In IHSS, you or your family member are the employer. That makes your relationship with your caregiver part partnership, part job. When it works, care is safer and calmer for everyone. When it doesn’t, small misunderstandings about hours, tasks, or timesheets can grow fast.
Here’s how to set things up well from day one, and keep them that way.
At a glance
In IHSS, you’re the employer
- Hire, train, and superviseYou choose your caregiver and show them how you want things done.
- Set the schedulePlan work around the hours IHSS authorized, and track the days and times worked.
- Approve accurate timesheetsCheck the hours before you approve. Your caregiver can’t be paid until you do.
- Keep the county in the loopTell your social worker when you add, change, or let go of a provider.
Start with a clear agreement
Most problems start with unspoken expectations. Sit down together in the first week and agree on the basics in writing. Use the builder below, then print a copy for each of you.
Our care agreement
Fill this in together with your caregiver, then download the one-page PDF to sign. It saves on this device as you type.
This is a personal agreement between you and your caregiver, not an IHSS form. It can’t change your authorized hours or tasks. Each section has a character limit so the agreement always fits on one page. What you type stays in this browser only; on a shared computer, tap “Clear” when you’re done.
Keep talking
- Pick a regular check-in, even five minutes a week, to ask what’s working and what isn’t.
- Give feedback the day it comes up, calmly and specifically: “Please use the transfer belt every time,” not “you’re careless.”
- Invite feedback back. Your caregiver may notice changes in health or safety before you do.
- Say thank you. Good caregivers stay where they feel valued.
Talk about hours before they become a problem
Hours and timesheets cause more friction than almost anything else. Keep a simple calendar of the days and times your caregiver works, and check it against the timesheet before you approve it in the ESP.
Worth knowingYour caregiver has a maximum number of hours they can work for you each week. If they’re your only provider and work for no one else, you can shift hours between weeks without county approval, as long as you stay within your monthly hours and don’t add overtime. Going over 40 hours in a week, or creating more overtime than usual, needs county approval first. Caregivers who work for more than one person plan their week on form SOC 2255.
New to the ESP? See What Is the ESP for IHSS?.
When something goes wrong
- Talk privately and soon. Describe what happened and what you need instead.
- Listen to their side. Sometimes the fix is a clearer instruction, not a new caregiver.
- Write down the agreed fix and check back in a week.
- If you’ve tried and it isn’t working, you can end the arrangement respectfully. Here’s how to remove a provider from your IHSS case.
- If you ever suspect abuse, neglect, or theft, don’t handle it alone. Call California Adult Protective Services at 1-833-401-0832, or 911 in an emergency.
Plan for the day they can’t come
Every caregiver gets sick or has emergencies. Agree on how much notice they’ll give, and line up a backup person you trust ahead of time.
FlagIf you have an urgent care need and your caregiver suddenly can’t come, ask your county IHSS office or public authority about the Back-Up Provider System. It can send a temporary caregiver for up to 80 hours a year (July 1 to June 30). Those hours come out of your authorized IHSS hours; they aren’t extra.
Need a second caregiver for backup? Search caregivers on IHSS Connect for free, or read How to Find a Caregiver in California (and Keep a Good One).
Sources
- CDSS — Recipient/Employer Responsibility Checklist, SOC 332 (PDF)Find, hire, train, supervise, and fire; scheduling and working conditions; verify and sign timesheets; tell the social worker about provider changes
- Fresno County — Recipients as EmployersScheduling within authorized hours; keeping a calendar of hours worked; safe workplace
- CDSS — Provider Orientation: Workweek Scheduling (PDF)Maximum weekly hours; adjusting hours without county approval; when county approval is required; SOC 2255
- Legal Services of Northern California — Summary of ACL 22-65: Back-Up Provider SystemWho qualifies; 80 hours per fiscal year; counties and public authorities handle requests
- San Bernardino County IHSS Public Authority — Update for IHSS RecipientsBack-up hours come out of authorized hours; free registry and interview help
CDSS is the primary authority. County and public authority pages are cited as examples; check with your own county for local details.
About this article
This guide helps IHSS recipients and families build a strong working relationship with their caregiver: setting expectations, talking about hours and timesheets, handling problems, and planning for absences. Program rules come from CDSS and county sources.
IHSS Connect is an independent, free registry for families and caregivers. We are not part of CDSS or any county IHSS office, and this article is general information, not legal advice.
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