Transparency & Methodology
How We Verify Home Health Agencies
Trust is the most important factor when choosing someone to enter your home and care for a family member. This page explains exactly what the badges on Houston Senior Living Guide mean — and what they do not mean. We believe in full transparency about our methods and their limits.
HSLG Verified Member
What “Verified Member” means
An agency earns the Verified Member badge by completing our claim process, which includes:
- Active HHSC license confirmed — we cross-reference the agency’s HHSC license number against Texas TULIP public records at the time of claim approval.
- Business address verified — the address on the listing matches the address on record with HHSC.
- Phone number verified — we confirm a working contact number for the agency.
- Operator identity acknowledged — the person claiming the listing confirms they have authority to represent the agency.
What we do NOT verify: caregiver credentials, internal staffing policies, insurance coverage, background check practices, training programs, or any information the agency self-reports about their operations. All self-reported information is disclosed with the label “self-attested by agency.”
🛡 Peace of Mind Verified
What “Peace of Mind Verified” means
This badge is awarded when a Verified Member agency completes the full Caregiver Safety & Credentialing Disclosure — a 30-question form covering background checks, insurance, bonding, training hours, drug screening, emergency coverage, and electronic visit verification (EVV).
Important: this disclosure is entirely self-attested by the agency operator. Houston Senior Living Guide does not independently audit or verify the accuracy of any disclosure field. We display exactly what the operator reported, on the date they reported it. Always ask the agency directly to confirm any policies before engaging services.
Trust Score (0–100)
How Trust Scores are calculated
The Trust Score is a composite number computed nightly from four data sources. It is designed to help families quickly compare the overall transparency and quality evidence for each agency — not to rank agencies on care quality.
| Component | Weight | Data source |
|---|---|---|
| HHSC enforcement record | 35 pts | Texas HHSC TULIP — public enforcement actions, last 3 years |
| CMS quality stars | 30 pts | Medicare.gov Care Compare — Quality of Patient Care star rating (Medicare-certified agencies only) |
| Safety disclosure | 20 pts | HSLG Caregiver Safety & Credentialing Disclosure (self-attested) |
| Patient reviews | 15 pts | HSLG patient & family reviews — volume and average rating (minimum 3 reviews required) |
A Trust Score of 80+ indicates an agency has a clean enforcement record, a good CMS rating (or is not Medicare-certified), a completed safety disclosure, and at least 3 patient reviews. Scores are not a guarantee of care quality.
Limitations
What Houston Senior Living Guide does NOT do
- We do not make care recommendations or place patients with agencies.
- We do not audit, inspect, or visit any agency.
- We do not verify caregiver credentials, insurance coverage amounts, or training completion.
- We do not independently confirm any information that agencies self-report through the portal.
- We do not receive referral fees or commissions from any agency for appearing in our directory.
All listing data originates from Texas HHSC licensing records and is supplemented by information agencies provide voluntarily. Always conduct your own due diligence. Verify licenses directly at HHSC TULIP and ask agencies for proof of the credentials they claim before engaging services.
Questions about our methodology? See how we rate agencies → · Browse all Houston HHAs →