California Home Help

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Helping a parent

Getting Listed so the County Can Speak with You

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.

Workers often cannot discuss a file with an adult child until that is in writing. How to ask for the local authorization step.

About 4 minutes to read. Based on CDSS and DHCS public program pages retrieved 2026-09-16. County offices apply these rules. Hourly rates, hour totals, and wait times are local and change.

Short answer

County IHSS workers often cannot discuss a parent’s file with an adult child until the recipient puts that permission in writing. Ask the local office which authorization they use, who must sign it, and where to return it. Listing lets them speak with you. It does not make you the decision-maker on hours.

Who decides

Your parent decides whom the county may speak with. The county IHSS office tells you which local form or note they accept. Medi-Cal may use a separate release for the coverage file.

What to do next

Call or write the county IHSS office on the CDSS county list, ask how an adult child is listed as a contact, and keep a dated copy of whatever your parent signs.

Why the worker goes quiet on the phone

You may have filled every page and driven to the clinic for SOC 873. The file can still be closed to you. County staff protect recipient information. If your parent has not authorized a conversation with you, the worker may confirm nothing useful. That is ordinary procedure, not a judgment about your family.

Ask for the listing step as soon as you know you will be the person returning calls. Do it while your parent can review the page. Waiting until a notice arrives makes the next callback harder. The families page includes this on the adult-child list for that reason.

Ask the local office for their authorization step

Counties do not all use the same sheet. Some use a release on the application. Some use a separate contact form. Some accept a signed note that names you and says what you may hear. Use the CDSS county IHSS office list and ask that office, not a statewide rumor.

  1. Find the IHSS office for the county where your parent lives.
  2. Ask how an adult child is listed so staff can discuss the case.
  3. Ask whether Medi-Cal needs a separate release.
  4. Ask where to return the signed page and how you will know it is on file.
  5. Keep a dated copy with the rest of the packet. See tracking paperwork.

Talking to the county office covers what is reasonable to ask on a first call. Written follow-up helps when names and case numbers matter.

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Questions people ask

Is being listed the same as being the provider?
No. A listed contact can receive case information the county is allowed to share. The provider is the person who does authorized tasks after enrollment. You can be one, both, or neither.
Can the county talk to me if I just say I am the daughter?
Often no. Relationship alone is usually not enough. Ask for the written step they use. Until that is on file, expect them to speak only with the recipient.
Does one listing cover Medi-Cal and IHSS?
Not always. IHSS and Medi-Cal can be different units. Ask each office whether they need their own release.
What if my parent cannot sign?
Ask the county which authority they accept, such as a conservator or another document they already use. Do not invent a signature workaround.

Official sources for this guide

Related pages on California Home Help

Reviewed against CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, and CareScout public pages. We do not quote IHSS wages. County IHSS offices and Medi-Cal decide eligibility, hours, and pay. For current county wage rates, use the official CDSS wage page. CDSS county IHSS wage rates.

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.

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