California Home Help

Resources

Official IHSS and Medi-Cal resources for families

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.

These links go to California Department of Social Services, Department of Health Care Services, BenefitsCal, and other public pages adult children usually need when helping a parent stay home. Guides on this site explain those steps in plain language. Your county IHSS office and Medi-Cal decide eligibility, hours, and who can be paid.

Use these pages to learn and to gather paperwork. A form on California Home Help is a request for follow-up help, not an eligibility determination.

Paying for elder care

IHSS is one payer path, not the only one. Adult children often mix Medi-Cal, private home care, insurance, VA benefits, and facility billing. Start with the paying-for-care hub, then the cost of care hub for CareScout 2025 statewide planning estimates. Read the official pages for each program. No page on this site decides whether someone is eligible or what a benefit will pay.

IHSS program pages

Start with the statewide In-Home Supportive Services pages, then the county office that serves the person who needs care.

Medi-Cal and BenefitsCal

IHSS builds on a Medi-Cal determination. If Medi-Cal is still pending, start that application before you expect IHSS to finish.

County offices and Public Authority

Each county runs applications, assessments, and provider enrollment. The local Public Authority helps with orientation, the provider registry, and often EVV setup. There is no single statewide Public Authority website. Start with our county IHSS pages or the CDSS county office list, then ask that office for the Public Authority number.

See if IHSS may apply

A coordinator can walk through Medi-Cal, county forms, and the home visit with you. The county still decides eligibility and hours.

You can also call us at (650) 535-1802.

At least 8 characters. This creates a free account.

For example: starting an IHSS application, provider enrollment, or county forms. Keep medical records and diagnoses for the county packet.

Key forms, from the official CDSS PDFs

Download blank forms only from CDSS. Counties may also hand you a local packet. Do not use a rewritten copy from a blog. Send completed pages to the county, not to this website.

  • SOC 295

    IHSS application

    Starts the In-Home Supportive Services case for the person who needs care. Send it to the county IHSS office. Pair it with SOC 873 or acceptable alternative documentation.

    Official CDSS PDFPlain-language guide

  • SOC 873

    Health Care Certification

    A licensed health professional completes this page, or acceptable alternative documentation. CDSS says it must reach the county before services are authorized.

    Official CDSS PDFPlain-language guide

  • SOC 426

    Provider enrollment form

    The person who wants to be paid as the individual provider completes this after or during county orientation. Adult children often use it when they will give the care.

    Official CDSS PDFPlain-language guide

  • SOC 846

    Provider enrollment agreement

    Signed at orientation. It is the provider’s agreement to program rules. It does not authorize hours. The Notice of Action does that.

    Official CDSS PDFPlain-language guide

  • SOC 2298

    Live-in self-certification

    For some providers who live with the recipient. It changes EVV steps. Living in the home does not, by itself, add authorized hours.

    Official CDSS PDFPlain-language guide

  • SOC 856

    Provider enrollment appeal

    Used when the county or Public Authority denies someone as a provider. This is a written CDSS appeal, separate from a recipient hearing on hours.

    Official CDSS PDFPlain-language guide

Browse every CDSS form in the official forms catalog.

Timesheets, EVV, and the Electronic Services Portal

Many providers record authorized time with Electronic Visit Verification. CDSS lists ESP, telephone timesheets, and the EVV app. Ask the county which method you should use before you create a login.

Adult Protective Services

County Adult Protective Services agencies help elders and dependent adults who may be unable to meet their own needs, or who may be facing abuse, neglect, or exploitation. APS is a county program. CDSS publishes the statewide overview and the county office list. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Long-Term Care Ombudsman

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman program helps residents of nursing homes, assisted living, and other long-term care facilities with care, rights, and complaint questions. The California Department of Aging publishes the consumer page and a statewide hotline. This is not the same desk as county IHSS.

Legal aid and disability rights

Benefits, housing, and facility-discharge questions sometimes need a legal services program. Disability Rights California is the state’s protection and advocacy system. LawHelpCA points families to local legal aid. Those offices decide whether they can take a matter. This site does not give legal advice.

Caregiver support

California Caregiver Resource Centers, listed through the California Department of Aging, support family caregivers. Family Caregiver Alliance publishes national caregiver education. Support programs do not replace a county IHSS or Medi-Cal decision.

Hearings and appeals

The Notice of Action lists hearing rights and the deadline for that case. CDSS publishes the statewide overview. Provider enrollment denials use a different written appeal. Ask the county which notice you received before you pick a form.

Adult-child checklist

Work through these in order when you can. Print this page or copy the list. Timing varies by county. Your county office can tell you what is typical locally.

  • Confirm your parent lives in California, in their own home. A hospital, nursing facility, or licensed community care facility does not count.
  • Check Medi-Cal status. If they already have a case, write down the county and any case number you have. If they do not, apply on BenefitsCal or with the county Medi-Cal office.
  • Ask whether a Medi-Cal share of cost applies. Unpaid share of cost can come out of the provider check, and your parent then pays you that part. Your county Medi-Cal office can confirm whether a share of cost applies and the amount.
  • Submit the IHSS application (SOC 295) to the county IHSS office. CDSS publishes the form and the county office list.
  • Take SOC 873 (Health Care Certification) to a licensed health professional and return it to the county. That is the medical piece they ask for, unless they request a specific extra page.
  • Prepare for the in-home visit: a typical day’s help with bathing, dressing, meals, mobility, and household tasks. Describe the help they actually need.
  • Choose the provider. Many adult children enroll themselves. A friend, another relative, or someone from the Public Authority list is also possible.
  • If you will be the provider, finish county orientation, provider forms (including SOC 426 and the provider agreement), and a DOJ background check where required, before you expect payment.
  • Ask whether Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) applies. Live-in providers who self-certify (SOC 2298) have different EVV steps.
  • Ask the county how to be listed so they can speak with you about the case. Keep copies of every form you send.

Official California sources

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.

Guides families read first

Ask for help navigating care for a parent

Share a few details if you want help organizing IHSS paperwork so a parent can stay home. This form is for follow-up contact, not an eligibility decision. Your county IHSS office and Medi-Cal decide the case.

You can also call us at (650) 535-1802.

  • A coordinator follows up
  • County decides eligibility
  • You can stop anytime
  • Educational help

At least 8 characters. This creates a free account.

For example: starting an IHSS application, provider enrollment, or county forms. Keep medical records and diagnoses for the county packet.