Program
In-Home Supportive Services
The In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program provides services to more than 800,000 low-income older adults and people with disabilities, including children.
Public Authorities have trained and registered more than 800,000 providers throughout California, allowing some of the state’s most vulnerable populations to remain with greater independence safely in their homes instead of in an out-of-home institutional care facility.
IHSS providers assist with a wide variety of care services, including:
- cleaning
- meal preparation
- bathing
- grooming
- dispensing medications
There is a maximum of 66 hours per week that a provider can work, but there are exemptions to this policy.
To qualify for IHSS, a recipient must be 65 years or over, blind, or disabled and in most cases have income at or below the level necessary to qualify for the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program (SSI/SSP). Children with disabilities are also potentially eligible for IHSS. County social workers perform an assessment to determine the number of hours and type of services needed to authorize an IHSS consumer. The consumer or his/her guardian/conservator is responsible for hiring, firing, and supervising their individual provider.
Program Components
There are four IHSS program components:
The Personal Care Services Program (PCSP) provides federally funded personal care services to Medi-Cal eligible recipients with a chronic disabling condition and an assessed need for in-home services.
The IHSS Plus Option provides federally funded services to PCSP non-eligible recipients with a chronic disabling condition and an assessed need for in-home services provided by a spouse or parent of a minor child. If qualified, recipients may receive advance pay or a restaurant meal allowance.
The Community First Choice Option (CFCO) provides federally funded services at an enhanced FMAP rate to recipients with a chronic disabling condition, recipients with an assessed need for in-home services, and recipients eligible for a nursing facility LOC. If qualified, recipients may receive advance payment or a restaurant meal allowance, or they may receive enhanced funding for services considered a nursing facility LOC.
The IHSS Residual Program provides non-federally funded program services to recipients who are not eligible for Medi-Cal but meet the SSI/SSP income standards, are 65 years or older, blind or disabled, and have an assessed need for in-home services. If qualified, recipients may receive advance payment or a restaurant meal allowance. The IHSS Residual Program will conform to the timing of Medi-Cal by aligning IHSS eligibility timelines beginning in FY 2026-27.
The service delivery modes for IHSS are the individual provider mode, which consists of an individual provider hired by the recipient; the county contract mode, which consists of a county contracted service provider; and the welfare staff/homemaker mode, which utilizes county employees as the service provider.
Benefits
The IHSS program allows individuals to live at home rather than in an institutional setting like a nursing home. The program can enhance the quality of life by making it easier to live at home, and it reduces the time and financial burden on family and friends. By preventing or delaying the transition to a facility like a nursing home or other long-term care facility, the program can save money for the state.
Individual Eligibility Requirement
- Current recipient of Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP)
- Eligible for SSI/SSP, with the exception of income in excess of the SSI/SSP income levels
- Eligibility for SSI/SSP, including income, but without SSI/SSP
- Qualified Medi-Cal recipient who meets SSI/SSP disability criteria
Eligibility Criteria for All IHSS Applicants and Recipients
- Residency in California and reside in the United States
- Medi-Cal eligibility determination
- Reside at home (acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, and licensed community care facilities are not eligible)
- Complete a Health Care Certification form
Authorized Services
Services are based on the provision of personal care. Types of services that can be authorized through IHSS include:
- housecleaning
- meal preparation
- laundry
- grocery shopping
- personal care services (ex: bowel and bladder care)
- bathing
- grooming
- paramedical services
- accompaniment to medical appointments
- medication management
- protective supervision for the mentally impaired
IHSS recipients are generally eligible to receive up to 283 hours per month of assistance.
Contact your county Public Authority office for further information.
