IHSS
California’s Medi-Cal in-home personal care program. The county authorizes tasks in a person’s own home.
Define IHSSGlossary
Plain-language definitions for California home care searches
Updated September 16, 2026. Reviewed September 16, 2026 against public CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, VA, and CareScout 2025 California tables. County wages, hours, and wait times still change. Official .gov pages decide.
Adult children often need a one-sentence answer before a long guide. These pages define IHSS, Medi-Cal, nearby waivers, and setting names using public CDSS, DHCS, CMS, and Medicare.gov language. County, Medi-Cal, Medicare, and program staff still decide the case.
Definitions are education, not eligibility. This site does not quote IHSS wages, hour totals, or waiver wait times. Prefer the official page linked on each term. Based on public CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, VA, and California Department of Insurance pages retrieved 2026-09-16. County, Medi-Cal, Medicare, VA, and insurer staff decide what actually pays. Hourly rates, hour totals, waiver slots, and wait times are local and change.
Medi-Cal
California’s Medicaid program. IHSS sits on a Medi-Cal determination.
Define Medi-CalProtective supervision
An IHSS category for risk from a mental impairment or mental illness, not a memory-care admission.
Define protective supervisionHome health vs personal care
Skilled, time-limited clinical visits versus everyday bathing, dressing, and meals.
Compare the twoAssisted Living Waiver
A DHCS waiver that may cover some assisted living services at participating sites. Slots are limited.
Define ALWCBAS
Community-Based Adult Services, a Medi-Cal adult day health option.
Define CBASMSSP
Multipurpose Senior Services Program: care management that often sits next to IHSS.
Define MSSPPACE
An all-inclusive medical and social model in specific California service areas.
Define PACERespite
A break for family caregivers. IHSS is not the same program as respite.
Define respiteADL and IADL
Activities of daily living and instrumental activities used to describe need, not to set IHSS hours.
Define ADL and IADLHospital at Home
CMS Acute Hospital Care at Home: inpatient hospital care delivered in the home under a hospital waiver.
Define Hospital at HomeSkilled nursing
Licensed facility or Medicare skilled stay. Different from custodial help and from IHSS at home.
Define skilled nursingMemory care
Usually a licensed residential unit with closer dementia support. Not IHSS protective supervision.
Define memory careShare of cost
A monthly Medi-Cal amount some people must meet. The county explains the figure.
Define share of costNotice of Action
The county letter that lists authorized IHSS tasks. It is the list that counts for one person.
Define Notice of ActionCustodial care
Help with daily living when that is the only need. Medicare generally does not pay for it long term.
Define custodial careAssisted living
A licensed residential community. IHSS is for a person’s own home, not that bed.
Define assisted livingEVV
Electronic Visit Verification for many IHSS providers. Live-in rules can differ.
Define EVVSOC 295
The CDSS application that starts an IHSS file at the county office.
Define SOC 295BenefitsCal
The state portal families use to apply for or check Medi-Cal and related benefits.
Define BenefitsCalAlso on this site
Longer guides
Narrative pages behind these definitions.
Open guidesWho pays
Yes-or-no Medicare and Medi-Cal answers.
Open /payCost of care
CareScout 2025 planning medians.
Open /costsBy condition
Dementia, stroke, Parkinson’s, falls, respite.
Open /conditionsCare-path tool
IHSS, agency, assisted living, memory care, or a facility.
Open the treeALW deep guide
Eligibility path, wait lists, and room-and-board questions.
Read the ALW guideCompare settings
IHSS versus private care, home versus assisted living, home health versus home care.
Open /compareAppeal a Notice of Action
How to use the hearing information printed on the letter. No invented deadlines.
Read the appeal HowToAsk for help
A coordinator can help organize paperwork. The county still decides.
Open the formEn español
IHSS, Medicare, and hospital-discharge pages in Spanish.
Abrir /esQuestions people ask
- Are these legal definitions?
- They are plain-language summaries of public program pages. Statute, regulation, and the county notice still control the case.
- Where should I go after a one-sentence answer?
- Each term links to a longer guide, a pay page, costs, the care-path tool, or the get-started form. Official .gov pages remain the rule source.
- Does California Home Help decide IHSS hours?
- No. The county and Medi-Cal decide. This glossary is education.
Official sources
- CDSS: In-Home Supportive Services
- DHCS: Medi-Cal
- DHCS: Assisted Living Waiver
- DHCS: home and community-based options
- DHCS: Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly
- CDA: Multipurpose Senior Services Program
- DHCS: Community-Based Adult Services
- Medicare: home health services
- CMS: Acute Hospital Care at Home
- BenefitsCal
Official California sources
Official program pages: CDSS: In-Home Supportive Services, CDSS: IHSS for children, County IHSS offices, CDSS: IHSS providers, CDSS: county IHSS wage rates, CDSS: provider orientation, CDSS: Electronic Visit Verification, CDSS: Electronic Services Portal, DHCS: Medi-Cal, Apply for Medi-Cal, BenefitsCal, CDSS: hearing requests, CDSS: forms catalog, CDSS: IHSS overtime and workweek, DDS: regional centers.