Caregiver in Mission Viejo, CA
about 15 mi from Santa Ana · 3+ yrs experience
$25/hrSee full profile
Santa Ana, California · Orange County
In-Home Caregivers in Santa Ana, CA
Post your care need for free, compare caregivers near Santa Ana by language, experience and rate, and hire directly. The county IHSS office, the Public Authority registry and the Office on Aging are all in the city.
- 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 Santa Ana
Hiring privately in Santa Ana works the same way as anywhere on the site: list the schedule and the tasks with your ZIP code (92701 and 92703 to 92707 are the city's residential codes on this site); caregivers who cover that ZIP are alerted and can apply, and the shortlist is yours to make. The caregiver cards above update as people join, nearest first, and applicants from Garden Grove or Costa Mesa are as close as many inside the city, so judge drive time as well as distance. If your parent speaks mainly Spanish, state it at the very start of the posting: Spanish is the home language of 66.1% of Santa Ana residents five and older, and 27.9% of residents speak it and have limited English (ACS 2020–2024), so asking for it is realistic. Families who need Vietnamese or Chinese should say so as well; the Asian American Senior Citizens Service Center on North Birch Street lists translation among its services.
Available now
Private in-home caregivers near Santa Ana, 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 Los ÁNgeles Ca, CA
about 29 mi from Santa Ana · 1+ yrs experience
$23/hrSee full profile
Caregiver in Perris, CA
about 38 mi from Santa Ana · 10+ yrs experience
$25/hrSee full profile
Caregiver in Fallbrook, CA
about 45 mi from Santa Ana · 8+ yrs experience
$25/hrSee full profile
Caregiver in Oceanside, CA
about 47 mi from Santa Ana · 10+ yrs experience
$35/hrSee full profile
Caregiver in Bonsall, CA
about 50 mi from Santa Ana · 10+ yrs experience
$30/hrSee full profile
6 of 6 available caregivers within 50 miles of Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana?
Open postings and a free profile.
What you can post
Types of in-home care families in Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana
In Orange County you can confirm three kinds of credential. An IHSS provider has passed the Public Authority's fingerprint clearance; the Public Authority's registry adds references and a phone interview. A CNA is certified by CDPH, often earned at Santa Ana College's tuition-free course on West Edinger. A Home Care Aide on the CDSS registry has passed a Live Scan. Ask which applies, then verify it, call two references, interview with your relative in the room, and book a short paid trial. We do no screening of our own: the Verified badge marks reviewed uploads, not a clearance.
Questions families here ask at interview
- ¿Habla español con la persona que va a cuidar? Do you read and write it as well, for medication notes?
- Do you have a car, and what is your usual drive time to our neighborhood for a 7 am start?
- Have you taken a caregiver or CNA course, for example at Santa Ana College, and can you show the certificate?
- Are you enrolled as an IHSS provider in Orange County, and would you work IHSS hours for us as well as private hours?
- Could you escort my mother to Orange County Global Medical Center or UCI Health in Orange and stay with her during the visit?
- How much per hour, and is there a premium for Sunday or overnight work?
Schedules and cost
What in-home care costs in Santa Ana: hourly rates and schedules
29.2% of Santa Ana households include someone 65 or older, so the typical need is cover while the working adults in the house are on shift: weekday mornings, a few afternoon blocks, or Saturday respite. If your relative has IHSS hours, you can top them up with privately paid hours from the same caregiver; post both so applicants see the full week.
| Reference point | Hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employed aides, Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim metro (covers Orange County) | $16.50 median | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| IHSS provider wage, Orange County | $18.90 | 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.
For Santa Ana families the useful markers are the $16.90 state minimum (the city has no ordinance of its own), the $18.90 Orange County IHSS wage and EDD's $17.11 county median for aides. A private caregiver hired through the site sets their own rate, usually between the IHSS wage and the $40 agency median, with more for personal care, dementia, nights and driving. If your relative is on Medi-Cal and has a low income, ask SSA about IHSS before paying privately; 14.5% of Santa Ana residents over 65 live below the poverty line. Personal attendants earn overtime after nine hours in a day or 45 in 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 Santa Ana
- Orange County SSA, In-Home Supportive Services2020 W. Walnut St., Santa Ana 92703, (714) 825-3000 (TTY (714) 834-4400), weekdays 8 am to 5 pm. IHSS applications for low-income older, blind or disabled adults.
- Orange County IHSS Public Authority registrySame building, (714) 825-3202 or OCPARegistry@ssa.ocgov.com. Helps IHSS recipients find a prescreened provider; its website translates into Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Farsi and Arabic.
- Orange County Office on Aging1300 S. Grand Ave., Building B, Santa Ana 92705; (800) 510-2020 or (714) 480-6450, weekdays 8 am to 5 pm, with multilingual customer service. Offers the Powerful Tools for Caregivers class.
- Santa Ana Senior Center and Southwest Senior Center424 W. 3rd St. in Birch Park, (714) 647-6540, and 2201 W. McFadden Ave., (714) 647-5306. Weekday lunch for people 60 and over, classes (many in Spanish or Chinese) and free rides to the center for residents 60 and over.
- Asian American Senior Citizens Service Center850 N. Birch St., Santa Ana 92701, (714) 973-8818. Classes, transportation, health screenings and translation services.
- OC ACCESS paratransit (OCTA)$3.60 each way for riders who cannot use OC Bus; a personal care attendant rides free. Eligibility (714) 560-5956, reservations (877) 628-2232.
Safety
Hiring safely in Santa Ana
Set out the job, the schedule, pay, overtime, mileage and notice on a single signed page, in both languages if the caregiver or your parent prefers Spanish. Keep a weekly timesheet, lock away jewelry and cash, and set alerts on bank accounts. Call Orange County Adult Protective Services, (800) 451-5155, at any hour if you suspect mistreatment at home; for a nursing home or residential facility, the Ombudsman line is (714) 479-0107. The hiring guide covers payroll and taxes.
How it works
How to hire a private caregiver in Santa Ana (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 Santa Ana
Caregivers set a travel radius, so a caregiver based in a neighbouring town may well cover your home. These pages show who is nearby.
Santa Ana is part of Orange County; the hub pages list every town and area they cover.
- Find caregivers in Garden Grove, CA6 mi
- Find caregivers in Costa Mesa, CA6 mi
- Find caregivers in Irvine, CA6 mi
- Find caregivers in Anaheim, CA6 mi
- Find caregivers in Huntington Beach, CA9 mi
- Find caregivers in Fullerton, CA10 mi
- Find caregivers in Lake Forest, CA13 mi
- Find caregivers in Laguna Hills, CA14 mi
Elsewhere in Orange County: San Clemente · Dana Point · San Juan Capistrano · Laguna Niguel · Mission Viejo · Laguna Beach
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 2026-10-14):
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year (DP02, DP05), Santa Ana city
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
- California EDD, 2023–2033 projections, Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD
- CDSS, IHSS wages by county
- California DIR, minimum wage FAQ
- California DIR, Domestic Worker Bill of Rights
- UC Berkeley Labor Center, local minimum wage inventory
- CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025
- County of Orange SSA, elder and disabled in-home services
- County of Orange SSA, making an elder abuse report
- Orange County IHSS Public Authority, registry
- Orange County Office on Aging, contact
- Orange County Office on Aging, 2026 senior center list
- City of Santa Ana, Santa Ana Senior Center
- OCTA, OC ACCESS
- Santa Ana College Continuing Education, Nursing Assistant Certificate
- CMS Care Compare, hospital general information
Questions
Hiring a caregiver in Santa Ana: frequently asked questions
Is it realistic to hire a caregiver who speaks Spanish in Santa Ana?
Say it in your posting and filter the cards by language. Spanish is spoken at home by most Santa Ana residents, so it is a realistic requirement rather than a long shot.
How do we apply for IHSS in Santa Ana?
Call the county Social Services Agency at (714) 825-3000 on a weekday. A social worker assesses the hours; you can then hire a family member, a registry provider or a caregiver you found here who enrolls as a provider.
What does a private caregiver cost in Santa Ana?
Most rates fall between the $18.90 IHSS wage and the $40 California agency median reported by CareScout, depending on tasks and hours. The legal minimum is $16.90.
Is there help getting my father to appointments?
OC ACCESS paratransit costs $3.60 each way for eligible riders and his attendant rides free. A caregiver who drives can also take him; agree mileage in writing first.
Does CaregiverConnect check caregivers?
No. A caregiver can submit evidence of a past background check to earn a Verified badge, but you are responsible for checking identity, references and history before hiring.
Post your care need in Santa Ana
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