Most families don’t plan senior care in advance; they put it together as needs change. In California, the pieces come from VA, CalVet, the Department of Health Care Services, the Department of Social Services and your county, and knowing which one does what saves a lot of phone calls.
This guide takes them one at a time.
VA senior care programs in California
Eight VA health systems serve California: VA Northern California (Sacramento and Martinez medical centers), VA Palo Alto, VA San Francisco, VA Central California in Fresno, VA Greater Los Angeles, VA Long Beach, VA Loma Linda and VA San Diego12345678. Each runs its own home care, geriatric and caregiver programs, so the system that covers your parent’s ZIP code is the one to call. Enrolled veterans can ask their VA team about:
Home Based Primary Care
A VA team that comes to the home of a veteran who has trouble getting to clinic appointments9.
Adult Day Health Care
Daytime care, supervision and activities10.
Community Living Centers and community nursing homes
VA’s own nursing home care, or care VA pays for in a contracted home1112.
Respite
Short breaks for the family caregiver13.
Care across a very large state
In a state this size, which VA system you belong to depends on your address, and so does the drive. Northern Californians may go to the Sacramento or Martinez medical centers; Bay Area veterans to San Francisco or Palo Alto; Central Valley veterans to Fresno; and Southern Californians to Greater Los Angeles, Long Beach’s Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center, Loma Linda’s Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans’ Hospital or San Diego’s Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center13245678. Each system’s home care and geriatric staff decide what’s available locally, so ask the system that serves your ZIP code.
When VA can’t offer care in time or within a reasonable drive, it may approve community care from a local provider1415, and eligible veterans can claim travel pay16. See VA travel pay.
What care costs in California
- Home care. The median aide wage was $16.50 an hour in May 2025, the state minimum that year; agency rates are higher1718.
- Assisted living. No statewide price is published. Medi-Cal's Assisted Living Waiver pays $95.69 to $270.80 a day for care by tier in 2026, not including room and board18.
- Nursing home. Medi-Cal's 2026 statewide average private pay rate is $14,44019.
Browse assisted living, memory care, nursing homes and home care in California.
California's state veterans homes
| Home | Address | Admissions phone | Levels of care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barstow | 100 E. Veterans Pkwy., Barstow 92311 | 760-252-6281 | Skilled nursing |
| Chula Vista | 700 E. Naples Ct., Chula Vista 91911 | 619-482-6010 | Independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing |
| Fresno | 2811 W. Cesar Chavez Blvd., Fresno 93706 | 559-493-4400 | Assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care |
| Lancaster | 45221 30th St. W., Lancaster 93536 | 661-974-8141 | Assisted living |
| Redding | 3400 Knighton Rd., Redding 96002 | 530-224-3300 | Assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care |
| Ventura | 10900 Telephone Rd., Ventura 93004 | 805-659-7502 | Assisted living |
| West Los Angeles | 11500 Nimitz Ave., Los Angeles 90049 | 424-832-8203 | Assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care |
| Yountville | 180 California Dr., Yountville 94599 | 707-944-4601 | Independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care |
See California’s state veterans homes for eligibility and how to apply.
Aid and Attendance
For a wartime veteran or surviving spouse who needs daily help, Aid and Attendance pays up to $29,093 a year for a single veteran and $18,697 for a surviving spouse in 20262425. It takes wartime service, net worth under $163,699 and a medical need2627. See Aid and Attendance in California.
Family caregiver support
VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers pays a monthly stipend, plus training and health coverage, to the family caregiver of an eligible veteran with a serious service-connected injury2829. VA’s Caregiver Support Program can connect your family with caregiver support staff at your VA system30. Ask about Veteran-Directed Care too31.
Medi-Cal and state programs
- Medi-Cal assets. $130,000 for one person through June 30, 2027, then $21,00032.
- In-Home Supportive Services. County-assessed hours of in-home help; the recipient hires their own provider, often a relative3334.
- MSSP. Care management for Medi-Cal members 60 and older who are certifiable for nursing home care35.
- Assisted Living Waiver. Care in an RCFE or subsidized housing in 15 counties18.
- Property tax. The Disabled Veterans' Exemption for 100% or TDIU-rated veterans, larger from 2027 under SB 296; see California's veteran exemption3637.
- Medicare. Medicare and VA don't coordinate benefits; each pays for the care it covers38.
A California example
An 84-year-old Vietnam-era veteran in Redding lives with his wife and is getting unsteady on his feet. Their son calls their County Veterans Service Office to file Aid and Attendance, worth up to $34,488 a year for a veteran with a spouse in 2026, and applies at the county IHSS office so the son can be paid for some of the care392433. They also put in a joint application to the Redding Veterans Home, which offers assisted living, skilled nursing and memory care, in case home care stops working2040.