McAllen Senior AdvisorWhat is the difference between adult day care and in-home care?
An adult day (DAHS) center brings the older adult to a licensed program for the day, with a nurse, meals, activities and company, while in-home care sends an attendant or homemaker to the house for a set number of hours.
Adult day suits someone who is lonely, needs supervision while family works, or benefits from routine and social contact. In-home care suits someone who cannot easily leave the house, needs help with bathing and dressing at specific times, or needs help in the evening and early morning when centers are closed.
How many of each are available around McAllen?
Hidalgo County has 130 licensed adult day (DAHS) centers and 257 agencies licensed only for personal assistance, plus 126 home health agencies that also provide attendant care.
With that much choice, the best provider is often the closest one with a nurse you trust and a schedule that matches the family's. Ask about van pickup times for a center and about consistency of attendants for an agency.
Does Medicaid pay for adult day and in-home care in Texas?
Yes, for people who qualify: STAR+PLUS health plans authorize DAHS attendance by the day and personal attendant hours in a service plan, and HHSC community care programs can fund attendants for some people with limited income who do not have full Medicaid.
Without Medicaid, CareScout's 2025 Texas medians are about $90 a day for adult day health care and about $30 an hour for a non-medical caregiver, so a weekday adult day schedule often costs less than the same hours of paid help at home.
Can a family combine adult day care and in-home care?
Yes, and it is common in the Valley: a parent attends a DAHS center on weekdays while an attendant helps with bathing in the morning or evening, and family covers nights and weekends.
The service coordinator at a STAR+PLUS plan can authorize both when the assessment supports them. Ask the center and the agency to share schedules so the attendant is not booked for hours your parent is at the center.
Side by side
| Adult day (DAHS) center | In-home attendant care | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | At a licensed center, with transport | In the home |
| Hours | Weekday daytime program | Scheduled hours, including mornings and evenings |
| Social | Group meals, activities, company | One-to-one help |
| Medical | Supervised by a nurse | Personal care; skilled care only from home health |
Sources: Texas Health and Safety Code ch. 247 and 242; 26 TAC chapters 553, 554, 558 and 559; HHSC directories, TULIP and handbooks; CMS; CareScout; VA rate tables, as cited above. See our editorial standards.
