In-Home Caregivers in Dos Palos, CA
Post a free request for in-home help in Dos Palos, and give ZIP 93620 so the nearest caregivers are shown it before anyone else.
- Free to join, browse and post
- Hire directly, no agency mark-up
- You stay in control of screening
How to find an in-home caregiver in Dos Palos
Dos Palos has an older population for its size. Of the 5,765 residents in ACS 2020–2024, 1,257 are 65 or older (21.8%), and in 819 households (39.0%) at least one person is that age. Many live on their own: 128 women and 181 men aged 65 and older head a household alone. The same survey finds 18.3% of households have no vehicle, so getting to appointments and the store is often part of the job you are hiring for.
Write a post that a local caregiver can answer quickly: the tasks (personal care, meals, medications, cleaning, rides, supervision), the days and hours, whether the caregiver must drive or ride the Micro Bus with your parent, and the rate. Mention the language your parent prefers; 47.1% of residents over age four speak Spanish at home, according to the census. The profiles listed above update as caregivers join, closest to 93620 first.
Private in-home caregivers near Dos Palos, 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 Dos Palos have joined yet
We do not pad this page with distant profiles. Posting is free, and caregivers who join in Merced 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 Dos Palos?
Open postings and a free profile.
Types of in-home care families in Dos Palos 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 · Personal care · Companion care · Dementia care · Respite care · Overnight and live-in · Post-surgery recovery · Part-time and flexible
Evaluating caregivers in Dos Palos
Find out which credentials a candidate holds, then confirm them. CNAs are certified by CDPH. IHSS providers in Merced County have been fingerprinted through Live Scan and attended an orientation. Registry listing is a rule for agency aides rather than independents, and no licensed home care organization has a Dos Palos address according to the state's 2025 licensing file, which means nearly every applicant will be self-employed. Hold the interview with your parent in the room, call two people the caregiver has worked for, and start with a single paid trial shift. Ask about experience with falls, diabetes and memory loss. CaregiverConnect runs no identity, criminal-record or reference checks; families who want one obtain written consent and order it themselves.
Questions families here ask at interview
- Are you based in Dos Palos, and could you take my mother to her Golden Valley clinic on California Avenue?
- If you do not drive, are you comfortable booking and riding the Micro Bus with her?
- Can you speak Spanish with my father and with his doctors?
- Would you take her to the Senior Social Club luncheon at Del Hale Hall on the second Tuesday?
- Have you worked as an IHSS provider before, and are you willing to go through Merced County enrollment?
- How would you handle her medications if the pharmacy changes the pills?
- If you are ill on a workday, who steps in, and when would we hear from you?
What in-home care costs in Dos Palos: hourly rates and schedules
Weekday mornings. Help getting up, bathing, breakfast and medications, then a ride to the weekday senior lunch on Leonard Avenue or an appointment. Errand and appointment days. In a town where nearly one household in five has no car, families book one or two longer days a week for shopping, the pharmacy and clinic visits. Around working relatives. In homes shared by three generations, families tend to book the caregiver for the stretch of the day when the other adults have left for work.
| Reference point | Hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employed aides, Merced metro (Merced County) | $16.50 median | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| IHSS provider wage, Merced County | $17.50 | CDSS; effective January 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.
A caregiver you employ directly in Dos Palos is owed at least the $16.90 state minimum (UC Berkeley lists no city wage law here), and a personal attendant is owed 1.5 times pay once a day passes nine hours or a week passes 45. The metro's median aide wage is $16.50; Merced County IHSS pays $17.50. Half of Dos Palos households live on less than $42,367 a year, so for a parent on Medi-Cal, look into IHSS before paying privately: authorized hours are paid by the program to a caregiver your parent chooses, and private hours can fill the gaps.
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 Dos Palos
- Living Well Cafe senior lunch, Dos PalosThe Merced County Rescue Mission runs a weekday lunch for people 60 and over at 1701 Leonard Avenue, for the Area Agency on Aging, with social time and health workshops. Lunch program line (209) 626-7595. Meals on Wheels is handled separately by the Area Agency on Aging, (209) 385-7550.
- Senior Social ClubA luncheon at noon followed by bingo on the second Tuesday of each month, at Del Hale Hall in O'Banion (County) Park, Center Avenue and Loraine Street. The city's Senior Citizens Information and Referral Advisory Committee meets on the last Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. at the City-County Building, 1554 Golden Gate Avenue.
- Golden Valley Health Centers, Dos Palos1405 California Avenue, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Book on (209) 722-4842. The network also offers Medi-Cal and Medicare enrollment help.
- The Micro BusRide-on-request transit inside Dos Palos and out to Los Banos, Santa Nella and Gustine, with virtual stops about every quarter mile. Use the app or phone (209) 725-3813. Free with ID for seniors, veterans and ADA-certified riders.
- Dos Palos LibraryThe branch at 2010 Almond Street, where the Friends of the Library meet monthly, is a public place for a parent to spend an afternoon with a caregiver.
- California IHSS program (CDSS)The state program behind county IHSS. Under CDSS rules, applicants must be California residents, need a Medi-Cal eligibility determination, and must be living at home or in a place they chose.
Hiring safely in Dos Palos
Write the job down before day one, listing duties, schedule, wage, overtime, mileage and notice, and both of you sign. Check hours weekly, lock up cash, cards and medications, and watch bank statements. If you think an older or dependent adult in Dos Palos is being abused, neglected or financially exploited, phone Adult Protective Services on 1-833-401-0832, the state number, and key in the ZIP code when asked; call 911 in an emergency, or Dos Palos police dispatch on (209) 392-2177 for other police matters. Agreements and payroll are explained in how to hire a private caregiver; for county respite and the Area Agency on Aging, go to the Merced County families page.
How to hire a private caregiver in Dos Palos (no agency)
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
- Your posting goes live
- Review caregivers and applicants
- Message and hire
- Agree terms and pay directly
What is free and what costs money
Browsing, posting and receiving applications are free. Messaging and confirming a hire are part of Family Premium ($24.99/month, cancel any time). No commission on what you pay the caregiver; see the pricing page.
Find caregivers near Dos Palos
Caregivers set a travel radius, so a caregiver based in a neighbouring town may well cover your home. These pages show who is nearby.
Dos Palos is part of Merced 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) · How to hire a private caregiver: cost, screening, taxes and a written agreement · Imperial County caregiver resources: training, job centres, IHSS, senior services and transport
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year profiles DP02–DP05, Dos Palos city
- California Department of Finance, E-1 population estimates 2026
- CDSS, IHSS wages by county
- CDSS, In-Home Supportive Services
- CDSS, Adult Protective Services
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Merced, CA (31-1120)
- UC Berkeley Labor Center, local minimum wage inventory
- California DIR, Domestic Worker Bill of Rights FAQ
- CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025, median cost data tables
- Merced County Rescue Mission, Senior Nutrition Program
- City of Dos Palos, Social Clubs, City Organizations and FAQ
- Golden Valley Health Centers, Dos Palos location
- The Bus (Merced County Transit), The Micro Bus
- CDSS Community Care Licensing, facility files (file date May 25, 2025)
Hiring a caregiver in Dos Palos: frequently asked questions
Where can an older adult in Dos Palos get a hot lunch?
At the Living Well Cafe on Leonard Avenue, open weekdays to anyone 60 or older, run by the Merced County Rescue Mission. Once a month the Senior Social Club also holds a noon luncheon with bingo at Del Hale Hall.
Is there an assisted living home in Dos Palos?
Not at present, going by CDSS data from May 2025: the 56-bed residential care home for the elderly that operated on Marguerite Street shows a closed status. Care at home, through IHSS or a private caregiver, is the usual route.
Could I get paid by IHSS for looking after my own mother in Dos Palos?
Yes, if she qualifies. The recipient picks the provider, relatives included, and Merced County pays $17.50 for each approved hour.
Dad cannot drive anymore. How does a caregiver get him places?
Either the caregiver drives, with mileage agreed in writing, or they ride the Micro Bus together; seniors ride free, and it reaches Los Banos as well as points around town.
Does CaregiverConnect screen caregivers in Dos Palos?
No. We do not confirm identity, history or references, so check them yourself. Posting is free, and Family Premium, which you need to message and hire, is $24.99 a month.
Post your care need in Dos Palos
It is free, takes about ten minutes, and caregivers in Merced County can see it as soon as it is live.
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