Hourly: area median home care rate (CareScout 2025). 65+: Census share of residents (metro area for "Metro" locations).
License required
Is non-medical home care licensed in Texas?
Texas licenses non-medical home care.
State law bars anyone from providing personal assistance services for pay without an HCSSA license. The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) issues a Home and Community Support Services Agency (HCSSA) license, and Personal Assistance Services (PAS) is one of its categories. PAS means routine ongoing help in a home with daily living, and it includes respite. The other categories (licensed home health, licensed and certified home health, hospice) cover skilled care. A PAS-only agency does not need a licensed nurse as administrator.
Tip: Ask the agency for its HCSSA license number and category, and check it in the HHSC HCSSA provider directory file before you sign. Check a license
Most families pay privately, with long-term care insurance or with veterans benefits. These programs can pay for help at home for people who qualify.
HCBS waiver
STAR+PLUS Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver
Who: Adults age 21 or older who meet nursing home level of care and are at risk of nursing home placement. The person must qualify for Medicaid in the community, with own income up to 300% of the SSI limit and no more than $2,000 in assets.
What it covers
Personal attendant services, respite care in or out of the home, home nursing, home-delivered meals, minor home modifications, adaptive aids, and assisted living or adult foster care.
Family caregivers: Yes. HHSC lists personal assistance services under STAR+PLUS in its Consumer Directed Services option, where the member hires and manages the attendant.
STAR+PLUS (Medicaid managed care) with Community First Choice (CFC) personal attendant services
Who: Adults who have disabilities or are age 65 or older and who qualify for Texas Medicaid. HHSC assesses the need for long-term services when the person applies.
What it covers
Medical care plus long-term services such as personal assistance services, Day Activity and Health Services, and Community First Choice attendant help.
Family caregivers: Yes. Consumer Directed Services lets members hire and manage the people who provide their services.
Primary Home Care (PHC) and Community Attendant Services (CAS)
Who: People who qualify for community Medicaid, have a medically related functional limitation in personal care, score at least 24 on the state assessment form (Form 2060), and need at least six hours of service a week. The state handbook lists some exceptions to the six-hour rule.
What it covers
Help with personal care tasks and routine home tasks from an attendant. The agency must hold an HCSSA license.
Family caregivers: Yes, through Consumer Directed Services. State handbook says relatives can generally be attendants, but not the recipient's spouse.
Income limit: For 2026 (effective Jan. 1, 2026), the HHSC handbook lists a maximum gross monthly income of $2,982 for an individual in nursing facility and HCBS waiver programs, with a $2,000 resource limit.
Texas medians, CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025. Home care months are estimates: hourly rate x hours x 52 / 12. Not HomeCare.com prices.
Help at home with daily living.
Care in your home
Meal preparation
Light housekeeping
Bathing and dressing
Transportation
Companionship
Personal care
About home care in Texas
Home care in Texas helps seniors who need assistance with “activities of daily living (ADL’s)” and their family. In-Home Care can be provided in Texas by either a home care agency or private duty caregivers. Agencies have physical locations and are more strictly regulated by the state, but many more experienced caregivers decide to work directly for the family as private duty home health aides so they can avoid the agency overhead that cuts into their wages.
HomeCare.com specializes in connecting families with caregivers who meet their unique needs. Our care advisors have years of experience dedicated to assisting families through this process. We'd be happy to offer you a free consultation to discuss your specific requirements and help you find the best possible caregiver.
The Texas HHS Medicaid handbook lists three PACE sites in Texas, in El Paso, Amarillo and Lubbock. None of them is in the Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston or San Antonio areas.
Questions about care in Texas.
Rather talk it through? A care advisor can answer these by phone.
CareScout's 2025 survey puts the Texas statewide median for a non-medical caregiver at $30 an hour. The national median is $35. Costs vary by metro area: Austin is $34, Dallas and Fort Worth are $33, and Houston is $29 an hour. A HomeCare.com care advisor can talk through payment options at 800-974-3458.
Does Medicaid pay for home care in Texas?
Sometimes. Texas Medicaid has three routes: the STAR+PLUS Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver, STAR+PLUS with Community First Choice personal attendant services, and Primary Home Care (PHC) and Community Attendant Services (CAS). Eligibility rules apply. Call 1-877-782-6440 about STAR+PLUS HCBS, or call 2-1-1. A HomeCare.com care advisor can talk through payment options.
Is non-medical home care licensed in Texas?
Yes. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) issues a Home and Community Support Services Agency (HCSSA) license, and Personal Assistance Services is one category. Texas law bars paid personal assistance without that license. Ask any agency for its HCSSA license number and category, and check it in the HHSC provider directory before you sign.
Can I be paid to care for a family member in Texas?
Sometimes, through Medicaid. Texas Consumer Directed Services lets members hire and manage their own attendants. The state handbook for Primary Home Care says relatives can generally be attendants, but not the recipient's spouse. The family member must first qualify for Medicaid. Questions go to CDS@hhs.texas.gov.
How do I find senior services near me in Texas?
Start with your Area Agency on Aging. Texas has 28 of them, and they offer caregivers information, help applying for services, counseling, support groups, training and respite care. The Aging and Disability Resource Center line is 855-937-2372. Texas Health and Human Services Aging Services answers at 800-252-9240.
How does HomeCare.com work in Texas?
HomeCare.com serves families in Texas by connecting them with credentialed, non-medical caregivers. Call 800-974-3458 to talk with a care advisor, who offers a free consultation. You choose the visits and hours, with no minimums and no contracts. An app confirms each caregiver is at your home on time and your billed hours are accurate.
