Home Health Care
Service Standard
Home Health Care Service Standard print version
Texas Department of State Health Services, HIV Care Services Group – HIV/STD Program
Subcategories | Service Units |
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Home Health Care | Per visit |
Home Health Specialized Care | Per visit |
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Description
Home Health Care is the provision of services in the home, by licensed professionals, that are appropriate to an eligible client’s needs.
Activities provided under Home Health Care must relate to the client’s HIV disease and may include:
- Administration of prescribed therapeutics (e.g., intravenous medication, aerosolized treatments, or parenteral feeding)
- Preventive and specialty care
- Wound care
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech-language pathology services
- Routine diagnostic testing administered in the home
- Other medical therapies
Program Guidance
Home Health Care is limited to homebound clients. Agencies may fund non-licensed personal care services under the Home and Community-based Health Services service category.
Limitations
Providers cannot conduct Home Health Care in nursing facilities or inpatient mental health or substance abuse treatment facilities. Service providers must have licensure. Agencies may not provide personal care services under the Home Health Care category.
Universal Standards
Services providers for Home Health Care must follow HRSA and DSHS Universal Standards 1-63 and 99-100.
Service Standards and Measures
The following standards and measures are guides to improving healthcare outcomes for people living with HIV throughout the State of Texas within the Ryan White Part B and State Services Program.
Standard | Measure |
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Initiation of Care Orders: The home health agency must receive written orders from the client’s primary HIV medical provider before initiating care. The referring provider may be a physician, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, or physician assistant. A licensed practitioner must provide care to include the following:
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Homebound Status: The ordering provider must certify the client is homebound or confined to home as defined by one or more of the following criteria:
Note: If the client does leave the home, the client may still meet the definition of homebound if the absences from the home are infrequent or for periods of relatively short duration or are attributable to the need to receive health care treatment. |
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Timely Initiation of Care: Staff must contact the client within one business day of the referral and initiate services at the time specified by the primary medical care provider or within two business days. |
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Initial Assessment: Agencies must complete a comprehensive assessment of the client’s past medical history and psychosocial, functional, and current health status. The assessment must include, as applicable to the client’s needs:
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Implementation of Care Plan: Staff will complete a care plan based on the primary medical care provider's order that includes:
Care providers will update the care plan at least every 60 calendar days. |
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Provision of Services: Professional staff will:
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Transfer and Discharge: The agency must develop a planned and progressive process for transferring and discharging clients from home health care services. The discharge and transfer processes must consider the needs and desires of the client, caregiver(s), family, and support network.
An employee of the agency has experienced a real or perceived threat to safety during a visit to a client's home, in the company of an escort or not. The agency may discontinue services or refuse the client for as long as the threat is ongoing. |
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Notification of Transfer or Discharge: When an agency transfers or discharges a client from services, they must:
Agencies must deliver the written notification no later than five days before the date on which the agency will transfer or discharge the client. |
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References
Division of Metropolitan HIV/AIDS Programs, HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB). Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) National Monitoring Standards for RWHAP Part A Recipients. Health Resources and Services Administration, March 2025.
Division of State HIV/AIDS Programs, HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB). Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) National Monitoring Standards for RWHAP Part B Recipients. Health Resources and Services Administration, March 2025.
Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. Policy Notice 16-02: Eligible Individuals & Allowable Uses of Funds. Health Resources and Services Administration, October 22, 2018.