Living at home with familiar surroundings has been accepted as a preferred choice for care among In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) consumers. Services that include some household chores, personal care, and assistance with shopping and medications make a world of difference for those who otherwise would be relegated to institutional care facilities.
The beauty of this program is that not only is it the preferred choice of the consumers, but the cost is much smaller than the less desirable care facilities.
The future holds an aging population, and longevity will fuel the need for services. Nearly every family will be positioned to address the concerns of caring for loved ones or providing for that care. The IHSS program will be at the forefront in assisting those individuals who meet the qualification requirements.
Along with the expected growth, the state has implemented a quality assurance program that will monitor the program within each county. It is expected that all sections and aspects will be monitored to enhance the program and discourage fraud and abuse. The new Quality Assurance personnel will guide the IHSS required standards within our county.
The Glenn County Public Authority has been working with providers to form a registry service that the IHSS consumer can access to provide for their needs. Matches occur when a consumer chooses a provider from registry-provided lists. Sometimes two or three lists are necessary before a consumer finds the most qualified provider. Turnover frequently occurs, and on hard to serve consumers, there are times when we must refer them to job services to place their own outside ad.
We presently have approximately twenty percent of all county providers on the IHSS registry.
Assisting the people who utilize IHSS services is a gratifying experience. Knowing that a more vulnerable population is receiving services that might provide them with a safer environment has pushed the Public Authority to improve provider reference verifications.
On September 3, 2004, the IHSS Public Authority began fingerprinting registry applicants. Our application process clearly indicates that criminal behavior will make someone ineligible for the provider registry. It has become increasingly clear that the more we can verify references, background, and history, the more confident consumers will become in using registry referral services.
The Public Authority does not hire the IHSS provider, and no provider is a Public Authority employee. The consumer is always the employer for screening, hiring, directing, and, if necessary, terminating their provider. The providers may seek their own employee is not required to join the registry to work as an IHSS provider. The consumers may seek their own employee and are not required to hire through the registry to receive IHSS services.
To receive an application for the registry, please call (530) 865-6148. The rate of pay for IHSS providers in Glenn County is $14.00 an hour.
Consumers may call (530) 865-6148 to request a list of providers to assist in their search for a qualified assistant.