Editorial Team · Content Writer
Reviewed by John Brown, CSA®
Updated October 2026 · 10-minute read
Dad is being discharged from the hospital on Friday.
The discharge planner gives your family a list of home health agencies and says he needs nursing and physical therapy after he gets home.
Which agency do you choose?
The company with the highest Google rating? The name you recognize? The agency connected to the hospital? The one your neighbor used after knee surgery?
There is a better place to start:
Which Medicare-certified home health agency can provide the skilled services Dad actually needs, in his ZIP code, when he gets home?
Home health is different from non-medical home care. Home health provides skilled healthcare in a person's residence and may include skilled nursing, Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), Speech-Language Pathology or Speech Therapy (ST/SLP), medical social services, and qualifying home health aide services.
Medicare explains that qualifying home health benefits can include part-time or intermittent skilled nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology when Medicare's requirements are met. Medicare — Home Health Services
For this 2026 Central Texas guide, Senior Industry Services looked beyond advertising and name recognition. We considered multidisciplinary skilled services, local consumer reviews, Medicare certification and quality information where it could be reliably matched to the specific agency, geographic coverage, and relevance to hospital-to-home recovery.
The five agencies below are not ranked #1 through #5 for clinical quality, and inclusion is not an endorsement or guarantee of care.
They are five established Central Texas home health agencies that families and healthcare professionals may want to include when comparing options.
Table of Contents
Quick Comparison: Top Home Health Agencies in Central Texas
How We Selected These Home Health Agencies
CenterWell Home Health – Temple
Capitol Home Health – Austin
Enhabit Home Health – Georgetown
JOL Healthcare – Leander
CHRISTUS HomeCare – New Braunfels
Why Medicare-Certified Home Health Agencies Matter
How to Choose Home Health After a Hospital Discharge
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick Comparison: Top Home Health Agencies in Central Texas
| Home Health Agency | Local Google Rating* | Skilled Services | Area Represented |
|---|---|---|---|
| CenterWell Home Health – Temple | 4.6★ / 27 reviews | Nursing, PT, OT, Speech | Temple / Central Texas |
| Capitol Home Health – Austin | 4.2★ / 19 reviews | Nursing, PT, OT, Speech | Austin / Central Texas |
| Enhabit Home Health – Georgetown | 4.2★ / 15 reviews | Nursing, PT, OT, Speech | Georgetown / Williamson County |
| JOL Healthcare – Leander | 4.6★ / 22 reviews | Skilled nursing and rehabilitation | Leander / broader Central Texas |
| CHRISTUS HomeCare – New Braunfels | 4.5★ / 4 reviews | Nursing, PT, OT, Speech | New Braunfels / Comal County |
*Google ratings and review counts were checked in October 2026 and can change. Google ratings represent consumer reviews. They are not Medicare clinical-quality ratings.
Key Takeaway
Don't choose a home health agency from one number.
Google reviews can provide insight into individual patient and family experiences.
Medicare Care Compare provides standardized information about Medicare-certified home health agencies. Medicare's Quality of Patient Care star rating is calculated using seven quality measures based on patient assessments and Medicare claims—not online consumer reviews. Medicare — Quality of Patient Care Ratings
Medicare also publishes standardized patient-experience information through the Home Health Care CAHPS survey. CMS — Home Health Patient Experience Survey
But neither source tells you whether a physical therapist, occupational therapist or speech-language pathologist is actually available for your parent in their ZIP code next week.
The best comparison uses multiple sources plus a direct conversation with the agency.
How We Selected These Home Health Agencies
There are many home health agencies serving Austin and Central Texas.
This guide is not intended to declare that five companies are universally better than every other provider.
Instead, we looked for several practical characteristics:
- Skilled home health rather than only non-medical personal care
- Skilled nursing
- Physical Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech Therapy/Speech-Language Pathology
- A meaningful Central Texas service presence
- Medicare-certified home health services
- Public consumer or quality information families can independently review
- Relevance to post-hospital recovery and rehabilitation
We also considered local Google reviews, but Google stars alone did not determine inclusion.
That's important.
A company could have excellent consumer reviews but limited availability in Dad's ZIP code.
Another agency could have strong Medicare quality measures but no Speech Therapist available when Grandma is discharged.
A third could be excellent for orthopedic rehabilitation but not be the best fit for a particular neurological or complex medical situation.
Medicare itself recommends using its Quality of Patient Care star rating along with other quality information when selecting a home health agency. Medicare — Understanding Home Health Star Ratings
Pro Tip
Before spending an hour comparing agencies, ask three questions:
“Do you currently serve this ZIP code?”
“Can you provide every discipline ordered—nursing, PT, OT or Speech Therapy?”
“When can each ordered service begin?”
Those answers may narrow your list very quickly.
CenterWell Home Health – Temple
For families in Temple, Belton and surrounding communities, CenterWell Home Health – Temple is one agency worth comparing.
The Temple location currently has a 4.6-star Google rating from 27 reviews.
Its local listing identifies CenterWell as a home health agency providing nursing along with Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, social work and other home health services.
That combination can matter after a significant hospitalization.
Imagine Dad returning home to Belton after an illness that left him weaker than before.
Physical Therapy may address walking, strength and balance.
Occupational Therapy may work on dressing, bathing and safely completing everyday activities.
Speech Therapy may be appropriate when communication, cognition or swallowing have been affected.
Nursing may address medication education, wound care, symptom monitoring or other skilled needs included in the plan of care.
Why Families May Compare CenterWell
CenterWell combines a broad skilled home health model with a strong current local consumer-review profile in Temple.
What to Ask
Services can vary based on location and current staffing.
Ask the Temple branch which disciplines are currently available for the patient's ZIP code and when each ordered service can begin.
Capitol Home Health – Austin
For families in the Austin area, Capitol Home Health is another skilled home health agency worth comparing.
The Austin location currently has a 4.2-star Google rating from 19 reviews.
Capitol's home health services include skilled nursing along with Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy, plus other home health support services.
Capitol also has a visible focus on rehabilitation and recovery following orthopedic procedures and other medical events.
Consider Grandpa returning home to Northwest Austin after joint replacement surgery.
PT may work on strength, mobility and safe walking.
OT may address showering, dressing and navigating daily routines in his actual home.
Nursing may assist with wound care, medication education or other skilled needs included in his plan of care.
If communication, cognition or swallowing are concerns, Speech Therapy may also be part of the ordered services.
Capitol Home Health — Official Website
Why Families May Compare Capitol
Its combination of skilled nursing and multiple therapy disciplines makes Capitol particularly relevant when a discharge plan requires more than one type of skilled service.
What to Ask
Ask about availability for each individual discipline.
Don't assume that because PT can begin Tuesday, OT or Speech Therapy can begin on the same schedule.
Enhabit Home Health – Georgetown
For Georgetown, Sun City and surrounding Central Texas communities, Enhabit Home Health – Georgetown provides another multidisciplinary option.
The Georgetown location currently has a 4.2-star Google rating from 15 reviews.
Enhabit's official Georgetown information identifies skilled nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, medical social work and home health aide services.
Its published service area includes Bastrop, Bell, Burnet, Hays, Lee, Milam, Travis and Williamson counties. Enhabit Home Health — Georgetown
That makes the Georgetown operation relevant well beyond Georgetown itself.
Consider Grandma returning home after a stroke.
Her needs may cross several disciplines.
PT may address walking and balance.
OT may help her relearn or adapt everyday activities.
Speech-Language Pathology may address swallowing, communication or cognitive challenges.
Nursing may help monitor her medical condition and reinforce medication or disease-management education.
Why Families May Compare Enhabit
The Georgetown location offers a broad multidisciplinary home health model and serves a substantial portion of Central Texas.
Medicare Note
Medicare quality information should always be matched to the specific Medicare-certified agency, not simply the national company name.
For that reason, we are not publishing a Medicare star rating for Enhabit Georgetown in this guide unless it can be matched directly to this specific Medicare-certified location.
That distinction matters because large home health organizations operate multiple agencies, and one location's Medicare results should not automatically be attributed to another.
What to Ask
Confirm which Enhabit agency will actually manage the referral and verify the services and clinicians currently available in the patient's ZIP code.
JOL Healthcare – Leander
JOL Healthcare brings something different to this list: a locally operated Central Texas home health and hospice organization.
Its Leander location currently has a 4.6-star Google rating from 22 reviews.
JOL provides Medicare-certified home health focused on skilled nursing and in-home rehabilitation for people recovering after hospitalization or surgery and those managing chronic medical conditions.
Its published home health information includes areas such as post-acute care, disease management, wound care, orthopedic and postoperative care and rehabilitation.
JOL also operates from multiple Central Texas locations and describes a broad regional service footprint. JOL Healthcare — Home Health
That geography can be particularly useful.
A daughter may live in Austin while Dad lives in Leander.
Grandma may be returning home to Kyle after surgery.
Another family may be coordinating care near Bastrop.
Home health comes to where the patient lives, so the agency's actual clinician coverage matters more than the address of its office.
Why Families May Compare JOL
JOL combines local Central Texas operations with skilled home health and rehabilitation across a broad regional footprint.
Medicare Note
We are not publishing a Medicare star rating for the Leander operation without confidently matching current Medicare Care Compare data to the specific Medicare-certified agency providing the care.
Families can independently search Medicare's database and verify the agency information before comparing ratings. Medicare Care Compare
What to Ask
Ask which rehabilitation disciplines are currently available for the patient's diagnosis and ZIP code, along with anticipated start-of-care timing.
CHRISTUS HomeCare – New Braunfels
Families in New Braunfels, Comal County and the southern portion of Central Texas should also have a genuinely local agency to compare.
CHRISTUS HomeCare – New Braunfels currently has a 4.5-star Google rating, although that rating is based on only four reviews.
That small sample is a perfect example of why Google ratings should be interpreted carefully.
CHRISTUS HomeCare's official New Braunfels information lists:
- Skilled nursing
- Physical Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech Therapy
- Wound, ostomy and continence nursing
- Medication management
- Chronic disease management
- Fall prevention
- Medical social work
- Patient and caregiver training
- Home health aide services
- Care transitions
The New Braunfels operation specifically lists “Smooth Transition from Hospital Discharge to Home Health” among its care specialties. CHRISTUS HomeCare — New Braunfels
Its official location page also currently displays 4-star CMS Quality of Patient Care and 4-star Patient Satisfaction ratings. Because those ratings are displayed specifically on the New Braunfels location page, they provide another useful data point for families comparing agencies.
Imagine Grandma is medically ready to leave the hospital in New Braunfels.
That doesn't necessarily mean she has returned to her previous level of function.
She may need nursing, rehabilitation, caregiver education and fall-prevention support as she adjusts to being home again.
Why Families May Compare CHRISTUS HomeCare
Its New Braunfels presence, multidisciplinary services, current CMS ratings and emphasis on care transitions make it particularly relevant to families in the southern portion of Central Texas.
What to Ask
CHRISTUS notes that not every service is necessarily available at every location.
Confirm the ordered services and current staffing directly with the New Braunfels team. CHRISTUS HomeCare — Services and Location Information
Why Medicare-Certified Home Health Agencies Matter
Medicare certification is an important consideration when comparing home health agencies.
It should not, however, be the only consideration.
Medicare may cover qualifying part-time or intermittent skilled nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, medical social services and qualifying home health aide care when applicable requirements are met. Medicare — Home Health Coverage
Medicare Care Compare allows families to review standardized information about Medicare-certified home health agencies.
Medicare Care Compare — Compare Home Health Agencies
What Does the Medicare Quality Rating Mean?
Medicare's Quality of Patient Care rating is not a consumer review score.
It is calculated from seven measures based on patient assessments and Medicare claims.
Those measures include:
- Timely initiation of care
- Improvement in taking oral medications correctly
- Improvement in walking or moving around
- Improvement getting in and out of bed
- Improvement with bathing
- Improvement in shortness of breath
- Potentially preventable hospitalization during home health care
Medicare says 3 to 3½ stars represents performance around the middle compared with other agencies, while a rating above 3½ indicates above-average performance on the measures used in the rating. Ratings are updated quarterly. Medicare — How Home Health Quality Ratings Work
What Is the Medicare Patient Survey?
Medicare also measures patients' experiences through the Home Health Care CAHPS survey, or HHCAHPS.
The standardized survey asks about areas such as communication, care quality and whether patients would recommend the agency.
CMS reports those results through Medicare Care Compare and updates them quarterly. CMS — HHCAHPS Patient Experience Survey
Not every agency receives a Patient Survey star rating.
CMS requires at least 40 completed surveys during the four-quarter reporting period before an agency receives a Patient Survey star rating. An agency without enough surveys may therefore have no star rating even though some survey information is available. CMS — Home Health Star Ratings
Key Takeaway
Think of these as different pieces of the same puzzle:
Google reviews → individual consumer experiences
Medicare Quality of Patient Care → standardized clinical and process measures
Medicare patient surveys → standardized patient experiences
Direct conversation with the agency → current staffing, insurance participation, ZIP-code coverage and availability
No single measure should make the decision for you.
Watch Out: Compare the Specific Local Agency
Large home health organizations may operate many different locations.
The experience or Medicare results of an Enhabit agency in another Texas city should not automatically be attributed to Georgetown.
The same principle applies to CenterWell and other multi-location organizations.
When using Medicare Care Compare:
Search for the specific agency serving the patient's location.
Check the agency information.
Check the location.
Then review the quality and patient-experience information associated with that specific Medicare-certified agency.
CMS publishes home health quality information through Medicare Care Compare and updates publicly reported quality data on a recurring basis. CMS — Home Health Quality Reporting Program
This helps prevent families from accidentally comparing a national reputation—or another branch's results—with the agency that would actually be entering Dad's home.
How to Choose Home Health After a Hospital Discharge
Hospital discharge can happen quickly.
Dad is leaving tomorrow.
The walker has been ordered.
Prescriptions are going to the pharmacy.
Someone has to pick him up.
Then you're handed a list of home health agencies and asked:
“Which one do you want?”
You don't need to become a home health expert overnight.
You do need to ask good questions.
Ask:
Do you serve Dad's ZIP code?
Do you accept his Medicare plan or insurance?
Can you provide every discipline ordered?
When can nursing begin?
When can Physical Therapy begin?
Is Occupational Therapy currently available?
If swallowing, communication or cognition are concerns, is Speech Therapy available?
Who coordinates his plan of care?
How do you communicate changes or concerns to his healthcare provider?
Who does the family call if something isn't going according to plan?
Pro Tip
If the discharge order includes PT + OT + Speech Therapy, don't ask:
“Do you provide therapy?”
Ask:
“Can you currently provide Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy in his ZIP code?”
Those are separate disciplines requiring different clinicians.
Which Home Health Agency Is Best in Central Texas?
There isn't one answer for every family.
Grandpa recovering from knee replacement surgery in Cedar Park may primarily need nursing and PT.
Dad returning to Georgetown after a stroke may need nursing, PT, OT and Speech Therapy.
Grandma returning to New Braunfels after hospitalization may need medication education, fall-prevention work and rehabilitation.
A spouse in Temple may be trying to coordinate all of this while learning how to safely help with transfers, medications and follow-up appointments.
That's why the best home health agency isn't necessarily the company with the biggest name or highest Google rating.
It's the qualified agency that can provide the right skilled services, in the right location, at the right time, under the person's individualized plan of care.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between home health and home care?
Home health provides skilled healthcare services in the home. Non-medical home care generally provides assistance with everyday activities.
Home health may include skilled nursing, wound care, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy.
Non-medical home care may help with bathing, dressing, meal preparation, transportation, companionship and other activities of daily living.
Medicare explains that home health coverage does not generally cover custodial or personal care when that is the only care a person needs. Medicare — Home Health Coverage
Many Central Texas families ultimately use both.
Can home health provide PT, OT and Speech Therapy?
Yes.
Medicare identifies Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology among potentially covered home health services when applicable requirements are met. Medicare — Covered Home Health Services
Not every patient needs all three.
Not every agency has every discipline available in every ZIP code at every moment.
That's why current staffing should always be confirmed.
What does Physical Therapy do in home health?
Physical Therapy can address mobility, strength, balance, walking, transfers and safe use of mobility equipment.
One advantage of home-based therapy is that rehabilitation occurs in the environment where the person actually lives.
Instead of practicing generic stairs in a therapy gym, Grandpa may practice the actual steps into his Cedar Park home.
What does Occupational Therapy do in home health?
Occupational Therapy focuses on safely completing everyday activities.
That may include bathing, dressing, toileting, transfers, meal preparation and adapting routines or the home environment.
The question isn't simply:
“Can Grandma walk?”
It's also:
“Can Grandma safely live her day?”
What does Speech Therapy do in home health?
Speech-language pathologists do much more than help someone speak.
Depending on the person's diagnosis and plan of care, Speech Therapy may address communication, language, cognition, memory strategies and swallowing.
Enhabit, for example, describes its home health speech-language pathologists as working with language skills, mental processing and swallowing. Enhabit Georgetown — Speech-Language Pathology
Does Medicare cover home health in Central Texas?
Medicare's federal home health benefit applies in Central Texas just as it does elsewhere in the United States.
Medicare may cover qualifying home health services when eligibility requirements are met, including medically necessary part-time or intermittent skilled nursing and qualifying therapy services. Medicare — Home Health Services
Coverage depends on the individual's circumstances and Medicare requirements.
How can I compare home health agencies near me?
Start with Medicare Care Compare for Medicare-certified agencies.
Then consider:
- Current Google reviews and review volume
- Medicare Quality of Patient Care information
- Medicare patient-experience information
- Skilled nursing capabilities
- PT/OT/Speech availability
- ZIP-code coverage
- Insurance participation
- Start-of-care availability
- Communication and care coordination
- Your healthcare provider's recommendations
- Your own conversation with the agency
Most importantly, make sure you're comparing the specific local agency that would actually provide the care.
Educational Information Only
This article is provided for general educational and informational purposes and is not medical, legal, financial, insurance, or benefits advice.
Senior Industry Services does not rank, endorse, guarantee, certify, or determine that any home health agency included in this article is appropriate for a particular individual. Providers were selected for educational comparison based on factors such as publicly available information about skilled services, Central Texas service presence, consumer reviews, Medicare participation or certification information, and relevance to hospital-to-home care.
Google ratings, review counts, Medicare Quality of Patient Care ratings, Medicare patient survey results, provider services, staffing, service areas, insurance participation, and availability can change over time. Google ratings represent consumer reviews and are not clinical-quality ratings. Medicare information may apply to a specific Medicare-certified agency or location and should not be assumed to represent every location operating under the same company name.
Families should independently verify current services, staffing, service areas, insurance participation, Medicare certification, Medicare quality information and availability directly with the provider and appropriate payer. When using Medicare Care Compare, verify that the agency information corresponds to the specific provider that would deliver care.
Medicare coverage and eligibility depend on individual circumstances. Medicare-covered home health may include qualifying part-time or intermittent skilled nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology and other covered services when applicable Medicare requirements are met. Medicare — Official Home Health Coverage Information
Senior Industry Services does not diagnose medical conditions, prescribe home health services, determine Medicare eligibility, or determine an individual's appropriate level of care.
If you are concerned about a sudden or significant change in an older adult's health, cognition, breathing, swallowing, mobility, or safety, contact an appropriate healthcare professional. For a medical emergency, call 911.
Sources & Further Reading
Medicare — Home Health Services
Official information about Medicare eligibility and covered home health services.
Read Medicare's Home Health Coverage Guide
Medicare — Care Compare
Search and compare Medicare-certified home health agencies.
Medicare Care Compare
Medicare — Quality of Patient Care Star Ratings
Explains how Medicare calculates and interprets home health quality ratings.
Medicare Home Health Quality Ratings
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — Home Health Quality Reporting Program
Official CMS information about home health quality measurement and public reporting.
CMS Home Health Quality Reporting Program
CMS — Home Health Care CAHPS
Official information about Medicare's standardized home health patient-experience survey.
CMS HHCAHPS Patient Survey
Enhabit Home Health – Georgetown
Local provider information, disciplines offered and published service area.
Enhabit Georgetown
JOL Healthcare
Provider information about skilled home health and rehabilitation in Central Texas.
JOL Healthcare Home Health
CHRISTUS HomeCare – New Braunfels
Local provider information, care specialties, hospital-to-home transition services and currently displayed CMS ratings.
CHRISTUS HomeCare New Braunfels
Capitol Home Health
Provider information regarding skilled home health and rehabilitation services.
Capitol Home Health
CenterWell Home Health
Provider information regarding skilled home health and rehabilitation services.
CenterWell Home Health
Central Texas Senior Care Resources
A safe hospital discharge often requires more than home health.
Home health may provide the skilled nursing and therapy Dad needs—but what happens during the rest of the day?
Can he safely get to the bathroom?
Who is preparing meals?
Who is picking up prescriptions?
Can Grandma safely be alone?
Does the family understand the medication list?
Is additional non-medical home care needed?
Does a family caregiver need respite?
And if returning home is no longer safe or realistic, does the family understand what other options may be available?
Senior Industry Services provides Central Texas families and professionals with education and local resources related to hospital-to-home transitions, home health, home care, hospice, rehabilitation, caregiver support, transportation, healthy aging and other senior-care needs.
Our goal isn't to choose a healthcare provider for you.
It's to help you understand the questions to ask, the differences between services, and the resources available so you can make a more informed decision.
Senior Industry Services
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