Questions families ask us

There's no catch. Families never pay Golden State Senior Placement, not now and not later. When someone we've helped moves in, the home pays us a referral fee, the same way homes pay any placement agency. Every home pays us the same rate, so we have no reason to steer you anywhere except the home that's right.

It depends on the city, the room and the level of care. As a reference point, the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey put California's median for assisted living at $82,800 a year, about $6,900 a month. Shared rooms, smaller homes and lighter care needs often cost less; memory care and private rooms often cost more. We share each home's actual rate before you visit.

Room and board usually costs far less than a care home because no personal care is included. In the areas we serve, many rooms rent for about $900 to $1,800 a month with meals included. The exact price depends on the city, a private or shared room, and what the home provides.

Medi-Cal does not pay room and board in a care home. Its Assisted Living Waiver can pay for the care services in participating homes, while the resident pays the home for room and board, often from SSI or other income. The waiver is available in 15 California counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma), and it has a waitlist. We only refer families to homes that accept the way they plan to pay.

Most families pay privately from savings, pensions, Social Security or the sale of a home. Long-term care insurance often covers licensed assisted living or board and care. Veterans and surviving spouses may qualify for the VA pension with Aid and Attendance. Some homes accept SSI. Tell us your situation and we'll only reach out to homes that fit it.

No. Medicare does not pay for long-term personal care or for rent in a board and care home or assisted living community. It may cover a short skilled nursing stay after a qualifying hospital stay, and it can cover hospice services, but the monthly care home rate stays with the resident. Medi-Cal, which is a separate program, can help in some cases through the Assisted Living Waiver.

Yes. Since January 1, 2026, California has again counted assets for older adults and people with disabilities in non-expansion Medi-Cal programs, including long-term care. The limit is $130,000 for one person, plus $65,000 for each additional household member. One home the person lives in is exempt. People on SSI-linked Medi-Cal follow the separate $2,000 SSI limit. Rules vary by situation, so check with your county Medi-Cal office before moving money.

In 2026 the combined SSI/SSP payment standard for an older adult living in a licensed care home in California is $1,626.07 a month, and part of it is set aside for personal needs. That is less than most homes charge, so only some homes accept it. The amount usually changes each January. Tell us the person's income and we'll only reach out to homes that accept it.

A board and care home is a small licensed care home, usually a house in a regular neighborhood with six or fewer residents. The California Department of Social Services licenses it as a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE). Caregivers are there day and night and help with bathing, dressing, the bathroom, meals and medications. Many also offer memory care for people living with dementia.

In California, board and care homes and assisted living communities hold the same kind of license: both are Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs). The difference is size and feel. "Board and care" usually means a house with six or fewer residents and home-cooked meals; "assisted living" usually means a larger building with more amenities. Both help with daily care and medications.

A care home (RCFE) gives help with daily living, supervision and medications, but not ongoing skilled nursing. A nursing home, also called a skilled nursing facility, is licensed by the California Department of Public Health and has licensed nurses on duty around the clock for people with serious medical needs. Many people move to a care home after a short nursing home stay for rehab.

Room and board fits someone who still takes care of themselves (bathing, dressing, the bathroom and their own medications) and doesn't have dementia, but shouldn't live alone or can't afford a place of their own. They get a furnished room, home-cooked meals and company. Room and board homes are not licensed to give care, so if needs change, we help the family move to a licensed care home.

Always. Up to three homes that fit can say yes, and you visit each one in person or by video before deciding anything. We set the times around your schedule and one of our advisors comes along whenever we can. You get a tour page with addresses, times, each home's state license record and the questions worth asking.

We read every request, usually within one business hour, and homes that fit can respond the same day. If it's urgent, such as a hospital discharge in a few days, call us and say so. We move quickly without rushing you into a choice.

We help families anywhere in California, from Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego to the Bay Area, the Central Valley, Sacramento and the North State. Search by any of California's cities or neighborhoods on our request form, or call (916) 555-0100.

Search the home's name or license number on the California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing facility search at ccld.dss.ca.gov/carefacilitysearch. It shows the license status, capacity, inspection visits and any citations. We check every licensed home there before it joins our network, and we link to each home's record on your tour page.

Since January 1, 2025, California law requires a care home (RCFE) to give residents at least 90 days' written notice before a rate increase. Ask each home how often its rates have gone up and what's included in the monthly price.

A senior placement agency helps a family find a care home that fits. It learns the person's care needs, budget and preferred area, narrows the choices to homes that can meet those needs, sets up visits, and helps with the move. Families pay nothing here because the home pays the agency a referral fee after a resident moves in. The family makes the final choice.

No. Some referral websites pass your number to dozens of places. We never do. Homes first see a summary with no names. Your loved one's name and your number go only to the few homes you agree to tour, and the doctor's paperwork goes only to the home you choose.

That's completely fine. Call (916) 555-0100 or email hello@goldenstateseniorplacement.example with your reference number and we'll stop all contact and close your request within 10 days. No pressure, ever.