Patient Rights & Complaints

Effective date: July 2026  ·  Last reviewed: July 2026

Every person Starlight serves has rights under Texas law. This page summarizes those rights, how to raise a concern, and the responsibilities that help us provide safe, effective care.

Your Rights

As a patient or client of Starlight, you have the right to:

• Be treated with respect, consideration, and dignity, with regard for your individuality and personal needs.
• Receive care free from discrimination, and free from abuse, neglect, exploitation, coercion, and retaliation.
• Have your privacy respected and your personal property treated with respect.
• Be informed, before care begins, of the services to be provided, and to give written informed consent that specifies the services you will receive.
• Take part in planning your care and in decisions about it, and to be told in advance about changes to your treatment or plan of care.
• Be informed about expected outcomes of care and any barriers to treatment.
• Accept or refuse care to the extent allowed by law, and to be informed of the possible consequences of refusing.
• Be informed, before care begins, of the charges for services and your responsibility for payment.
• Be informed of Starlight’s policies governing your conduct, responsibilities, and rights.
• Have your personal and medical records kept confidential, and to access your records as provided by law.
• Receive information and communicate in a language and manner you can understand, including free interpreter and disability communication assistance (see our Language Assistance page).
• Formulate advance directives and receive information about them, and to have your care follow those directives as required by law.
• Be given advance notice, as required, of any transfer, reduction, suspension, or discharge of services.
• Receive help to understand and exercise these rights.
• Voice grievances or complaints about your care or services — to Starlight or to an outside agency — without discrimination, reprisal, or fear of losing your care.

Patient and Family Responsibilities

Good care is a partnership. These responsibilities help us serve you safely and well. They are not conditions on your rights, and not meeting one does not automatically end your right to care — if something makes a responsibility hard to meet, tell us and we will work with you.

• Give accurate and complete information about health status, medications, allergies, and other matters that affect your care.
• Take part in your plan of care and in decisions about your treatment.
• Treat our staff with courtesy and respect.
• Provide a reasonably safe environment in the home so care can be delivered.
• Tell us promptly about changes in your condition or needs.
• Keep scheduled visits, or give us appropriate notice when you cannot.
• Follow the plan of care you have agreed to, and let us know if you have concerns or cannot follow part of it.
• Raise questions or concerns with us as soon as they come up.

How to Raise a Concern or File a Complaint

If you have a concern about your care or services, we want to hear it. You can raise it with us, with the State of Texas, or both. You will not be penalized or retaliated against for speaking up.

1. Contact Starlight directly using the phone number or email at the bottom of this page.
2. Ask for the Administrator or our designated complaint contact.
3. Share the details — what happened, when, and who was involved — so we can look into it properly.
4. Speak freely. Complaints may be made without discrimination, reprisal, or fear of losing your care.
5. You may contact Texas HHSC directly. You do not have to raise your concern with us first before contacting the State.

To file a complaint with the State of Texas about a home and community support services agency:

You may make a complaint whether or not you raised it with Starlight first, and you may ask for help or language assistance when contacting HHSC.

Emergencies and Special Situations

A medical emergency

Call 911 right away. Do not use email or a web form for emergencies.

Suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation

Report it to HHSC Complaint and Incident Intake at 1-800-458-9858. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 first.

A civil rights concern (discrimination, language or disability access)

See our Notice of Nondiscrimination for how to file with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.

A health-information privacy concern (HIPAA)

Contact our Privacy Officer through the details in our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices. You may also file with the HHS Office for Civil Rights.

Contact

To raise a concern, request a copy of your rights, or ask a question:

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