Paying for senior care in Texas is rarely a single-source affair — most families combine private funds with one or more public benefits. Two programs come up again and again for Houston families: Texas Medicaid’s STAR+PLUS managed-care program and the VA’s Aid & Attendance pension for wartime veterans and their surviving spouses. Below is a plain-language overview of each, with links to fuller detail.
Texas STAR+PLUS HCBS (Medicaid)
STAR+PLUS is the Texas Medicaid managed-care program for adults who are 65 or older or who have a disability. Its Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) component is designed to let people receive long-term care in their own home or community — not just in a nursing facility. Depending on eligibility, covered services can include personal attendant care, adult day care, respite for family caregivers, home modifications, and, in some cases, services in an assisted living or residential setting. Eligibility is based on both financial limits and a functional needs assessment, and it is administered by HHSC through managed care organizations.
Read the full STAR+PLUS HCBS guide → · STAR+PLUS in Houston
VA Aid & Attendance and veterans benefits
Aid & Attendance is an increased monthly VA pension for eligible wartime veterans — and surviving spouses — who need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, or medication management, or who are housebound. The benefit can help pay for assisted living, memory care, in-home care, or nursing care. Qualifying depends on wartime service, income and assets, and a documented care need, so many families work with an accredited VA representative to apply.
Read the full veterans benefits guide → · VA Aid & Attendance in Houston · Veterans assisted living
Getting help sorting it out
Benefit rules change and the paperwork is genuinely confusing. A free Houston Senior Advisor can help you figure out which programs a parent may qualify for and how they stack with private pay, then match you to communities that accept those benefits. Facing a time-sensitive move? See our help-by-situation guides, including planning after a sudden hospital discharge, or call (346) 385-3815.
