Home care in California, made simple.

The California home care landscape

California's home care market spans the Los Angeles-Orange-San Diego coastal corridor, the San Francisco Bay Area (Santa Clara, Alameda, San Mateo counties), Sacramento metro, and Central Valley and Northern California rural communities. State licensure requirements and cost of living drive rates significantly above the national average in metro markets.

Cost overview: $28 to $46 per hour — Bay Area and Los Angeles premium markets run at the top; Central Valley and Northern California rural areas run below state average. Rates vary meaningfully by metro; use our 50-state cost calculator with local ZIP for a personalized estimate.

To find the right level of care in California, use our 8-question care type quiz. If you have long-term care insurance, model your policy payout against local California rates with our LTCi payout estimator. If the care recipient is a wartime veteran or surviving spouse, check VA Aid & Attendance eligibility.

How much care does your family need in California?

Every private-pay engagement in California starts with the same question: how many caregiver hours per week does the family need. The answer depends on the person's mobility, cognition, medication complexity, activities of daily living, and family caregiver capacity. Our care type quiz walks through the eight factors that shape the recommendation; here are the typical tiers.

Companion care (20–30 hours per week)

The lowest tier of California private-pay home care. A companion aide provides social engagement, light supervision, meal preparation, errands, and cueing for medications and appointments. This tier fits California seniors who live safely at home but benefit from company and household support several days per week. At California's average hourly rate, companion care typically runs $2,944 to $5,456 per month for a moderate schedule.

Personal care (40–56 hours per week)

Certified home health aides assist with activities of daily living — bathing, dressing, transfers, toileting help, and personal grooming — in addition to companion-level tasks. This tier fits California families whose loved one can no longer manage some ADLs independently but does not need overnight coverage. Monthly cost at California rates typically runs $7,101 to $10,912.

Memory / dementia care (60–112 hours per week)

Dementia-trained aides provide structured routines, redirection during confused moments, sundowning support, and wandering safety protocols. This tier fits California families managing Alzheimer's, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, or moderate cognitive impairment. Monthly cost at California rates typically runs $11,431 to $23,278 depending on hours and specialization required.

Live-in and 24-hour care (168 hours per week)

Live-in care means one caregiver residing in the home with five protected sleep hours nightly. 24-hour rotating care uses two or three shift caregivers, all awake, all on duty. Both are options for California seniors requiring continuous coverage, but each fits a different clinical profile. Our care type quiz identifies which is right; our cost calculator shows the substantial cost difference.