In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)

The Program

What IHSS Is

• IHSS provides in-home help to eligible aged, blind and disabled Californians as an alternative to out-of-home care, so they can stay safely at home.
• A county social worker visits the home, assesses which tasks a person needs help with, and authorizes a number of hours per month for each service.
• If approved, the recipient hires their own provider (an individual provider) and is that provider's employer. The state issues the provider's paychecks; hourly rates vary by county.

Eligibility

Who Can Qualify

• Be a California resident.
• Have a Medi-Cal eligibility determination.
• Live at home or in a home of your own choosing (hospitals, long-term care facilities and licensed community care facilities do not count).
• Submit a completed Health Care Certification form (SOC 873).

Caregivers

Who Provides the Care

• The recipient chooses, hires, trains, supervises and can fire their individual provider.
• Some counties also have contracted IHSS providers or county homemakers you can choose instead.
• Ask your county social worker for the IHSS hourly rate in your county.

Getting Started

How to Apply

1. Complete the IHSS application (SOC 295).
2. Send it to your county IHSS office.
3. Have the Health Care Certification (SOC 873) completed and returned before services can be authorized.
4. Prepare for the in-home assessment; you will be told in writing which services and hours are approved.

Contacts

Who to Call

• Find your county IHSS office
• IHSS application, SOC 295 (PDF)

Sources

Official Sources

• California Department of Social Services: IHSS

Program rules change. Always confirm details with the agencies above before making decisions.