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IHSS basics
What to Expect at a California IHSS In-Home Assessment
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.
How a county social worker assesses need at home using Functional Index Rankings and Hourly Task Guidelines, and how an adult child can prepare.
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
A county social worker assesses IHSS need in the home, looking at which daily tasks the person can safely do alone. The worker uses Functional Index Rankings and Hourly Task Guidelines. Authorized tasks and hours then appear on the Notice of Action, not as a number you pick during the visit.
Who decides
The county IHSS social worker completes the assessment and recommends the authorized plan. Medi-Cal still has to be determined. California Home Help can help you prepare a typical-day description.
What to do next
Before the visit, write a typical day’s help with bathing, dressing, meals, mobility, and household tasks, and confirm SOC 873 has already reached the county.
What to expect at an IHSS in-home assessment
The in-home assessment is the county’s look at how the person actually lives. A social worker comes to the home, or to the abode the person has chosen, and asks about daily tasks: bathing, dressing, meals, mobility, toileting, laundry, shopping, and other functions on the assessment. The worker is not there to provide care that day. They are there to rank need and authorize help.
CDSS says the worker uses Functional Index Rankings, Annotated Assessment Criteria, and Hourly Task Guidelines. You do not need to memorize those tools. You do need a clear picture of a typical day. What happens after you apply explains how the visit sits after SOC 295 and worker assignment.
How the county social worker uses Functional Index Rankings
For each function, the worker ranks how independently the person can perform it, from needing no help to needing full help. The ranking is about safe performance, not about pride or a single good morning. A person who can button a shirt on a calm day and cannot do it when stiff or confused is not “independent” just because they managed it once while the worker watched.
The Functional Index Rankings guide puts that tool in plain language. During the visit, speak in tasks: “Someone has to stand next to the tub,” not “they are a two.” Rank numbers belong to the worker. Your job is the picture of help.
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Questions people ask
- Can an adult child sit in on the assessment?
- Yes, if the recipient wants you there. Describe the help you actually give. Do not speak over the person unless they ask you to fill a gap they cannot explain.
- Should I bring medical records to the visit?
- Bring SOC 873 if the county still needs it. Extra hospital charts and lab results rarely replace that form. The worker is assessing daily function, not re-diagnosing the person.
- Will the worker tell us the hours at the door?
- Some workers talk through what they saw. The [Notice of Action](/guides/ihss-notice-of-action-explained) is still the list that counts. Wait for the written plan before you set a paid schedule.
- What if the person has a good day during the visit?
- Describe the typical day and the hard days, not only the hour the worker is in the room. Rankings are about usual function, not a performance.
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.