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IHSS: the county program that pays for help at home
IHSSIHSS is short for In-Home Supportive Services. It is a county program that pays someone, often a family member, to help you at home. pays a person you choose to help you at home. This page explains who qualifies, how to apply, and how to get care while you wait. Call (805) 951-1121 if you want help with any step.
Jump to: Do you qualify? · How to apply · The form (SOC 295) · Care while you wait · Real examples
What is IHSS?
IHSS stands for In-Home Supportive Services. It is run by the county, and it lasts as long as you qualify. The county gives you a number of hours each month. Then it pays a helper you choose to work those hours.
- You pick your own helper. It is often a family member. (Spouses and minor children usually cannot be hired.)
- Your helper can cook, clean, do laundry, shop, and help you bathe and dress.
- For most people it is free. If your income is higher, you may pay part of the cost.
Do you qualify?
To get IHSS in Ventura County, all of these must be true:
- You are 65 or older, or blind, or disabled. Children with disabilities can qualify too.
- You live in California, in your own home.
- You have Medi-CalMedi-Cal is California's free or low-cost health insurance for people with lower incomes., or you can get it.
- You need help to stay safe at home.
- You take part in a home visit, where a county worker asks about your needs.
No Medi-Cal yet? Apply free at BenefitsCal.com or call the county at 888-472-4463.
How to apply, step by step
Fill out the form
The application is one state form called SOC 295. You can fill it out right on this page, or download it. See below.
Send it to the county
Email, fax, mail, or bring it in person. You can also apply by phone: 805-654-3236. All addresses are below.
The doctor's form
If your Medi-Cal checks out, the county mails you form SOC 873. Your doctor fills it out. Return it within 45 days. Ask your doctor early.
The home visit
A county social worker visits your home, usually within 10 business days of your application. Have a family member or friend there with you.
The answer
You get a letter called a Notice of Action within 30 to 45 days. It says yes or no, and how many hours per month. If you disagree, you can ask for a State Hearing within 90 days.
Hire your helper
Your helper gets fingerprinted and takes a short class. Allow 2 to 4 weeks. Then they send timesheets online twice a month.
The application form (SOC 295)
This is the official state form. Pick whichever way is easiest for you. If you get stuck, call us at (805) 951-1121 and we will walk you through it, free.
1 · Download it
Get the blank form and fill it out by hand or on your computer.
PDF, 8 pages. Free.
2 · Fill it out here
Type your answers right into the form below. Then use the form's toolbar to print it or save it as a file.
Everything you type stays on your device. We never see it or store it.
3 · Send it in
Email your saved form to the county IHSS office as an attachment. Or fax, mail, or bring it in.
Remember to attach your saved form to the email.
Fill it out right here
Click inside a box on the form and type. When you finish, use the toolbar at the top of the form to print or download your filled copy. Your answers stay on your device.
Form not showing? Download it instead. The state also offers SOC 295 in other languages on the CDSS forms page.
Where to send it
Ventura / Oxnard office
4245 Market St., Suite 204
Ventura, CA 93003
Phone: 805-654-3260
Fax: 805-654-3206
Simi Valley office
2900 N. Madera Rd., Suite 110
Simi Valley, CA 93065
Phone: 805-306-7935
Fax: 805-306-7910
You can also apply by phone: 805-654-3236. Contact details verified August 2026. The county's IHSS page is the official source.
Waiting for IHSS? You may not have to wait for help
IHSS approval usually takes 30 to 45 days. Through a Medi-Cal program called CalAIM, your health plan can approve free home care called PCHSPCHS is short for Personal Care and Homemaker Services. It means help with bathing, dressing, meals, and cleaning. Medi-Cal pays for it. that fills the gap. We provide it.
Who can get PCHS
From the state's Community Supports policy, PCHS is for people with Medi-Cal managed care who fit at least one of these:
- You are at risk of a hospital stay or a nursing home stay, or
- You need help with daily activities like bathing and dressing, and there is no one who can help you enough, or
- You are already approved for IHSS.
When PCHS works alongside IHSS
- While you apply: from the day of your referral until your IHSS is truly in place.
- While you are reassessed: if your condition changes, the county reviews your hours. You keep PCHS during that wait.
- When hours are not enough: PCHS can add hours on top of your IHSS, including when your IHSS hours run out.
- If you cannot get IHSS: short-term PCHS, up to 60 days, to help you avoid a nursing home stay.
One exception: people getting Waiver Personal Care Services through the HCBA waiver cannot get PCHS at the same time. People on the HCBA waiting list can.
What this looks like in real life
Four common situations. The names are examples.
Maria just applied
Maria, 78, sent in her IHSS application. The wait is 30 to 45 days. Her health plan approves PCHS, so a caregiver starts now and stays until her IHSS hours begin.
James needs more hours
James has IHSS. After a fall, he needs more help than his hours cover. The county reassesses him, and PCHS covers the extra care during the wait and beyond, if his hours still fall short.
Rosa can't get IHSS
Rosa is leaving the hospital after surgery. She does not qualify for IHSS. PCHS can help her at home for up to 60 days so she recovers there, not in a nursing home.
Elena is worn out
Elena cares for her dad every day. Through CalAIM Respite, a trained caregiver steps in so she can rest, up to 336 hours per year as her dad's plan approves.
Your Medi-Cal health plan reviews every referral and decides eligibility and hours. No one can promise approval. See if you qualify →
Not sure which program fits you?
Call us. We will help you figure out IHSS, PCHS, or both, in about 10 minutes.