In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)

Do you find it difficult to take care of yourself and your home? Do you think you might need nursing home care soon? If you qualify for Medi-Cal, you might want to contact the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, which pays for services that enable aged, blind, and disabled individuals to continue living safely in their own homes and avoid or delay the need for nursing home care. 

When you apply for assistance from IHSS, a social worker will visit your home to talk with you about the type of tasks you need help with, then authorizes services according to your ability to perform certain daily activities. Services may include:

• Household chores, such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry
• Shopping and running errands
• Personal care services, like dressing, bathing, and feeding
• Medical accompaniment when deemed necessary
• Supervision of non-self directing individuals

Once approved for IHSS services, you choose and hire someone to provide your care; that person will receive wages directly from IHSS.

If you are an IHSS Provider,  you are automatically represented by SEIU Local 2015 for wages, benefits, and certain terms of employment. You are also eligible to join the SEIU Local 2015 as a union member. For information regarding SEIU 2015 membership, see the links below, or call the Member Action Center at (855) 810-2015.

Do you have any physical, mental, or emotional conditions that make it hard for you to apply for benefits or meet program requirements?  We can give extra help. We call this type of help a reasonable accommodation. The law protects people with physical, mental, and developmental disabilities as well as others with serious health problems (42 U.S.C. § 12132). For more information, contact your worker. You can reach the Civil Rights Coordinator at [email protected] or (559) 624-8078 as well as visit our civil rights page.