In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program

The In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program provides in-home assistance to eligible aged, blind, and disabled individuals as an alternative to out-of-home care and enables recipients to remain safely in their own homes.

Who is it For:

Eligibility criteria for all IHSS applicants and recipients:

You must also be a California resident.

You must have a Medi-Cal eligibility determination.

You must live at home or an abode of your own choosing (acute care hospital, long-term care facilities, and licensed community care facilities are not considered "own home").

You must submit a completed Health Care Certification form.

How the program works:

A county social worker will interview you at your home to determine your eligibility and need for IHSS. Based on your ability to safely perform certain tasks for yourself, the social worker will assess the types of services you need and the number of hours the county will authorize for each of these services. This assessment will include information given by you and, if appropriate, by your family, friends, physician, or other licensed health care professional.

A completed Health Care Certification must be received by the county prior to authorization of services.

You will be notified if IHSS has been approved or denied. If denied, you will be notified of the reason for the denial. If approved, you will be notified of the services and the number of hours per month which have been authorized for you.

If you are approved for IHSS, you must hire someone (your individual provider) to perform the authorized services. You are considered your provider's employer and, therefore, it is your responsibility to hire, train, supervise, and fire this individual.

If your county has contracted IHSS providers, you may choose to have services provided by the contractor.

If your county has homemaker employees, you may receive services from a county homemaker.