El Paso Senior AdvisorWhat is the difference between home health and personal assistance services?
Home health provides skilled nursing and therapy visits under a doctor's plan, usually paid by Medicare, while personal assistance services provide non-medical help with bathing, dressing, meals and housekeeping by the hour, paid privately or by Medicaid programs.
Texas licenses both under one HCSSA license with separate categories. HHSC's directory shows 93 home health agencies and 43 hospice agencies with offices in El Paso County, plus 108 agencies licensed only for personal assistance services.
Who pays for personal assistance services in El Paso?
Families pay privately at a Texas median of about $30 an hour, while STAR+PLUS, Community Attendant Services and Primary Home Care pay licensed agencies for eligible people; long-term care insurance and VA pension can help.
Medicare does not pay for personal assistance.
Can someone receive both at the same time?
Yes. A person recovering at home may get Medicare home health visits for nursing and therapy and separate personal assistance hours for daily help.
Make sure both agencies know about each other and share the care schedule.
How do we choose a licensed agency in El Paso?
Check the agency's license and categories on our roster, ask about background checks and training, supervision, backup coverage, language, and whether caregivers are employees.
Ask for references and a written service agreement with rates and cancellation terms.
What if the agency is not licensed?
An agency sending paid caregivers into homes in Texas needs an HCSSA license, so an unlicensed agency is a red flag; report it to HHSC at 1-800-458-9858.
A private caregiver hired directly by the family is not an agency, but the family takes on the employer's responsibilities.
Can one El Paso agency provide both home health and personal assistance?
Yes. HHSC's directory lists each agency's licensed categories, and an agency licensed for both can send a nurse or therapist for skilled visits and an attendant for daily help under the same license.
HHSC's directory shows 93 home health agencies and 43 hospice agencies with offices in El Paso County, plus 108 agencies licensed only for personal assistance services. One agency for both can simplify scheduling and communication, but compare each service on its own merits; the strongest home health agency is not always the most reliable attendant agency. Ask who supervises attendants, how often a nurse visits to check the care plan, and how the two teams share notes.
Side by side
| Home health | Personal assistance | |
|---|---|---|
| Care | Skilled nursing and therapy | Non-medical daily help |
| Payer | Medicare, no copay | Private, Medicaid programs, insurance |
| Schedule | Short visits a few times a week | Hours or shifts |
| License category | Home health (certified for Medicare) | Personal assistance services |
Sources: Texas Health and Safety Code chapters 142, 242 and 247; 26 Texas Administrative Code chapters 553, 554, 558 and 559; HHSC program handbooks; CareScout, CMS and VA rate tables, as cited above. See our editorial standards.
