Find Caregivers in Bakersfield, CA
Kern County's largest city has four hospitals, the county's ageing services under one roof and a growing pool of people moving into care work. Post your need for free, compare the caregivers who answer, and hire directly.
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How to find a caregiver in Bakersfield
Bakersfield families assemble care from the county first and the market second. In-Home Supportive Services, applied for through Aging and Adult Services on Truxtun Avenue, pays a chosen provider for authorised hours if your parent has Medi-Cal; three licensed adult day health centres in the city offer weekday care under the Community-Based Adult Services benefit; and the Multipurpose Senior Services Program gives a care manager to Medi-Cal seniors at risk of a nursing home. What remains, and it is usually the larger part for a family with a parent who is not on Medi-Cal, is private care paid by the hour: mornings before work, the evening shift, overnights after a discharge from Memorial, Kern Medical, Adventist Health or Mercy, and respite for the son or daughter doing the rest. The caregivers who answer here will be from the city and the ring of towns around it, many of them new to paid care from oil, farm or warehouse work, which is the shift the county's own projections describe. Spanish is spoken at home by 35.8% of residents and Asian and Pacific Islander languages by 4.0%, so most profiles list a second language. No caregivers have joined from Bakersfield yet; the cards above fill as profiles are created, and your posting is what draws the first ones.
Caregivers near Bakersfield, CA
Independent caregivers with profiles on CaregiverConnect whose home base is within 50 miles. You agree on duties, schedule and pay directly with the person you hire.
No caregivers within 50 miles of Bakersfield have joined yet
We do not pad this page with distant profiles. Posting is free, and caregivers who join in Kern County see it immediately.
Counts come from live caregiver profiles on CaregiverConnect. Sample and test profiles are never shown here.
Are you a caregiver in Bakersfield?
Open postings and a free profile.
Types of in-home care families in Bakersfield arrange
All non-medical. For nursing tasks (injections, wound care, catheters) you need a licensed home health agency, not a private caregiver.
- Senior care at home: meals, reminders, housekeeping, errands, company.
- Personal care: bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, transfers.
- Companion care: conversation, walks, appointments, errands.
- Dementia care: routine-based support; ask for experience.
- Respite care: shifts so a family caregiver can rest or work.
- Overnight and live-in: night supervision or room-and-board arrangements.
- Post-surgery recovery: non-medical help after a hospital stay.
- Part-time and flexible: a few hours on set days is the usual start.
Evaluating caregivers in Bakersfield
Bakersfield has every verifiable credential within a few miles. The Home Care Aide Registry (mandatory for agency aides, voluntary for independents; a listing means CDSS cleared a background check), IHSS enrolment through the Kern County Public Authority (Department of Justice fingerprints and an in-person orientation on Truxtun Avenue), and a CDPH nurse assistant certificate, which Bakersfield College trains for on Panorama Drive and extends with a 40-hour Home Health Aide course. Experience at one of the city's hospitals or adult day centres is checked with a phone call. Beyond paperwork: interview at home with your parent in the room, ring two references, order a consumer-reporting background check with written consent, and pay for a trial shift. CaregiverConnect does not run checks; a Verified badge reflects proof a caregiver uploaded, nothing more.
Questions families here ask at interview
- Which side of the city do you live on, and how long is the drive to us at 7 a.m.?
- Are you on the Home Care Aide Registry, enrolled with IHSS, or a CNA from Bakersfield College?
- Have you cared for someone with dementia, and how do you handle a refusal to bathe?
- Would you drive my mother to Kern Medical, Memorial or her Adventist Health clinic, and what do you charge for it?
- Do you speak Spanish or another language with the person you care for?
- What did you do before caregiving, and what made you change?
- Who covers if you are ill, and how much notice do you give?
- What is your rate, and what is extra for nights, weekends or short notice?
Typical schedules and what care costs in Bakersfield
Bakersfield postings cover the whole range: three or four weekday blocks for a parent living alone, evening and weekend cover for a working household, overnight supervision after surgery, dementia care that grows from hours to days, and occasional live-in. Families in the south-west and north-east should allow travel time in the schedule; the city is spread out and a caregiver crossing it at rush hour needs it priced in.
| Reference point | Hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employed aides, Bakersfield–Delano metro (Kern County) | $16.50 median | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| IHSS provider wage, Kern County | $17.90 | CDSS; effective July 1, 2026 |
| California minimum wage | $16.90 | effective January 1, 2026 |
| Agency non-medical home care, California median (CareScout 2025) | $40.00 | CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 |
Who is the employer. When you hire a caregiver directly, you are a household 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.
Bakersfield's reference points are a $16.50 employed median, $17.90 for IHSS providers from July 2026 and a $40 statewide agency median. Expect a private caregiver to ask for a rate between the IHSS figure and the agency figure, higher for personal care, dementia, overnights and driving, and a little higher in the city than in the valley towns because incomes here (median household $80,540) are above the county's. You become the employer when you hire directly: household taxes above the federal threshold and overtime after nine hours a day or 45 a week for a personal attendant.
No agency tracks private rates. A caregiver you hire directly will usually expect more than the employed-aide median and less than an agency rate; every caregiver on this site lists an hourly rate on their profile, and the hiring guide covers taxes and overtime.
Caregiver resources for families in Bakersfield
- Kern County Aging and Adult Services5357 Truxtun Avenue, (661) 868-1000. IHSS intake, the Area Agency on Aging (Family Caregiver Services, senior meals, HICAP) and Adult Protective Services; 24-hour abuse line (800) 277-7866 or (661) 868-1006.
- IHSS Public Authority registry5357 Truxtun Avenue, (661) 868-0987, ihssinfo@kerncounty.com. Screened IHSS providers for recipients without a relative to hire.
- Adult day health centres (CBAS)THV Enterprises, 3025 Fairfax Road, (661) 573-0150; Bakersfield Community Health Center, 1801 Oak Street, (661) 215-8218; Ashram, 7500 District Blvd, (661) 282-8428. Licensed Community-Based Adult Services under Medi-Cal.
- MSSP, Ombudsman and legal helpMultipurpose Senior Services Program, Partners in Care Foundation, 5251 Office Park Drive, Suite 110, (661) 326-0105; Long-Term Care Ombudsman (661) 323-7884; Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, 615 California Avenue.
- Bakersfield Senior Center(661) 325-1113. Weekday lunch through the county nutrition programme, pick-up 11:30 to noon, delivery for seniors who leave a message a day ahead; activities for low-income seniors and veterans.
- Dementia supportThe Alzheimer's Disease Association of Kern County closed its day programme in April 2026 and ceased operations on 3 September 2026; it refers families to Aging and Adult Services and to the Alzheimer's Association 24-hour line, 1-800-272-3900.
- GET-A-Lift paratransit1830 Golden State Avenue, (661) 869-2438. ADA curb-to-curb rides in metropolitan Bakersfield, $3.00 a trip, 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. seven days a week; GET reduced fare $0.80 for riders 65 and over.
Hiring safely in Bakersfield
Set duties, hours, rate, overtime, mileage, notice and emergency contacts out on one page, keep a weekly timesheet, secure valuables and set up account alerts, and agree how each visit is reported to you. Anyone caring for an older adult in California is a mandated reporter; report suspected abuse or neglect to Kern County Adult Protective Services at (800) 277-7866 or (661) 868-1006, and facility concerns to the Ombudsman at (661) 323-7884. The hiring guide covers screening, taxes and overtime in detail.
How to find and hire a caregiver in Bakersfield
CaregiverConnect is a marketplace, not an agency: you hire the caregiver directly, which is why there is no agency mark-up on their hourly rate. That also means screening is your responsibility, and we tell you how.
Describe the care you need
Who, which tasks, which days and time blocks, budget, start date. About ten minutes, free.
Your posting goes live
Caregivers in range see it immediately. Edit or close it any time from your dashboard.
Review caregivers and applicants
Experience, care types, languages, rates, availability. Applicants appear under your posting.
Message and hire
Messaging and confirming a hire are part of Family Premium ($24.99/month, cancel anytime). Browsing, posting and applications are free.
Agree terms and pay directly
Rate, schedule and payment are between you and the caregiver. No percentage is taken.
What is free and what costs money
Free family account
- Browse profiles, post and edit care needs, receive applications
Family Premium
- Messaging, direct job requests, confirming a hire; cancel any time
No commission on what you pay the caregiver; payments are between you. Details on the pricing page.
Find caregivers near Bakersfield
Caregivers set a travel radius, so a caregiver based in a neighbouring town may well cover your home. These pages show who is nearby.
Bakersfield is part of Kern County; the hub pages list every town and area they cover.
- Oildale, CA4 mi
- Shafter, CA16 mi
- Arvin, CA16 mi
- Taft, CA27 mi
- Wasco, CA30 mi
- Find caregivers in Delano, CA31 mi
- Find caregivers in Tehachapi, CA37 mi
- Find caregivers in Visalia, CA69 mi
Useful reading before you apply
California caregiver requirements: HCA registry, IHSS and CNA explained
Which rules apply to a caregiver in California depends on who pays them. A plain-language map of the Home Care Aide Registry, IHSS provider enrolment and CNA/HHA certification, with the official sources.
What caregivers earn in California and Arizona: BLS, IHSS and minimum wage (2026)
Median hourly pay for home health and personal care aides by metro area from the May 2025 BLS survey, county IHSS wages, state minimum wages, and how private rates relate to them.
How to hire a private caregiver: cost, screening, taxes and a written agreement
What a private in-home caregiver costs compared with an agency, how to screen and check references, the household-employer tax and overtime rules in California and Arizona, and what to put in writing.
Imperial County caregiver resources: training, job centres, IHSS, senior services and transport
A verified directory of the agencies and programmes caregivers and families in El Centro, Calexico, Brawley, Imperial, Holtville, Westmorland and Calipatria actually use, with addresses and phone numbers checked on 12 October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 (DP02, DP03, DP05), Bakersfield city
- CDSS, IHSS wages by county
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Bakersfield-Delano, CA
- California EDD, Kern County projections 2023–2033
- CareScout (Genworth) Cost of Care Survey 2025
- California DIR, Domestic Worker Bill of Rights
- Kern County Aging and Adult Services
- Kern County IHSS Public Authority
- California Department of Aging, Kern County directory (MSSP, Ombudsman, CBAS, legal)
- Bakersfield Senior Center
- Alzheimer's Disease Association of Kern County, closure notice
- Golden Empire Transit, GET-A-Lift and fares
- Bakersfield College, Nurse Assistant Training Program
- Kern Medical; Dignity Health Memorial and Mercy; Adventist Health Bakersfield
- CDSS, Home Care Aide Registry search
Hiring a caregiver in Bakersfield: frequently asked questions
How do I find a caregiver in Bakersfield?
Post your care need free with your ZIP code and the days and hours; caregivers whose travel radius covers you see it immediately and apply, and you can browse the cards above first. You choose whom to talk to.
How much should I pay a caregiver in Bakersfield?
Between the $17.90 IHSS wage and the $40 agency median is realistic, with the $16.50 employed median as the floor; dementia care, overnights and driving push the rate up. Caregivers list their rate on their profile.
Can my brother be paid through IHSS for looking after Dad?
If your father has Medi-Cal and the county authorises hours, yes: your brother enrols through the Public Authority on Truxtun Avenue and is paid $17.90 an hour for those hours. Private care covers anything beyond them.
Is there daytime care outside the home?
Three licensed adult day health centres operate in the city (Fairfax Road, Oak Street and District Boulevard) under Medi-Cal's Community-Based Adult Services benefit. Families often combine one with a private caregiver for evenings.
Where do I turn for dementia help now that ADAKC has closed?
Aging and Adult Services on (661) 868-1000 and the Alzheimer's Association line on 1-800-272-3900, and post here for a caregiver with dementia experience; ask them to describe a difficult afternoon they have handled.
What is free on CaregiverConnect?
A family account, browsing, posting and receiving applications. Family Premium ($24.99 a month, cancel any time) adds messaging, direct job requests and confirming a hire. Nothing is deducted from the caregiver's pay.
Does CaregiverConnect screen caregivers?
No. A caregiver may upload proof of a background check for a Verified badge after review, but verifying identity, references and history remains your responsibility.
Post your care need in Bakersfield
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