Caregiver in San Marcos, CA
about 34 mi from San Rafael · 10+ yrs experience
$30/hrSee full profile
San Rafael, California · Marin County
In-Home Caregivers in San Rafael, CA
Describe your parent's needs for free and attach the San Rafael ZIP code of their home. The request reaches caregivers near that address, and the profiles further down start with whoever lives closest.
- 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 Rafael
When you hire privately in San Rafael you are the employer: you set the hours, agree the pay and supervise the work. San Rafael sets no local wage, which leaves California's $16.90 as the legal floor, although Marin IHSS pays its providers $20.40. Location matters to applicants. Downtown, the Canal and Northgate are on Marin Transit routes, and someone without a car can get there; a house in Peacock Gap or high in Terra Linda is easier for a caregiver who drives, so mention parking and how far the nearest stop is.
San Rafael is more multilingual than the rest of Marin. ACS 2020–2024 finds 38.1% of residents five and older speaking another language at home, 28.3% speaking Spanish, and 57.5% of those Spanish speakers saying their English is less than very well. If your father is more at ease in Spanish, Vietnamese or another language, state it in the first line of your post. More profiles show up here as people near that ZIP code register.
Available now
Private in-home caregivers near San Rafael, 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.
1 of 1 available caregiver within 50 miles of San Rafael, 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 Rafael?
Open postings and a free profile.
What you can post
Types of in-home care families in San Rafael 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 Rafael
Start with credentials you can check. Marin IHSS providers have attended PA Marin's enrollment appointment and passed a DOJ fingerprint check, and anyone convicted of abusing a child or elder, or of Medicare fraud, is excluded; registry members have also been interviewed by PA Marin staff. Agencies have to list every aide they employ with the state's Home Care Aide Registry, but an independent may have skipped it. A CNA should show a CDPH certificate. After that the judgment is yours: phone two former employers, meet the caregiver at your parent's home with your parent taking part, and pay for one trial shift. Nobody at CaregiverConnect screens applicants, so any background report is something you order, with the caregiver's signed permission.
Questions families here ask at interview
- What did you do for past clients in the first week after Kaiser San Rafael or MarinHealth sent them home?
- How will you get here: by car, or on a Marin Transit route from the downtown transit center?
- Are you enrolled with Marin IHSS or on the PA Marin registry?
- When my mother tires and slips into Spanish or Vietnamese, can you keep up?
- Would you go with her to the Goldenaires lunch on B Street or a class at Vivalon?
- If she will not take her medication, what would you do and whom would you call?
- Would you write a few lines each day about meals, mood and medicines?
Schedules and cost
What in-home care costs in San Rafael: hourly rates and schedules
San Rafael posts usually ask for morning visits for washing, dressing and breakfast; midweek escorts to a Wednesday senior lunch or a Kaiser appointment; evening visits for supper and medication; and short overnight stretches after a hospital discharge. Plenty of households begin with two or three visits weekly and build from there.
| Reference point | Hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employed aides, San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont metro (includes Marin County) | $17.28 median | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| IHSS provider wage, Marin County | $20.40 | CDSS; effective February 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.
Four numbers frame a budget: San Rafael's legal minimum, which is the state's $16.90; BLS's $17.28 aide median for the five counties of the metro; the $20.40 Marin IHSS rate, and CareScout's $40 median for California agency care. The IHSS rate is a fair reference point when you make an offer. Long shifts cost more, since California's domestic worker rules pay a personal attendant 150% once a single day tops nine hours, and again once weekly hours top 45. If your parent has full-scope Medi-Cal, call IHSS intake on 415-473-4636 first; an approved recipient can then ask PA Marin for a list of caregivers.
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 Rafael
- San Rafael GoldenairesClub for adults over 62 at the San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, (415) 485-3348; $40 a year. Lunch most Wednesdays at 11 a.m. (not the third Wednesday), $3 suggested donation for those 60-plus; reserve a week ahead on (415) 457-4636.
- Albert J. Boro Multicultural Older Adult Program50 Canal Street, (415) 485-3341. A social meeting every Wednesday at 11 a.m. followed by a hot lunch ($3 donation if 60-plus); reserve by the prior Monday. Terra Linda Seniors also meet Tuesdays at 670 Del Ganado Road.
- VivalonHealthy Aging Campus, 999 Third Street, 415-456-9062, open Monday 9 to 3 and Tuesday to Friday 9 to 5, with a clinic and café. Rides from 15 Jordan Street: 415-454-1098, including free volunteer CarePool trips for ambulatory residents 65 and over.
- Marin IHSS and PA MarinCounty IHSS office, 10 N. San Pedro Road; intake 415-473-4636. PA Marin, 70 Skyview Terrace, (415) 499-1024, sends registry caregivers that fit your parent's language, location and schedule.
- Marin AccessDoor-to-door paratransit when a disability makes the regular bus impossible, plus volunteer-driver reimbursement and fare help for Medi-Cal members. Travel Navigators, 415-454-0902.
- Information and AssistanceThe county aging line, 415-473-INFO, weekdays 9 to 4, for referrals on meals, transport, caregiving and housing; Spanish- and Vietnamese-speaking social workers.
Safety
Hiring safely in San Rafael
Write down what the caregiver will do, the hourly rate, overtime, mileage and notice on either side, and sign a timesheet together each week. Store spare keys, cards and cash where they cannot be seen. If you believe your parent, or any dependent adult, is being mistreated, call Marin APS on 415-473-2774 at any hour; problems inside a nursing or residential care facility go to the county ombudsman, 415-473-7446. Our hiring guide covers payroll and taxes.
How it works
How to hire a private caregiver in San Rafael (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 Rafael
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 Rafael is part of Marin County; the hub pages list every town and area they cover.
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):
- City of San Rafael, Older Adults (Goldenaires, Terra Linda Seniors, Boro Center)
- City of San Rafael, Albert J. Boro Community Center
- Vivalon, Healthy Aging Campus
- Vivalon, Rides for Health
- IHSS Public Authority of Marin, find a care provider
- IHSS Public Authority of Marin, FAQs
- Marin County HHS, In-Home Supportive Services (archived May 8, 2026)
- Marin County HHS, Information and referrals (archived May 8, 2026)
- Marin County HHS, Adult Protective Services (archived May 8, 2026)
- Marin Transit, Marin Access
- CDSS, IHSS wages by county
- UC Berkeley Labor Center, local minimum wage inventory
- BLS OEWS May 2025, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, 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 profile, San Rafael city (via MCDC)
Questions
Hiring a caregiver in San Rafael: frequently asked questions
What hourly floor applies to San Rafael households?
The state minimum, $16.90 an hour in 2026, because San Rafael has no city ordinance. You can offer more, and Marin IHSS, for comparison, pays its providers $20.40.
Is there somewhere my mother can eat lunch with other people?
Two city programs serve Wednesday lunches for a $3 donation from those 60 and over: the Goldenaires at 618 B Street and the multicultural group at the Boro Center in the Canal. Both ask you to reserve ahead on (415) 457-4636.
How do I ask IHSS for help in San Rafael?
Call 415-473-4636. Your parent's doctor completes the SOC 873 health certification, which must reach the IHSS office on North San Pedro Road within 45 days of the application.
Will a caregiver drive my parent in their own car?
Only if you agree it. IHSS providers are not required to drive, and the program does not repay their gas, so discuss mileage at the interview. Vivalon and Marin Access offer alternatives.
Does CaregiverConnect send caregivers like an agency would?
No. Families publish a request, speak with whoever applies, and then employ, supervise and pay that person themselves. There is no fee to publish; Family Premium, $24.99 per month, opens messaging and hire confirmation.
Who can help me find adult day care or respite in San Rafael?
Call the county aging line, 415-473-INFO, and describe your parent's situation; social workers return calls in most cases within 48 business hours with referrals. PA Marin also lists Senior Access for people with memory loss.
Post your care need in San Rafael
It is free, takes about ten minutes, and caregivers in Marin County can see it as soon as it is live.
Create your free family account