Caregiver Jobs in Ben Lomond, CA
Ben Lomond is home to the valley's senior center at Highlands Park, and the county IHSS registry has asked for more providers in the valley and nearby mountain communities. A free profile lets you apply; the postings above update as families publish them.
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Finding in-home caregiver jobs in Ben Lomond
Ben Lomond is a census-designated place, an unincorporated community governed by Santa Cruz County rather than by a city council; the county keeps a Ben Lomond Town Plan and the Fifth District supervisor represents it. ACS 2020–2024 counts 6,858 residents and a median age of 46.6. Of these, 1,476 (21.5%) are 65 or older, and 38.8% of those older residents report a disability, against 22.1% in Boulder Creek. Someone 65 or over lives in 37.6% of the community's 2,650 households, and 305 households are an older person on their own. A typical job here is a client in a family house who needs help with mobility, bathing and meals as a disability progresses.
The Santa Cruz County IHSS Public Authority names the San Lorenzo Valley and the Santa Cruz Mountain communities among the areas where it needs more registry providers. That is a stated gap you can fill. In your profile, give your home ZIP code, the days you can reach 95005, and whether you can take a client to Highlands Park, the county park at 8500 Highway 9 where the senior center and a weekday Meals on Wheels lunch are based. Ben Lomond also has many younger households: 30.2% include children and 20.7% of workers work from home, so the person who hires you may be an adult son or daughter working in the same house.
About 11.5% of Ben Lomond's labor force was unemployed, on average, between August 2025 and August 2026, according to EDD estimates. The comparable figures are 6.0% for the county and 5.3% statewide. Because EDD derives small-place estimates from county totals, the Ben Lomond number is approximate. It still shows why nearby, regular care work and IHSS enrollment are worth pursuing here; the Santa Cruz County IHSS guide sets out the steps.
Families looking for private caregivers near Ben Lomond, CA
Real postings from families on CaregiverConnect, matched to Ben Lomond by distance. 1 caregiver within 50 miles already have profiles here.
No open postings in Ben Lomond right now
No family within 50 miles has an open posting today. Nearest current postings: California, CA, about 51 miles away. A profile created now is visible to Santa Cruz County families as soon as they join, and they can send you a direct request.
This list is generated from live postings on CaregiverConnect. We never show sample, demo or expired jobs here.
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Types of caregiver jobs in Ben Lomond
Requests from Ben Lomond families usually involve help moving safely around the house, showering and dressing, preparing meals, keeping track of medication, and driving to appointments. Some want a regular ride to the Highlands Park lunch or the senior center's classes. With a high rate of disability among older residents, transfers and fall prevention come up often. Applicants new to the work can begin with companionship, shopping and housework, then move into hands-on care after a CNA course.
Senior caregiving · Personal care · Companion care · Dementia care · Respite care · Live-in · Overnight · Part-time and full-time
Caregiver pay in Ben Lomond: how much caregivers make
Public figures first, then what they mean for private work. Statistics describe employed aides across the Santa Cruz–Watsonville, CA metro (Santa Cruz County); private rates on CaregiverConnect are agreed between each caregiver and family and are not tracked by any agency.
| Measure | Hourly | Source and coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Home health and personal care aides, Santa Cruz–Watsonville, CA metro (Santa Cruz County) | $16.50 median ($18.14 mean) | BLS OEWS, May 2025; 4,470 jobs; concentration 1.64× national |
| IHSS provider wage, Santa Cruz County | $20.90 | CDSS; effective January 1, 2026 |
| California minimum wage | $16.90 | effective January 1, 2026 |
Who is the employer. A family that hires you directly is your employer under California's Domestic Worker Bill of Rights. The state minimum wage ($16.90 an hour from 1 January 2026; some cities set more, for example $17.75 in the City of San Diego) is the legal floor, and a personal attendant earns overtime at 1.5× after 9 hours in a day or 45 in a week. The main exceptions are IHSS recipients and an employer's own parent, spouse or child. Source: California DIR, Domestic Worker Bill of Rights FAQ.
Without a city government Ben Lomond cannot set its own minimum wage, and the UC Berkeley Labor Center inventory lists none for this part of the county, so the state $16.90 applies. BLS reports aide pay only for the county as a whole: a $16.50 median and an $18.14 mean in May 2025. The county IHSS wage is $20.90 from January 1, 2026. Ben Lomond households report a median income of $130,041 in the ACS, higher than many places in the county, so a private family can often meet or beat the IHSS rate; ask for it for personal care, and charge separately for driving clients to appointments.
How to enroll as a provider in Santa Cruz County, with the office phone lines and orientation steps, is in the IHSS Santa Cruz County guide. IHSS wages for every county we cover, with effective dates, are in the IHSS pay by county guide.
How the public numbers relate to private rates, and what affects them, is covered in the caregiver pay guide.
Caregiver requirements in California, applied to Ben Lomond
California sets no license for non-medical care paid directly by a family. Home care agencies must list their aides on the state Home Care Aide Registry; independent caregivers may join voluntarily. For IHSS, Santa Cruz County providers start online at the Independent Provider Enrollment Center, watch the mandatory videos and e-sign the enrollment form, then attend an in-person orientation with original Social Security and identity documents. There you get the Live Scan form, meet SEIU 2015 and ask payroll staff questions. After fingerprinting (a fee applies), the Public Authority mails a letter confirming whether you are eligible. Hospital and nursing-home roles need CDPH nurse assistant certification. Under WIC section 15630 you must report suspected elder or dependent-adult abuse. More in the requirements guide.
Training and career resources near Ben Lomond
Places for Ben Lomond caregivers to train, enroll and find work, confirmed on their own websites on October 16, 2026.
- Highlands Park Senior CenterRun by the Senior Citizens Organization of San Lorenzo Valley at 8500 Highway 9, for people 50 and over, with blood pressure checks, classes and a monthly newsletter; 831-336-8900. It takes volunteers too, which is a way to meet older residents and their families.
- Santa Cruz County IHSS enrollmentThe four steps (online section, videos, e-signature, orientation booking) begin at the county enrollment center. Questions go to the Public Authority at (831) 454-4036.
- Cabrillo College CNA programCDPH-regulated training, 60 hours in class and 100 at clinical sites; admits 15 students per semester. Tuition is free, with costs reimbursed on completion under a grant. Spring 2027 orientation: November 5, 2026.
- Mountain Community ResourcesA Community Bridges center at 6134 Highway 9 in Felton serving the San Lorenzo Valley, with bilingual advocacy and help applying for public benefits; drop-in hours Monday to Thursday. 831-335-6600.
- Felton Branch Library6121 Gushee Street, Felton, 831-427-7708, open Sunday afternoons; computers for job applications, and a stop for Dominican Hospital's free Mobile Wellness Clinic.
- Watsonville Career Center500 Westridge Drive, Watsonville, (831) 763-8933, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; a Workforce Santa Cruz County center that lists job fairs, training and support services.
Ben Lomond in numbers
Ben Lomond is more linguistically mixed than Boulder Creek: 21.3% of residents aged five and over speak a language other than English at home, mostly languages in the "other Indo-European" group (14.8%), and 4.6% speak Spanish; 13.7% were born abroad. Owner-occupied homes make up 76.8% of the total, with a median value of $960,700 and a median gross rent of $2,514. Just 4.9% of residents are below the poverty line and only 0.4% of households lack a vehicle; the mean commute is 33.1 minutes. The May 2025 CDSS licensing file shows one residential care facility for the elderly in Ben Lomond, with six beds, and no home care organization.
METRO Routes 35 and 35X stop at Highlands Park and at Highway 9 and Lomond, between Cavallaro Transit Center in Scotts Valley and the RiverFront stop in Santa Cruz; local fares are $2.00, or $1.00 for riders 65 and older. Dominican Hospital, 1555 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, has 222 licensed beds (HCAI). See also Boulder Creek, Santa Cruz and the county hub.
How to find private caregiver jobs in Ben Lomond (no agency)
CaregiverConnect is a marketplace, not an agency. Families post what they need, caregivers apply, and the two of you work out the arrangement directly.
- Tell us about your experience
- Set your availability and rate
- Create your account
- Browse, apply or respond
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Applying to open postings and starting a new conversation are part of Caregiver Premium ($7.99/month, cancel anytime). Replying to a family who contacts you is always free. CaregiverConnect takes no cut of what you earn.
Caregiver jobs near Ben Lomond
Families often post from neighbouring towns. Set your travel radius in your profile and you will appear in their searches too.
Ben Lomond is part of Santa Cruz County; the hub pages list every town and area they cover.
Useful reading
How to become a caregiver in California: requirements, HCA registry, IHSS and CNA explained · How much do caregivers make in California and Arizona? BLS, IHSS and minimum wage (2026) · Private caregiver jobs near you: how to find them without an agency · Caregiver interview preparation: questions families ask and how to answer them
- California EDD, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), sub-county places, 12-month average August 2025 to August 2026
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year profiles DP02–DP05, Ben Lomond CDP (GEOID 0605332)
- U.S. Census Bureau, glossary: census designated place
- County of Santa Cruz, Fifth District Supervisor (town plans)
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
- CDSS, IHSS wages by county
- UC Berkeley Labor Center, inventory of local minimum wage ordinances
- California DIR, minimum wage FAQ
- Santa Cruz County HSD, IHSS registry applications (San Lorenzo Valley shortage)
- Santa Cruz County HSD, enroll as an IHSS provider
- Santa Cruz County HSD, IHSS in-person orientation
- Santa Cruz Public Libraries Community Information Database, Senior Citizens Organization of SLV
- Community Bridges, Meals on Wheels for Santa Cruz County
- Cabrillo College, Certified Nursing Assistant program
- Community Bridges, Mountain Community Resources
- Santa Cruz Public Libraries, branches
- Workforce Santa Cruz County, career centers
- Santa Cruz METRO, Route 35 and fares
- CDSS Community Care Licensing open data (RCFE and HCO files, May 2025)
- HCAI facility profile, Dominican Hospital
Caregiver jobs in Ben Lomond: frequently asked questions
Does the county need IHSS providers in Ben Lomond?
Its Public Authority lists the San Lorenzo Valley among the places where it is short of registry providers. After you enroll, request the registry application on (831) 454-4036 and return it with professional references.
What is the hourly rate for IHSS work in Ben Lomond?
$20.90 since January 1, 2026, set for all of Santa Cruz County. The state minimum of $16.90 is the only legal floor for private jobs, since Ben Lomond has no local wage ordinance.
Is Highlands Park a good place to look for clients?
It is where many older valley residents gather: the senior center serves people 50 and over, and Meals on Wheels serves a weekday lunch for those 60 and over. The center takes volunteers; ask staff before you promote caregiving services there.
Can I reach Ben Lomond by bus?
Routes 35 and 35X stop on Highway 9 in Ben Lomond, including at Highlands Park. The 35X runs weekdays and Route 35 also runs at weekends. Homes off the highway may still need a car.
Is there a care home in Ben Lomond where I could work?
The state file lists one licensed six-bed residential care facility for the elderly in Ben Lomond. Most work in the community is in private homes.
Where do Ben Lomond families post?
On the Ben Lomond family page; postings from there and the surrounding county show at the top of this page.
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