Caregiver in San Jose, CA
about 29 mi from San Mateo County · 10+ yrs experience
$25/hrSee full profile
San Mateo County, California
In-Home Caregivers in San Mateo County
From Daly City down to East Palo Alto and over the hill to Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, hiring works a little differently in each part of the county. Posting costs nothing; give your relative's ZIP code and the request reaches caregivers who can get to that address.
- 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 Mateo County
Start from where your parent lives, not where you live. The bayside cities form one long corridor, and a caregiver based in South San Francisco can reach Burlingame or San Mateo without much trouble, but a daily drive from Daly City to Menlo Park is another matter. The coast is its own pool: few caregivers want to cross the ridge for a three-hour visit, so in Pacifica, Half Moon Bay and the unincorporated coastside you will usually do better with longer shifts, a mileage allowance or a caregiver who already lives nearby. SamTrans runs separate paratransit services for the two sides of the county, which tells you how distinct they are.
Say which language your relative is most comfortable in. ACS 2020–2024 finds that 45.8% of county residents over four speak something other than English in their homes, and 17.1% speak English less than very well; Spanish and Asian and Pacific Islander languages lead, and 35.7% of residents were born abroad. Profiles in the list above are ranked by how close they live to whatever ZIP code you type, and the list grows as caregivers join, so use your parent's code rather than yours.
Available now
Private in-home caregivers in San Mateo County
Independent caregivers with profiles on CaregiverConnect whose home base is within 60 miles. You agree on duties, schedule and pay directly with the person you hire.
Caregiver in San Marcos, CA
about 38 mi from San Mateo County · 10+ yrs experience
$30/hrSee full profile
2 of 2 available caregivers within 60 miles of San Mateo County, 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 Mateo County?
Open postings and a free profile.
Cities and towns in San Mateo County
Find caregivers by city and town
Each page below has its own local research and shows live caregiver profiles near that place. Towns without a page yet are covered by this hub.
- Find caregivers in Daly Citypop. 101,898
- Find caregivers in San Mateopop. 104,020
- Find caregivers in Redwood Citypop. 81,809
Area by area
The communities of San Mateo County
How hiring differs from one corner of the county to the next.
- Daly City, Colma and BrisbaneThe north end, with Seton Medical Center in Daly City; it borders San Francisco, so caregivers living in the city may answer posts here too.
- South San Francisco, San Bruno and MillbraeKaiser runs a 120-bed hospital in South San Francisco; Redi-Wheels covers the area.
- San Mateo, Burlingame and Foster CityHome to the county IHSS office, San Mateo Medical Center, Mills-Peninsula and the Burlingame adult day health center.
- Belmont, San Carlos and Redwood CityRedwood City, the county seat, has Sequoia Hospital, Kaiser Redwood City and the ombudsman office at AgeUp.
- Menlo Park, Atherton and East Palo AltoNext to Palo Alto across the county line, so the pool of nearby caregivers can include Santa Clara County residents.
- Pacifica, Half Moon Bay and the coastsideA smaller pool; RediCoast for rides and an adult day health center in Half Moon Bay.
- Hillsborough, Woodside and Portola ValleyHillside towns where a caregiver with a car, and sometimes a live-in arrangement, is the usual answer.
What you can post
Types of in-home care families in San Mateo County 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.
Choosing well
Evaluating caregivers in San Mateo County
Check what can be checked. Anyone paid through IHSS in San Mateo County has enrolled with the Public Authority, shown an original Social Security card and photo ID, watched the mandatory orientation and cleared a background check; registry providers also sat a registry orientation. Agency aides have to be listed in California's online Home Care Aide Registry, and some independent caregivers join it too. Nurse assistants hold a CDPH certificate; JobTrain in Menlo Park is one local place people earn it. After that, ring two previous employers, hold the interview with your relative present, then pay for a single trial day before you settle on regular hours. The platform itself screens no one; a criminal record check, if you want one, is something you organize with the caregiver's written agreement.
Questions families here ask at interview
- Which town would you be driving from at rush hour, and how long does it take?
- Have you cared for anyone after a discharge from Mills-Peninsula, Seton, Sequoia or Kaiser?
- Can you speak with my mother in Cantonese, Tagalog or Spanish?
- Are you enrolled with San Mateo County IHSS, certified as a nurse assistant, or on the state aide registry?
- Would you ride Redi-Wheels with my father, or drive him yourself and log the mileage?
- If you are driving over to the coast, what is your plan when the road over the hill is slow?
- Do you charge the same rate for nights and weekends?
Schedules and cost
What in-home care costs in San Mateo County: hourly rates and schedules
Bayside cities. Weekday blocks while adult children work, short evening visits for dinner and medication, and drivers for medical appointments. Coastside. Fewer and longer shifts, or a live-in caregiver, because crossing the hill every day rarely works. After a hospital stay. A few weeks of daily help, tapering off as recovery goes well.
| Reference point | Hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employed aides, San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont metro (San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin) | $17.28 median | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| IHSS provider wage, San Mateo County | $21.70 | 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.
Set your rate against four numbers. California's minimum is $16.90, but most bayside cities set their own for employers in 2026, between Daly City's $17.50 and Belmont's $18.95, according to the UC Berkeley Labor Center. Aides in the five-county BLS metro had a $17.28 median in May 2025. IHSS pays every provider in the county $21.70, and the CareScout statewide median for agency care is $40. Direct hires usually land between the IHSS rate and the agency figure. A relative on full-scope Medi-Cal who is over 65, blind or disabled may qualify for IHSS, so apply before paying privately. For a personal attendant, the state's domestic worker rules trigger overtime at the tenth hour of a shift or the 46th of a week.
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 Mateo County
- IHSS applications (Aging and Disability Services)Submit the online referral form, or call 650-573-3900 for help with it; the SOC 873 health care certification must follow within 45 days, then a social worker visits. Main office: 2000 Alameda de las Pulgas, Suite 200, San Mateo.
- IHSS Public Authority registryOnce your relative is approved, ask the IHSS social worker for a referral to the registry, which can send a list of providers or help with hiring. Appointments at the San Mateo office: 650-389-9666.
- Redi-Wheels and RediCoast paratransit (SamTrans)Paratransit rides for people whose disability keeps them off the bus, Redi-Wheels on the bayside and RediCoast on the coast; book at least a day ahead. $4.25 one way, or $1.75 Lifeline fare for residents on SSI, General Assistance or Medi-Cal. Apply on 650-366-4856.
- Adult day health centersCoastside Adult Day Health Center, 925 Main Street, Suite A, Half Moon Bay, (650) 726-5067; Burlingame Adult Day Health Care Center, 1720 El Camino Real, Burlingame, (650) 239-9322.
- Long-Term Care Ombudsman and Medicare counselingAgeUp runs the ombudsman program from 1333 Madison Ave., Redwood City, (650) 780-5707. Self Help for the Elderly offers HICAP Medicare counseling at 1710 S. Amphlett Blvd., San Mateo, (650) 627-9350.
- Help at Home DirectoryThe county Area Agency on Aging's searchable guide to local aging, dementia care, hospice, food and mental health services for adults of any income.
Safety
Hiring safely in San Mateo County
A one-page agreement should list duties, hourly pay, overtime, mileage and the notice either side gives; a timesheet you both initial every week backs it up. Lock away jewelry, checkbooks and spare cards, and turn on bank alerts. Suspected abuse, neglect or financial exploitation should go to the county's line for older and dependent adults, 844-868-0938, staffed 24 hours a day. Sample contract terms and payroll steps are in our hiring guide.
How it works
How to hire a private caregiver in San Mateo County (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
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.
Pricing, plainly
What is free and what costs money
Free family account
$0
- Browse profiles, post and edit care needs, receive applications
Family Premium
$24.99/month
- 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.
Widen your search
Find caregivers near San Mateo County
Caregivers set a travel radius, so a caregiver based in a neighbouring town may well cover your home. These pages show who is nearby.
- Find caregivers in San Mateo, CA1 mi
- Find caregivers in Redwood City, CA6 mi
- Find caregivers in Palo Alto, CA11 mi
- Find caregivers in Daly City, CA13 mi
- Find caregivers in San Leandro, CA14 mi
- Find caregivers in Hayward, CA14 mi
- Find caregivers in San Francisco, CA16 mi
- Find caregivers in Santa Clara County20 mi
Guides
Useful reading before you apply
How to become a caregiver in California: 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.
How much do caregivers make 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.
Sources (checked 2026-10-15):
- San Mateo County Health, In-Home Supportive Services (applying, eligibility, office)
- San Mateo County Health, IHSS Public Authority
- San Mateo County Health, Provider Enrollment (requirements)
- San Mateo County Health, Adult Protective Services
- San Mateo County Health, Area Agency on Aging and Help at Home Directory
- California Department of Aging, San Mateo County services
- SamTrans, paratransit (Redi-Wheels and RediCoast)
- CDSS, IHSS wages by county
- BLS OEWS May 2025, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
- UC Berkeley Labor Center, local minimum wage inventory
- 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, San Mateo County (data.census.gov)
- HCAI facility profiles (Seton, Mills-Peninsula, Sequoia, San Mateo Medical Center, Kaiser hospitals)
- JobTrain, Certified Nursing Assistant program
Questions
Hiring a caregiver in San Mateo County: frequently asked questions
How does my parent apply for IHSS in San Mateo County?
Fill in the county's online referral form (650-573-3900 if you need help), then have a licensed health professional complete page 2 of the SOC 873 and return it within 45 days by eFax, email, mail or in person. A social worker then assesses your parent at home and the county mails a Notice of Action with the approved hours.
Who is the employer when IHSS pays the caregiver?
Your parent, the IHSS recipient, is the employer and approves the timesheets; the Public Authority handles payroll at $21.70 an hour. You can pick a relative, a friend or someone from the registry.
Can the county help us find an IHSS caregiver?
Yes. Ask the IHSS social worker for a Public Authority registry referral; the registry can send a list of providers or help with the hiring process itself.
Is there door-to-door transport for my mother?
If a disability keeps her off the bus, apply for SamTrans paratransit on 650-366-4856. Rides are booked a day ahead and cost $4.25, less on the Lifeline fare; same-day trips are offered on weekdays when space allows.
My father lives in Half Moon Bay. Will anyone take the job?
Post with his ZIP code, offer mileage and consider fewer, longer shifts. Caregivers who already live on the coast see the post first, and some bayside caregivers will make the trip for a full day.
Does CaregiverConnect screen caregivers?
No. The platform runs no background checks; checking references and arranging any screening fall to you. You can post at no charge, and Family Premium adds messaging and hire confirmation.
Post your care need in San Mateo County
It is free, takes about ten minutes, and caregivers in San Mateo County can see it as soon as it is live.
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