Caregiver in San Jose, CA
about 5 mi from San Jose · 10+ yrs experience
$25/hrSee full profile
San Jose, California · Santa Clara County
In-Home Caregivers in San Jose, CA
In a city of nearly a million, the right caregiver is often the one who lives a short drive away and speaks your parent's language. Posting is free, and you choose whom to interview.
- Free to join, browse and post
- Hire directly, no agency mark-up
- You stay in control of screening
Start here
How to find an in-home caregiver in San Jose
Write one free post with your parent's San Jose ZIP code and a plain description of the help needed: which days, which hours, and what tasks. Caregivers whose service radius includes the address can respond, and the caregiver cards above are ordered by distance from it. Replies may come from across San Jose and from Santa Clara, Milpitas or Campbell, so find out where each applicant would drive from and what that route is like at the hour you need them; with commutes in the city averaging 27 minutes, a caregiver who lives close is more likely to stay.
Many San Jose households live in more than one language. The 2020–2024 ACS shows 58.9% of the city's residents over four speaking another language in the household, including roughly 60,000 Vietnamese speakers and 84,000 Spanish speakers whose English is limited. A mother who relaxes in Vietnamese, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese or Tagalog should have that language named at the top of your post. Be specific about the home, too: stairs, a walker or wheelchair, pets, and whether parking is on the street.
Available now
Private in-home caregivers near San Jose, 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.
Caregiver in San Marcos, CA
about 48 mi from San Jose · 10+ yrs experience
$30/hrSee full profile
2 of 2 available caregivers within 50 miles of San Jose, nearest first. Names, photos, bios, references and the Verified badge details are shown once you create a free family account; this public page keeps caregivers anonymous.
Are you a caregiver in San Jose?
Open postings and a free profile.
What you can post
Types of in-home care families in San Jose 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
Choosing well
Evaluating caregivers in San Jose
Ask what the caregiver can prove. A Santa Clara County IHSS provider number shows that the person enrolled through Public Authority Services by Sourcewise, attended the required group orientation and passed a DOJ Live Scan check. Aides sent by an agency must have a Home Care Aide Registry number; independents may or may not. Certified nursing assistants appear in CDPH records after an approved course; Evergreen Valley College runs one in San Jose. Look each credential up rather than taking it on trust. Then call two references, include your parent in the interview, obtain signed consent if you decide to run a background report, and pay for a first trial day. Because CaregiverConnect screens no one, these checks are yours to make.
Questions families here ask at interview
- Which San Jose neighborhood would you travel from, and would you drive or take VTA?
- What did your work involve for someone recently discharged from Valley Medical Center, Good Samaritan, O'Connor, Regional or Kaiser San Jose?
- Which of these do you have: a county IHSS provider number, CDPH nurse assistant certification, or a listing on the state aide registry?
- Could you speak with my father in Vietnamese through the day, including about his medications?
- Mom sometimes refuses a shower and gets anxious in the late afternoon. What would you do?
- Would you ride VTA ACCESS with her to appointments, or drive her yourself?
- Do you charge more for overnights, weekends or holidays?
Schedules and cost
What in-home care costs in San Jose: hourly rates and schedules
Common San Jose arrangements: daytime company on weekdays for a grandparent whose children and grandchildren are out at work and school, brief early visits a few times a week for a shower and pills, evening help with dinner and bedtime, overnights for someone with dementia who wanders, and daily visits for the first weeks after a discharge. Some households hire two people for alternating days, which keeps care going when one of them is sick or away.
| Reference point | Hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employed aides, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara metro (Santa Clara and San Benito counties) | $18.09 median | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| IHSS provider wage, Santa Clara County | $20.44 | 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.
San Jose's own minimum wage is $18.45 an hour in 2026, above California's $16.90; any business employing caregivers inside city limits owes at least that rate, and if you hire directly it is sensible to treat it as your floor. The other reference points: a May 2025 BLS aide median of $18.09 for the metro, county IHSS at $20.44, and a California agency median of $40 from CareScout. Most private arrangements land between the IHSS figure and the agency rate, with premiums commonly asked for nights, memory care or driving. Keep the state's household overtime rule in mind as well: a personal attendant is due premium pay once the day's hours exceed nine, or the week's total exceeds 45. Parents who are aged, blind or disabled and have a Medi-Cal determination can apply for IHSS on (408) 792-1600 before budgeting private hours; the program can pay a provider your parent picks, family included.
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.
Local help
Caregiver resources for families in San Jose
- Sourcewise Information & AwarenessThe county's Area Agency on Aging; Call (408) 350-3200 and choose option 1 to reach a Community Resource Specialist on weekdays; professional interpreters are available. Ask about Caregivers Network, Meals on Wheels and care management.
- HICAP Medicare counseling (Sourcewise)2528 Qume Drive, Suite 5, San Jose, (408) 350-3239. Free, unbiased help comparing Medicare plans; the annual enrollment period runs October 15 to December 7.
- IHSS and the Public Authority registryIHSS social services (408) 792-1600; registry lists of pre-screened providers for approved recipients, (408) 350-3251. The registry program description is published in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese.
- VTA ACCESS paratransitParatransit for people who, because of a disability, cannot ride VTA buses or light rail on their own. Request a data card on (408) 321-2381 or return it in person at 2 North Market Street, downtown; data cards come in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese. Standard trips $4.
- Long-Term Care Ombudsman and legal helpThe ombudsman program run by Catholic Charities works out of the John XXIII center downtown, (408) 944-0567. Senior Adults Legal Assistance is at 160 E. Virginia Street, Suite 260.
- Family Caregiver AllianceNo-cost consultations and care plans for San Jose relatives caring for an adult with dementia, stroke, Parkinson's or another brain impairment; (415) 434-3388 or (800) 445-8106.
Safety
Hiring safely in San Jose
Put the job on paper first (tasks, schedule, rate, overtime, mileage, notice), then keep a timesheet that you and the caregiver both sign at the end of each week. Put away valuables and cards and switch on account alerts. Phone the county's Adult Protective Services line, (408) 975-4900, at any hour if you believe a caregiver is harming or neglecting your parent; in an emergency call 911. Payroll and contract basics are in the hiring guide, and county IHSS steps in the Santa Clara County IHSS guide.
How it works
How to hire a private caregiver in San Jose (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
Pricing, plainly
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.
Widen your search
Find caregivers near San Jose
Caregivers set a travel radius, so a caregiver based in a neighbouring town may well cover your home. These pages show who is nearby.
San Jose is part of Santa Clara County; the hub pages list every town and area they cover.
- Find caregivers in Santa Clara, CA6 mi
- Find caregivers in Milpitas, CA9 mi
- Find caregivers in Sunnyvale, CA9 mi
- Find caregivers in Mountain View, CA12 mi
- Find caregivers in Fremont, CA17 mi
- Find caregivers in Palo Alto, CA17 mi
- Find caregivers in Redwood City, CA23 mi
- Find caregivers in Pleasanton, CA25 mi
Guides
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
Sources (checked 2026-10-15):
- UC Berkeley Labor Center, inventory of local minimum wage ordinances
- CalChamber HR California, local minimum wage increases January 1, 2026
- Sourcewise, Information & Awareness
- Sourcewise, home page (Medicare enrollment dates)
- California Department of Aging, Santa Clara County services directory
- Public Authority Services by Sourcewise, registry
- Public Authority Services by Sourcewise, contact numbers (IHSS, APS)
- Public Authority Services by Sourcewise, enrollment process
- VTA, ACCESS paratransit
- Family Caregiver Alliance, Bay Area Caregiver Resource Center
- CDSS, In-Home Supportive Services (eligibility)
- CDSS, IHSS wages by county
- BLS OEWS May 2025, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- California DIR, Domestic Worker Bill of Rights
- CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025, median cost data tables
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year (DP02, DP03, C16001), San Jose city
- Evergreen Valley College, CNA/Home Health Aide training
Questions
Hiring a caregiver in San Jose: frequently asked questions
What hourly rate is fair for a San Jose caregiver?
At least the city minimum of $18.45 an hour is a sound starting point. Independent caregivers often quote close to or above the $20.44 county IHSS wage, with more for nights or dementia care, while agencies charge considerably more.
How do I find a caregiver who speaks Vietnamese?
Write the post in English, put "Vietnamese-speaking" in its first line, and ask applicants to answer one interview question in Vietnamese. San Jose has the largest concentration of Vietnamese speakers in the county.
Can my daughter be paid by IHSS to care for me?
Yes. Once IHSS approves your hours, you can hire a relative as your provider; she enrolls with the Public Authority, and you name her through the Electronic Services Portal or form SOC 426a.
Is there a cheaper way for my father to reach his clinic?
VTA charges riders 65 and older $1 a ride on buses and light rail. Where his disability rules those out, he can apply for ACCESS; a phone interview of about 30 minutes is part of the process.
Are caregivers on CaregiverConnect background-screened?
Not by the platform. You verify credentials, phone references and choose whether to order a background report. Posting stays free; Family Premium unlocks messaging and hire confirmation.
Where can I report a problem in my mother's nursing home?
Call the Long-Term Care Ombudsman run by Catholic Charities in downtown San Jose, (408) 944-0567. For abuse at home, call Adult Protective Services.
Post your care need in San Jose
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