Home Care in California: Licensed In-Home Care Agencies by City

Aging at home in California

Roughly 6.5 million Californians were 65 or older in 2024, 16.6 percent of the state's residents, and they live in places as different as Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the nation, the Bay Area around San Francisco and San Jose, the capital at Sacramento, and the Central Valley farm towns in between. The state stretches from the redwood North Coast to the deserts of the southeast, and its coastal and inland areas have very different weather and travel patterns. For families, where a parent lives often matters more than the state itself.

16.6% of California residents are 65 or older. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024 state age and sex estimates (July 1, 2024), share of residents age 65 and over.

Cities, towns and neighborhoods we cover

In Los Angeles, older adults live in neighborhoods such as Brentwood, Boyle Heights and Atwater Village, and in San Diego in La Jolla, Clairemont and Kensington near Balboa Park. San Jose's Willow Glen, Almaden Valley and Japantown anchor the south Bay Area, and San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge. Inland, Riverside and San Bernardino anchor the Inland Empire, Sacramento sits where the Sacramento and American Rivers meet, and Fresno is the largest city in the Central Valley. Along the coast are Santa Barbara, Monterey and Hearst Castle at San Simeon, while Palm Springs sits in the desert Coachella Valley and Redding is in Northern California. Care needs vary widely across all of these.

• Los Angeles: Brentwood, Boyle Heights, Atwater Village, Bel Air, Century City
• San Diego: La Jolla, Hillcrest, Clairemont, Kensington, Little Italy
• San Jose: Willow Glen, Almaden Valley, Japantown, Evergreen, Berryessa

Regions

• Central Valley: fertile agricultural region that dominates the center of the state, with Sacramento, Fresno and Bakersfield
• Inland Empire: metropolitan region inland from coastal Southern California, centered on Riverside and San Bernardino
• Central Coast: coastal region between Point Mugu and Monterey Bay, including Santa Barbara and Monterey
• Sierra Nevada: mountain range along the eastern edge of the state, with Yosemite and Lake Tahoe
• North Coast: redwood forest region on the northern coast, with Eureka

Familiar places

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco; Yosemite National Park, Sierra Nevada; Lake Tahoe, Sierra Nevada; Hearst Castle, San Simeon; Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles; Balboa Park, San Diego; Mission Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara.

Planning care around California's seasons and geography

California's calendar matters less than the map. On the coast, fog and mild summers dominate, while inland valleys are far hotter: Santa Monica's August high averages 75 degrees and Burbank's averages 95. The Central Valley has hot summers, and the southeastern deserts run hotter still. Wildfire is a recurring concern across the state, and a plan for caregivers that works when roads close is worth having. Sierra and Lake Tahoe communities see heavy winter snow, with ski areas routinely getting over 10 feet in a season. Earthquake preparedness is also part of life, since two-thirds of the nation's earthquake risk lies in California.

• The coast is cool and often foggy in summer while inland valleys run far hotter: Santa Monica averages 75 degrees in August, while Burbank, about 10 miles inland, averages 95.
• The Central Valley has hot summers, and the southeastern deserts are far hotter, with Death Valley regularly above 120 degrees in summer.
• Wildfires are frequent in California, and the state is warming and drying overall.
• High Sierra communities have snowy alpine climates, and ski areas at Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Lakes and Mount Shasta routinely receive over 10 feet of snow in a season.

California resources for families

• Licensing. California licenses non-medical home care agencies as Home Care Organizations under the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act, and caregivers are placed on a state Home Care Aide Registry after a background check. Confirm current requirements with the state before you hire. California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division, Home Care Services
• Aging services. The department site has a Find Services in My County section, and its Senior Information Line is 1-800-510-2020; local Area Agencies on Aging are listed by county. California Department of Aging
• Help paying. California's Medicaid home and community-based program for older adults is Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP), a Medi-Cal home and community based waiver for adults 60 and older run by the California Department of Aging; In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) is a separate Medi-Cal personal care program. Eligibility is based on income and care needs.