McAllen Senior AdvisorWhat is in-home care in Texas?
In-home care, which Texas licenses as personal assistance services, sends an attendant to help with bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, meals, light housekeeping and errands; it is non-medical care from an HHSC-licensed agency.
HHSC's directory lists 257 agencies in Hidalgo County licensed only for personal assistance services, plus 126 home health agencies that also hold a personal assistance license and 52 hospices, for 486 licensed home care offices in the county.
Who is in-home care for?
It suits someone who wants to stay at home and needs help at predictable times, such as a morning bath, meals or evening routines, and has family or neighbors for the hours in between, or can afford longer coverage.
It is also how many Valley families support a parent who lives with them: an attendant covers the hours when adult children are at work.
How is in-home care paid for?
STAR+PLUS pays for personal attendant hours for Medicaid members who qualify, HHSC community care programs help some others with limited income, VA programs help eligible veterans, and private pay runs about $30 an hour at the 2025 Texas median.
Ask any agency which health plans it contracts with, how it screens attendants, and how it covers a missed shift.
What should we ask a home care agency in McAllen?
Ask whether the agency is licensed for personal assistance services, how attendants are screened and trained, whether the same attendant can come each visit, how a missed shift is covered, and which STAR+PLUS plans it works with.
Ask too who supervises the attendant and how often a supervisor visits, how visit times are recorded, and whom to call with a concern after hours. A good agency answers all of these without hesitation.
Where are licensed in-home care providers in Hidalgo County?
HHSC's records show 257 licensed in-home care providers in Hidalgo County, 59 in McAllen, 53 in Mission, 46 in Edinburg, 28 in Pharr, 19 in Weslaco, 8 in Palmview.
| City | Licensed providers | Licensed capacity |
|---|---|---|
| McAllen | 59 | — |
| Mission | 53 | — |
| Edinburg | 46 | — |
| Pharr | 28 | — |
| Weslaco | 19 | — |
| Palmview | 8 | — |
| San Juan | 7 | — |
| Mercedes | 6 | — |
| Donna | 5 | — |
| Alamo | 5 | — |
Every one is on the roster.
Side by side
| In-home attendant care can | In-home attendant care cannot | |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule | Fit hours to mornings, evenings or weekends | Replace round-the-clock staffing cheaply |
| Tasks | Bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping | Skilled nursing tasks |
| Payment | Use STAR+PLUS, VA or private funds | Be paid by Medicare |
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.
