California Care Compass

Glossary term

IHSS

In-Home Supportive Services

California's Medi-Cal program that pays for personal care, homemaker services, and Protective Supervision in the home, including by a family member, for eligible low-income seniors and people with disabilities.

IHSS is the workhorse of staying at home in California. It pays an hourly wage for personal care and homemaking, and it can pay a family member to provide that care. It is administered county by county, and the application, which includes a social-worker home assessment, typically takes 45 to 60 days.

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