In Home Support Services

IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES (IHSS)

The In-Home Supportive Services program is a federal, state, and locally funded program designed to provide assistance to those eligible aged, blind, and disabled individuals who, without this care, would be unable to remain safely in their own homes. IHSS provides services according to the IHSS recipient’s ability to perform daily activities, and can include feeding, bathing, dressing, housekeeping, laundry, shopping, meal preparation and clean up, respiration, bowel & bladder care, moving in and out of bed, rubbing the skin (to prevent skin breakdown), accompaniment to medical appointments, paramedical services, and protective supervision.

Do I Qualify?

  • You may qualify for IHSS if you live in your own home in Santa Clara County and are blind, live with a disability, or are 65 or older.

  • You must also have a Medi-Cal eligibility determination. If you do not have Medi-Cal, please call 1-877-962-3633 or visit www.MybenefitsCalWIN.org for details or to apply.

  • You must also complete and submit a Health Care Certification Form.

Services IHSS Can Provide:

  • Housecleaning

  • Cooking

  • Shopping

  • Laundry

  • Taking you to and from medical appointments

  • Personal care services such as dressing, bathing, feeding, toileting

  • Paramedical services such as helping with injections, wound care, colostomy and catheter care as directed by a doctor


Services IHSS Cannot Provide:

  • Moving furniture

  • Paying bills

  • Reading mail to you

  • Caring for pets, including service animals

  • Gardening

  • Repair services

  • Sitting with you to visit or watch TV

  • Taking you on social outings

Applying as a Care Recipient:


  1. Contact IHSS at (408) 792-1600 or fill out the application and submit using one of the options below.

  • Mail

In-Home Supportive Services

PO Box 11018

San Jose, CA 95103-1018

  • In Person

353 W. Julian Street, San Jose

  • Fax

(408) 792-1601

  1. Have your doctor complete a Health Care Certification Form. This form must be completed before you can receive services.

  2. A social worker will come to your home to determine what types and how many hours of services you need. They will consider your medical condition, living arrangement, and any resources that may already be available.

  3. The county will send you a letter (Notice of Action) telling you if you have been approved for IHSS. It will tell you what services have been authorized, how much time is allowed for each service, and the total approved monthly hours.

  4. When services have been approved, you can hire one or more people to provide your care. A friend or relative may be your provider or you may hire from the IHSS Public Authority Caregiver Registry.

  5. Your provider must complete all the necessary steps before starting work. You or your provider can contact the Public Authority about provider requirements.

Visit Public Authority for Enrollment Requirements