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Common situations
Who the County Can Talk to on a Family IHSS Case
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.
IHSS workers often cannot discuss a parent’s file with an adult child until written authorization is on file. Ask how to be listed as a contact.
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 recipient’s file with an adult child until the recipient puts that permission in writing. Ask the local office how to be listed as a contact. Listing lets them speak with you. It does not make you the employer or the decision-maker on hours.
Who decides
The recipient 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. The county still decides the case.
What to do next
Ask the county IHSS office on the CDSS list how an adult child is listed, have the recipient sign what they name, and keep a dated copy. Ask Medi-Cal whether they need their own release.
Why the worker goes quiet on the phone
You may have driven to every appointment and filled every page. 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. Getting listed is the companion how-to. This page is the family privacy frame: who the county can talk to, and how that sits next to employer and provider roles.
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 or a hearing deadline 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.
- Find the IHSS office for the county where your parent lives.
- Ask how an adult child is listed so staff can discuss the case.
- Ask whether Medi-Cal needs a separate release.
- Ask where to return the signed page and how you will know it is on file.
- Keep a dated copy with the rest of the packet.
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
- I am the daughter and the provider. Can they still refuse to talk?
- Relationship and provider status often are not enough by themselves. Ask for the written contact step. Until it is on file, expect them to speak with the recipient.
- Does one listing cover Medi-Cal and IHSS?
- Not always. They can be different units. Ask each office whether they need their own authorization.
- Is being listed the same as being the employer?
- No. The recipient remains the employer on the individual-provider model. Listing is about information. Hiring and timesheet approval are employer roles. See family employer roles.
- 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.