guardian is responsible for scheduling these appointments and we do need a report from each exam to place on file. We work with local providers and will arrange to transport the residents to thee providers for a fee. Families may use their own providers; however transportation will be the family’s responsibility if they are not local.

Does The Village provide pharmaceutical services?

No, however we work with a local pharmacy for filling prescriptions/supplies. We ask that you use this pharmacy, Kroger’s pharmacy, 3541 Palmer Highway, Texas City, TX 77590, (409) 945-3436. We can routinely pick up refills for you at this pharmacy.

What about spending money?

Spending money/gift cards should be kept in the Administrative office in each resident’s petty cash folder. Each resident has an account with access to it for general spending needs. The Village discourages money/gift cards being kept in rooms, etc. for safety reasons.

Once I place someone at The Independence Village, what are my responsibilities?

Your responsibilities as a parent/guardian do not end upon placing a resident at The Village. In fact, we hope you will remain an active part of their life by visiting and keeping in close contact with them. You must furnish us with a ready access contact method of reaching you or your designee in your absence, at all times. In the event of any weather or unforeseen emergency or any circumstance deemed necessary by The Village administration, you will be expected to pick up your resident immediately when called and care for them until we contact you that it is safe to return your resident to The Village. You are also expected to provide all hygiene items, towels, furniture, sheets, bedding, etc. for your resident. It is also important to remember that the financial well-being of The Independence Village benefits YOUR resident. We have 1-2 major fundraising efforts each year. Your volunteering efforts and donations (solicited or personal) help us to raise the funds necessary to offset our many expenses and to maintain tuition fees.