Frequently asked questions
Is this legal advice?
No. It's an operational template that you adapt for your own agency. For legal questions, talk to a Texas health care attorney.
Does it guarantee I'll get licensed or pass my survey?
No, and nobody can honestly promise that. The manual gives you rule-cited policies to adapt and adopt. Your license depends on your application, staff, records, and on actually following your policies. Texas HHSC makes the decision.
Can I use it as-is?
No. Every agency must adapt the policies to how it actually operates: your services, staffing, supervision schedule, service area and payers. Then you adopt them through your governing body, train staff on them, and follow them. Bracketed fields such as [Agency Name] and the [Choose] options show where your decisions go.
Which license is it for?
Texas Home and Community Support Services Agencies (HCSSAs) licensed in the Personal Assistance Services (PAS) category under 26 TAC Chapter 558. It isn't written for licensed home health, hospice or Medicare-certified agencies.
Doesn't HHSC give agencies a template?
No. HHSC's HCSSA FAQ says the Chapter 558 rules dictate the policies an agency must develop and implement, and that HHSC doesn't maintain a list of required policies.
Who writes the manuals?
Standardsmith is run by a registered nurse (MSN, RN) with legal nurse consulting and case management experience. We cite the official Texas rule text for each policy, and this edition's final RN review was completed in November 2026. We don't publish personal names.
What happens when Texas changes a rule?
Every manual is dated "Texas rules as of" a specific month. HHSC proposed changes to most of Chapter 558 on September 18, 2026 (51 TexReg 6429), and they hadn't been adopted as of November 15, 2026. Founding buyers get free revised pages for Texas rule changes to the sections in their manual for 12 months after purchase.
When do I get it?
Instant download (Word + PDF) right after checkout. You get the editable Word file and the PDF together.
What format is it?
An editable Word file (.docx) and a PDF, about 118 pages, in one download.
Can I share it with another agency?
No. You can edit and use it for your own agency and its locations, but you can't resell, share or publish it as a template for others.
Other states?
Texas comes first. Email qdh4h2dq@mail.grokbot.com to tell us which state you need.