If your mother says she can bathe alone but you have to help her step into the tub, write down that step and the help you give before calling the insurer to start a claim. Guiding Souls Home Care does not provide assisted living, a nursing home, or skilled care at home. Guiding Souls Home Care does not provide home health either.
What does home care cost in Sacramento, and what will a policy cover?
The CareScout Cost of Care Survey (2025) puts the median for a non-medical caregiver in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom area at $40 an hour. At 44 hours a week that comes to $7,627 a month. The national median is $35 an hour.
To estimate a monthly bill, multiply weekly hours by the hourly rate, then by about four and a third weeks. Ten hours a week at $40 is about $1,733 a month. Ask each agency for a written quote for the hours your parent needs.
For comparison, the same survey lists assisted living in this area at $7,750 a month and a private room in a nursing home at $19,771 a month. Home care for a few hours a day often costs far less than either.
A policy usually pays back a daily or monthly amount up to a limit. It may cover all of the bill, or only part. Check the policy's waiting period, often called an elimination period, and ask the insurer which days count toward it.
What changes the cost, and what does a policy look at?
Hours matter most. Two short visits a day can cost less than one long shift, or more, depending on the agency's minimum visit. Ask each one for its minimum.
Nights, weekends and holidays may be priced differently. So may help that needs two people for a transfer.
The policy has its own tests. Most pay when a person cannot do a set number of activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, moving from bed to chair, or staying continent. Some pay when a person has memory loss and needs supervision. A doctor or the insurer's own assessor usually confirms this.
Policies may use different words for a home health aide, so ask how the insurer defines the provider and whether it must be an agency rather than a private person. You can check an aide's status at the Home Care Aide Registry, where an aide must pass a criminal background check run by the California Department of Social Services before registration.
Which programs can pay for care at home in California?
CalPERS Long-Term Care. This was an optional, employee-paid benefit. The CalPERS Long-Term Care Program is closed to new applications until further notice. Current policyholders can find the administrator's contact details on the CalPERS page. For home care, the Spring 2025 newsletter says claims need an itemized invoice plus Daily Visit Notes filled out by the provider. If the plan is the facility-only kind, it will not pay for care at home.
Genworth and other private policies. Each one differs. Look for a section called home care, home health care, or care in the community. Then check the benefit amount and the waiting period.
IHSS. The In-Home Supportive Services program pays for in-home help for eligible aged, blind and disabled people. A county social worker visits the home and sets the hours. Your parent hires the helper, who is often a family member.
Medi-Cal. It has an asset limit of $130,000 for one person through June 30, 2027. After that date it drops to $21,000 for one person. The home, one car and household items do not count. Its Home and Community-Based Alternatives Waiver pays for care management and services at home for people who need the level of care a nursing home provides.
VA benefits. VA Aid and Attendance adds money to a VA pension for a veteran or surviving spouse who needs help with daily activities. The VA also has a Homemaker and Home Health Aide program for veterans who meet its clinical criteria.
For free, unbiased Medicare counseling, contact HICAP.
How do you start a claim?
Begin with the policy, not the agency. Find the policy number, the insurer's phone number and the date coverage began.
Have these ready before you call:
- The policy and the latest premium notice
- Your parent's date of birth and any power of attorney papers
- The doctor's name and phone number
- A short list of daily tasks your parent cannot do alone
Then call the insurer and say, "I want to start a long-term care claim for home care." Ask these questions:
- Does this policy pay for care at home?
- What is the benefit trigger, and who decides it?
- What is the waiting period, and when does it start?
- Must the provider be an agency, and what papers does it need to send?
- Do you pay the agency directly, or reimburse us?
Keep a call log with the claim number and who you spoke with. Keep each invoice and note in one folder. Insurers often take weeks to review, so start before the money is needed.
What happens if you call Guiding Souls Home Care?
A person answers (916) 229-8120 at any hour, including weekends and holidays. We accept long-term care insurance including CalPERS, Genworth and Mutual Life, and the office reads the policy with you. The first visit to the house is free and carries no obligation. Mereani does it herself on most new cases, then puts a plan and a clear cost in writing before anything begins. You can also use the free assessment form. See All home care services and Where We Serve, Sacramento Region.
