What is Personal Assistance Services (PAS) in Texas?

If you have started researching home care in Texas, you have probably come across the term Personal Assistance Services, or PAS. It appears in licensing documents, agency descriptions, and government forms but it is rarely explained clearly. Here is what it actually means.

The simple definition

Personal Assistance Services is the official Texas term for non-medical in-home care. It refers to help with daily living activities things like bathing, dressing, grooming, meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, and companionship provided by a trained caregiver in someone's home.

PAS is not medical care. It does not include wound care, IV therapy, injections, physical therapy, or other skilled nursing services. Those fall under a different license category called Home Health Services (HHS).

How PAS agencies are licensed in Texas

Any agency providing Personal Assistance Services in Texas must be licensed by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) as a Home and Community Support Services Agency (HCSSA) with a PAS designation. This licensing process involves:

• ✓Submitting an application through the HHSC TULIP online system
• ✓Paying a licensing fee (currently $2,625 for initial licensure)
• ✓Developing and submitting written policies and procedures
• ✓Passing an onsite survey/inspection by HHSC
• ✓Maintaining compliance with ongoing HHSC regulations

Agencies that operate without this license are doing so illegally and without the consumer protections the license provides.

What PAS caregivers can and cannot do

• ✓Can do: Help with bathing, showering, and personal hygiene
• ✓Can do: Assist with dressing, grooming, and toileting
• ✓Can do: Prepare meals and assist with eating
• ✓Can do: Provide medication reminders (not administration)
• ✓Can do: Help with mobility, transfers, and walking safely
• ✓Can do: Provide companionship, conversation, and social engagement
• ✓Can do: Perform light housekeeping
• ✓Can do: Transport clients to appointments and errands
• ✓Cannot do: Administer medications, injections, or IV therapy
• ✓Cannot do: Provide wound care, tube feedings, or skilled nursing
• ✓Cannot do: Diagnose, treat, or make medical decisions

PAS vs. Home Health what is the difference?

This is one of the most common points of confusion. Home Health (sometimes called Skilled Home Health) is medical care delivered at home by licensed nurses or therapists ordered by a physician and typically covered by Medicare. PAS is non-medical care focused on daily living support.

Many families need both. After a hospital discharge, a senior might receive skilled nursing visits from a home health agency while also receiving daily personal care from a PAS agency like Hearthwell Care. The two services work alongside each other.

Does PAS require a doctor's order?

No. Unlike home health, Personal Assistance Services in Texas does not require a physician's order or referral. Families can contact a licensed PAS agency directly and arrange care without going through a doctor first.

Is PAS covered by Medicare or insurance?

Medicare does not cover non-medical home care. Some long-term care insurance policies do cover PAS check your policy details. Some individuals may qualify for PAS through Texas Medicaid programs such as STAR+PLUS, though this is income and need-based. Most PAS is private pay.

Hearthwell Care is a licensed Texas HCSSA/PAS agency serving Dallas, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Denton and surrounding communities in Collin and Denton counties.