FAQs

The following questions and answers are provided from the California State Department of Social Services.

Q: What is non-medical In-Home care?
A: Generally, non-medical In-home care is assistance provided to the elderly or disabled to meet the needs of individuals to remain safely in their homes. Care can be provide through private caregivers who contract directly with the individual or individual’s family to provide assistance with activities of daily living or other services as requested, or care can be provided through public programs such as In-Home Support Services (IHSS).

Q: What is the Home Care Aide Registry?
A: The Home Care Aide Registry is an Internet website of registered Home Care Aides and Home Care Aide applicants that is established and maintained by the California Department of Social Services. The Registry will include the following information: the individual’s name, registration number, registration status, registration expiration date, and, if applicable, the home care organization to which the affiliated home care aide or affiliated home care aide applicant is associated with.

Q: What services are considered home care services?
A: Home care services are non-medical services and assistance provided by a registered home care aide to a client who, because of advanced age or physical or mental disability needs assistance with activities of daily living (ADL). These services allow the client to remain in his or her residence and include, but are not limited to, assistance with the following:
-bathing -assisting with medication that the client self-administers
-dressing -meal planning and preparation
-feeding -laundry
-exercising -transportation
-personal hygiene/grooming -correspondence
-transferring -making phone calls
-ambulating -shopping for personal care items or groceries
-positioning -companionship
-housekeeping -toileting and incontinence care

Q: What is the difference between an affiliated Home Care Aide and an Independent Home Care Aide?
A: An affiliated Home Care Aide is employed by a Home Care Organization to provide home care services to a client and is listed on the Home Care Aide Registry. An independent Home Care Aide is not employed by a home care organization; however, independent Home Care Aide can be listed on the Home Care Aide Registry and provide home care services through a direct contract with the client.

Q: Who do I contact if I have additional questions about the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act?
A: For more information regarding the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act, please contact the Home Care Services Bureau by email at HCSB@dss.ca.gov or by telephone at (916) 657-3570, or for the information on the Home Care Aide Registry or the background check process please contact the Caregiver Background Check Bureau by telephone at (916) 653-1923.

Q: As a home care agency, will they have to get all their existing caregivers run through the background check process?
A: Yes, home care aides affiliated with a home care organization must be listed on the Home Care Aide Registry prior to providing home care services [Health & Safety Code Section 1796.14(b)].

Q: Is a motor vehicle report included in the State’s background check; and is this a separate cost per worker?
A: No, a California Department of Motor Vehicles report is not included in the background check process.

Q: What are the insurance requirements?
A: Health and Safety Code Sections 1796.12(b) – 1976.42(d) defines the minimum insurance requirements for Home Care Organizations. The requirements are listed below:
Workers’ compensation policy covering the affiliated Home Care Aides.
General and professional liability insurance in the amount of at least one million dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence and three million dollars ($3,000,000) in the aggregate; AND
Employee dishonesty bond including third party coverage, with a minimum limit of ten thousand dollars ($ 10,000).

Q: What are Home Care Aides, Certified Nursing Assistants, Home Health Aides, and Personal Care Attendants? Can a Certified Nursing Assistant get a job as a Home Care Aide?
A: A registered Home Care Aide is an individual authorized to provide non-medical services and assistance to an elderly or disabled client. These home care services are included, but not limited to assistance with the following: (see question #3) – per Health and Safety Code Section 1796.12(n). Please visit http://www.cdph.ca.gov for additional information regarding Certified Nursing Assistants, Home Health Aides, and Personal Care Attendants. Certified Nursing Assistants may apply to become registered Home Care Aides.

Q: Is a home care aide just for personal care or for both personal and companion care?
A: A Home Care Aide may perform personal or companion care duties, or both.

Q: What are the training requirements for an affiliated Home Care Aide?
A: A Home Care Aide must ensure that an Affiliated Home Care Aide receives a minimum 5 hours of entry level training prior to client contact which must include but not limited to:
Two hours or orientation training regarding his/her role as a caregiver and term of employment:
Three hours of training focused on basic safety precautions, emergency procedures, and infection control. The Home Care Organization is also required to ensure Affiliated Home Care Aides maintain ongoing training requirements, which are:
5 hours annually to include but not limited to topics such as: Client’s Rights and Safety, providing for and responding to client’s needs, reporting, detecting, preventing abuse and neglect, assisting clients with personal hygiene and other home care services, and how to properly transport a client (if this is an applicable service). Additionally, training may be completed online. Home Care Aide must complete five (5) hours of entry level training prior to presence with client. [Heath and Safety Code 1796.44(b)]

Q: How do we verify training?
A: Home Care Organizations will be required to maintain a training verification log, which shall include the employee name, hire date, position title, month/day year training was completed, training hours received, instructors/trainers (if in person), organization providing training, and location of training. Documentation of successful completion of training must be attached to log (e.g. certificate, sign-in sheet, etc.).

Q: Can Home Care Aides complete training through video courses or online?
A: At this time, the Health and Safety Code does not limit the means by which an affiliated Home Care Aide receives training; therefore, affiliated Home Care Aides may receive training through a variety of training sources. [Health and Safety Code Section 1796.44]

Q: Is online first aid training valid?
A: The Home Care Aide Bureau has re-examined the requirements around first aide certification. The Home Care Services Bureau has determined that, at this time, entry level training requires three (3) hours of safety training, including basic safety precautions, emergency procedures, and infection control. This can include first aid certificate (online or in person) if the Home Care Aide or Home Care Organization chooses; however, a first aid certificate is not a requirement

Q: What does the statute mean by Emergency Procedure Training?
A: The emergency procedures training topic referenced in the Health and Safety Code 1796.44(a(2) may include but not limited to the following training examples: choking, CPR, trips, slips and falls; when to call 911; safety evaluation of the home; who to contact during and directly after an emergency event; natural disasters; fire; earthquakes; severe weather; power outage; or missing clients.