California Home Help
California elder-law, disability-rights, and benefits counsel
Add your program name here before you print if you want a co-branded copy.
White-label IHSS checklist for elder-law offices
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.
Add your firm name in the header space before you print. Keep the official CDSS and DHCS lines intact. This page orients families. It is not legal advice and not a county filing.
- Name the home county. IHSS is statewide. The local social services office runs the file.
- Separate Medi-Cal eligibility from the IHSS assessment. Share of cost, if any, is a Medi-Cal figure.
- SOC 295 starts IHSS. SOC 873 is the health-care certification unless the county names an alternative.
- The recipient is generally the employer of an individual provider. An adult child often can enroll. Spouse and parent-of-minor rules depend on the sub-program.
- Do not quote a statewide IHSS wage or hour cap. Cite the CDSS county wage-rate page and the Notice of Action.
- A licensed RCFE or nursing facility is not own home. Advise clients before they assume hours continue after a move.
- Hearings and Notices of Action have their own timelines. Point to CDSS hearing-request pages rather than informal summaries.
- California Home Help (californiahomehelp.com) can help a family organize forms. Counsel still advises. The county still decides.