California can pay a family member to provide the care.
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) State of California
IHSS helps people who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled stay in their own home instead of moving into care. The person receiving care hires their own provider, and California says plainly that the provider can be a relative.
Care providers may include, but are not limited to, family members, friends, neighbors, or registered providers through the public authority.
California Department of Social Services
Covered work includes housecleaning, meal preparation, laundry, grocery shopping, personal care, accompaniment to medical appointments, and protective supervision. The person receiving care is the employer: they hire, train and supervise the provider.
The catch: The person receiving care must be eligible for Medi-Cal and be assessed by the county as needing the services. Being related to them is not by itself enough.
Apply with form SOC 295 through your county IHSS office.
Source: cdss.ca.gov, IHSS provider resources · dhcs.ca.gov, IHSS Plus Checked 28 July 2026
You can be paid for up to 8 weeks while you take time off to care for a parent.
California Paid Family Leave State of California
Paid Family Leave is not only for new parents. Caring for a seriously ill family member qualifies, and a parent counts. It replaces part of your wages while you are away from work.
Up to 8 weeks in a 12 month period. The maximum is $1,765 per week in 2026.
You do not have to use it all at once. The family member's condition has to be certified by a licensed health care provider, and you have to be losing wages because of the time off.
The catch: This replaces part of your pay. It is not job protection on its own, which is a separate set of laws.
Apply through the Employment Development Department.
Source: edd.ca.gov, Paid Family Leave Checked 28 July 2026
Your state may pay the Medicare Part B premium, which is $202.90 a month in 2026.
Medicare Savings Programs Federal, run by the state
Most people have that premium taken straight out of their Social Security payment every month and never question it. Three programs can pay it for people under the income limits, and one of them also covers deductibles, coinsurance and copayments.
$202.90 a month is $2,434.80 a year.
The Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program has a 2026 monthly income limit of $1,350 for one person and $1,824 for a married couple, with resource limits of $9,950 and $14,910. The two other programs, SLMB and QI, reach higher incomes and pay the Part B premium.
The catch: Some states do not count certain types or amounts of income and resources, so being a little over the limit is not the same as being ruled out. Apply through the state and let them decide.
Apply through your state Medicaid office.
Source: medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs · medicare.gov, 2026 costs Checked 28 July 2026
A veteran, or a surviving spouse, can get a larger monthly VA pension when they need help with daily activities.
VA Aid and Attendance Federal
This is money added on top of a VA pension. Surviving spouses are eligible too, which is the part families most often miss, because they assume the benefit died with the veteran.
The VA lists the qualifying situations as needing another person to help with daily activities like bathing, feeding and dressing; being a patient in a nursing home because of lost mental or physical abilities; having very limited eyesight; or being confined to bed by illness.
The catch: You cannot receive Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits at the same time. You have to be receiving or eligible for a VA pension first.
Apply through VA.gov or a Veterans Service Organization.
Source: va.gov, Aid and Attendance Checked 28 July 2026
Help paying the energy bill, and free work on the home to make it cheaper to heat and cool.
LIHEAP energy bill help Federal, run by California
Older adults on a fixed income often cut back on heating or cooling before they ask anyone for help. LIHEAP pays toward energy bills and also covers weatherization, which is physical work done on the home.
California received $236 million in LIHEAP funding for federal fiscal year 2026.
It covers several fuel types including natural gas, electricity, wood, propane and oil.
The catch: Funding is limited and local providers prioritize the households in greatest need, so some eligible households will not receive a benefit. Being eligible and receiving it are two different things here.
Apply through your local LIHEAP service provider.
Source: csd.ca.gov, energy bill assistance Checked 28 July 2026