Texas task guide • HHSC Revision 26-2
Texas Personal Attendant Tasks in 2026
Families often ask whether an attendant can help with toileting, bathing, dressing, meals, transfers, laundry, shopping, or other everyday routines. Current Texas HHSC guidance spells out many of these tasks for Primary Home Care and Community Attendant Services.
Planned Personal Assistance Services only; license pending.
Plan the day, not just the task
Write down what is getting harder and when help is needed.
A useful plan connects each difficult routine to the time of day, the help required, and the questions that must be confirmed in the person’s assessment and service plan.
Personal care
Daily self-care tasks Texas currently lists
Bathing
- Preparing water and supplies
- Assisting in or out of the tub or shower
- Sponge, bed, or tub bathing
- Drying after bathing
- Standby assistance for safety when authorized
Dressing & grooming
- Dressing or undressing
- Laying out clothing
- Routine grooming and hygiene support
- Routine hair and skin care within program rules
Toileting
- Getting to and from the toilet
- Routine toileting assistance
- Personal hygiene associated with toileting
- Support consistent with the authorized task plan
Meals & eating
Meal preparation and eating support
Meal preparation
- Cooking a full meal
- Warming prepared food
- Planning meals
- Helping prepare meals
- Cutting food for eating
Eating assistance
- Helping the person eat when authorized
- Feeding assistance within the approved task plan
- Supporting a regular meal routine
Shopping & supplies
- Shopping for groceries and household items
- Storing purchased items
- Washing dishes
Mobility & home management
Helping a person move through daily routines
Transfers & ambulation
- Assistance with transferring
- Assistance with ambulation
- Routine movement support as authorized
Housekeeping
- Changing bed linens
- Housekeeping needed for a clean, safe home environment
- Cleaning routinely used areas
Laundry
- Laundering clothing
- Laundering linens
- Putting away clean items as part of the routine
Primary source: Texas HHSC Community Care Services Eligibility Handbook, Section 4621, Revision 26-2, effective June 1, 2026.
What this guide does not mean
“Allowed task” does not equal automatic authorization
A task can appear in the Texas program handbook and still not be authorized for a specific person. The person’s functional need, assessment, service plan, authorized hours, payer requirements, and delivery model determine what is actually delivered.
Some needs require a clinical provider rather than nonmedical attendant care. Wound care, injections, skilled assessments, therapy, and other clinical services must be handled by the appropriate licensed professional.
For the bigger program picture, see our Texas PHC & STAR+PLUS guide.
Common questions
Texas personal-attendant task FAQ
Can an attendant help with toileting?
Texas PHC/CAS guidance includes toileting and related personal-care assistance among allowable attendant tasks. The exact assistance must still be authorized for the individual.
Can an attendant cook meals?
Meal preparation is listed in current Texas guidance, including cooking a full meal, warming food, meal planning, helping prepare meals, and cutting food for eating.
Can an attendant do housekeeping and laundry?
Home-management tasks such as housekeeping, changing linens, laundry, shopping, storing purchases, and washing dishes appear in current PHC/CAS guidance when part of the authorized service plan.
Is Valiynt currently providing these services?
No. Valiynt is preparing for Texas HCSSA Personal Assistance Services licensure. Planned Personal Assistance Services only; license pending.
Build from the actual daily routine
Turn vague “help at home” concerns into specific tasks
Use Valiynt’s planning resources to identify which routines are difficult, when help is needed, and which questions belong with a nonmedical provider, MCO, caseworker, or clinical professional.