How Do I?

Outside California

Call 1-800-677-1116
Eldercare Locator

For information on services for seniors or adults with disabilities who live outside California.

State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP)

For one-on-one insurance counseling and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, friends, and caregivers.

    Care Options

    It can be overwhelming to understand your options for long-term services and supports, especially if you must make these choices very quickly.

    In California, many of the public programs and services that provide in-home or community-based help are managed at the county level. While a number of these services are available throughout the State, others may differ from county to county. To find services in your area, refer to Find Services in My County.

    Long-Term Services and Supports

    The following provides information on the various long-term services and supports care options:

    Planning Ahead

    Many of us feel that planning ahead and sharing what type of life sustaining treatment we would want if we were unable to communicate our wishes is something that can be put off to a future date. But no matter our age, life changes can happen suddenly due to an accident or an unforeseen health situation. Sharing what type of care and who you would like to make those difficult decisions if you couldn’t is an important way to ensure that you would receive the type of treatment you would want when you need it most.

    The following provides information to assist with Medicare and financial planning:

    CA Coalition for Compassionate Care - Resources for Advanced Care Planning

    The California Coalition for Compassionate Care provides a number of tools and resources to assist in advanced health care planning and training opportunities for community organizations and health care and social services professionals.

    How to Make Advance Health Care Planning Easier

    This website, created by the University of California Hastings School of Law and a national Medical Legal Partnership, provides easy to read Advanced Health Care Directive forms that can be used in any state, competed online and then printed out for signatures. The website also includes many video clips to assist in the process, including stories from the perspective of different family members as to why they have or have not communicated what type of life sustaining treatment they would want if they were not able to make those decisions. This website can be used to help spark those important conversations that are sometimes difficult to begin.