What is In-Home Supportive Services?
The In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program provides financial assistance to low-income aged, blind, and disabled individuals who are unable to remain safely in their homes without help from caregivers. The program’s purpose is to prevent nursing home placement. In-Home Supportive Services achieves this objective by paying or subsidizing the salaries of caregivers that the IHSS recipients choose.

What Services are Available Through the IHSS Program?

• Assistance with walking or ambulating outside of the home
• Assistance with transferring in or out of bed or vehicles
• Administration of medicines, shots, or range of motion exercises approved by your physician
• Assistance with bathing and dressing
• Assistance with feeding
• Accompaniment to and from medical appointments
• Protective Supervision
• Preparing meals and clean up
• Shopping and errands
• Laundry
• Light housekeeping

How Do You Qualify for IHSS?
Eligible applicants for IHSS must be disabled, blind, or age 65 and older. Your savings and investments cannot exceed $2,000 for a single person or $3,000 for a couple (the home and its equity are exempt from this rule). Other assets not counted toward your eligibility include:

• One automobile
• Income property
• A business and its assets (e.g. trucks, computers, office)
• Term life insurance policy

How Does Being on IHSS Affect Your Kaiser Permanente membership?
Receiving IHSS has no affect on your Kaiser Permanente membership. You can receive IHSS and still be a Kaiser Permanente member.

Where To Apply for IHSS
To apply for IHSS, in Alameda County call (510) 577-1800 and for Contra Costa County call (925) 335-8720 for a mail-in application. For other counties look for the closest county welfare department office listed under the County Government Section in the telephone book.

Alameda County IHSS website

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