Texas Home Health Policy and Procedure Manual (LHHS)
For Texas agencies licensed by HHSC as a Home and Community Support Services Agency (HCSSA) in the Licensed Home Health Services category (LHHS) or the Licensed and Certified Home Health Services category (LCHHS). The manual has 56 policies and 42 forms, with the patient forms in English and Spanish, written to 26 TAC Chapter 558, the HCSSA licensing rules, and, for certified agencies, the home health Conditions of Participation (42 CFR Part 484). Each policy opens with a plain-English summary and names the rule section it follows, and every one is filled in with your agency's name and details. You get Word and PDF files to keep, and your staff read and sign each policy on their phone.
Texas · Home health
56 policies written to the Texas rules, with 42 forms. Every one is filled in with your agency's details.
- A plain-English summary first
- The rule each policy follows
- Word and PDF downloads, yours to keep
- Policies
- 56
- Forms
- 42
- Categories
- 14
- Policy Pack · required
- $950one-timeIncludes 90 days in the portal with Premium. To keep it open after that, Premium is $99 a month or $990 a year.
Read before you buy
3 free sample policies, shown in full for a sample agency.
Complaints and Grievances
Gives every patient and family a simple way to complain, by phone, in writing, or in person, to the Agency or to HHSC, without fear of reprisal. The complaint officer acknowledges each complaint within 5 days and resolves it within 30 days. Every complaint is logged, investigated within the time frames 26 TAC §558.250 sets, answered, and reviewed through QAPI.
Read the full policy TX-HH-SG-01Free sample SafeguardingAbuse, Neglect, and Exploitation: Recognition and Reporting
Teaches every staff member to recognize abuse, neglect, exploitation, injuries of unknown source, and misappropriation of patient property, and to report: abuse, neglect, or exploitation by Agency staff to HHSC immediately and never later than 24 hours; abuse, neglect, or exploitation by anyone else, or self-neglect, to DFPS immediately; suspected child abuse or neglect to DFPS immediately, and by licensed professionals no later than the 24th hour. Reporting is a personal legal duty that cannot be passed to a supervisor.
Read the full policy TX-HH-IC-01Free sample Infection controlInfection Prevention and Control Program
Sets up the Agency’s infection prevention and control program: standard precautions and hand hygiene on every visit, transmission-based precautions, bag technique and equipment cleaning, surveillance and documentation of every infection a patient acquires while in service with the details 26 TAC §558.285 lists, reporting of notifiable conditions, staff illness and screening, and education for staff, patients, and caregivers, all as part of QAPI.
Read the full policyWhat 26 TAC Chapter 558 asks your policies to cover
- Patient rights. Written notice of patient rights, given and explained before care is furnished, a grievance process free of reprisal, and the Rights of the Elderly for patients 60 or older. 26 TAC §558.282
- Starting care. A written policy that sets the agency's own time frame for starting care or services after a referral, and the agency enforces it. 26 TAC §558.294
- Physician orders. Who may take an order, the agency's own time frame for the practitioner to countersign a verbal order, and safeguards for faxed orders. 26 TAC §558.297
- Plan of care reviews. Where skilled treatment is ordered, the plan of care is reviewed at least every six months, or at least every 60 days for a Medicare-certified agency. 26 TAC §558.401(b)(2)(B); 42 CFR §484.60(c)(1)
- Abuse, neglect and exploitation. Staff report at once. Abuse by agency staff goes to HHSC immediately, never later than 24 hours, and HHSC Form 3613 follows no later than the 10th day after the report. 26 TAC §558.249; §558.250(b)(3)
- Transfer and discharge notice. Written notice delivered no later than five days before a transfer or discharge, or mailed at least eight working days before, except in the situations the rule lists. 26 TAC §558.295
Questions a surveyor may ask
Every policy lists questions a surveyor may ask about it, so your staff can practice the answers. A few from this manual:
Show me where this patient signed for the notice of rights, and show me that it was given before care was furnished.TX-HH-PR-01Patient Rights and Responsibilities
What is your time frame for starting care, and where is it written?TX-HH-ADM-02Time Frames for Initiation of Care
What is your policy time frame for the practitioner to sign a verbal order, and how do you track unsigned orders?TX-HH-ORD-01Physician and Practitioner Orders, Including Verbal Orders
Show me your last self-report: when did you have cause to believe, when did you call HHSC, and when did you send Form 3613?TX-HH-SG-02Self-Reported Incidents to HHSC
Pick an active patient. What is her triage category, does she need evacuation help, and did you offer STEAR registration?TX-HH-EP-01Emergency Preparedness Program
Browse all 56 policies
Search by title, policy number or rule. Open any policy to see its summary, the rules it follows and what is inside.
Patient rights5
Service delivery9
Patient care3
Clinical tasks10
Safeguarding2
Infection control3
Emergency preparedness1
Records2
Privacy3
Human resources5
Governance5
Quality3
Business3
Ethics2
Questions about this manual
Is this the right manual for my license?
It is for HCSSAs licensed in the Licensed Home Health Services category, licensed only (LHHS) or licensed and certified (LCHHS). Agencies licensed only for Personal Assistance Services, or for hospice, need the Texas PAS or Texas hospice manual.
Does it suit an agency that is not Medicare-certified?
Yes. The policies follow Chapter 558 for every licensed home health agency. Where a duty comes only from the federal Conditions of Participation, the policy says it applies if the agency is Medicare-certified (LCHHS).
Does it cover workplace violence prevention?
Yes. Health and Safety Code Chapter 331 has applied to a home health agency that employs at least two registered nurses since September 1, 2023 (S.B. 240). Policy TX-HH-CS-01 sets out the committee, the written policy and plan, how incidents are handled and the yearly review.
What about HHSC's proposed rewrite of Chapter 558?
HHSC proposed a rewrite of most of Chapter 558 in the Texas Register on September 18, 2026. It was not in force when this manual was last reviewed, so the policies follow the rules in force today.
What do the 56 policies cover?
Patient rights (5), service delivery (9), patient care (3), clinical tasks (10), safeguarding (2), infection control (3), emergency preparedness (1), records (2), privacy (3), human resources (5), governance (5), quality (3), business (3) and ethics (2).
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