In-Home Caregivers in Sierra County
Help at home in Sierra County might be for a parent in Loyalton or Sierraville, or for someone in Downieville or Sierra City. A post costs nothing; include the ZIP code so caregivers on the right side of the county see it first.
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How to find an in-home caregiver in Sierra County
Sierra County had 3,153 residents in the Department of Finance's 2026 estimate, so the pool of caregivers is small. Only Loyalton, with 756 people, is an incorporated city. The county itself treats the east side (Loyalton, Sierraville, Calpine) and the west side (Downieville, Sierra City, Goodyears Bar) as separate service areas, with different ride providers, so look first for someone who lives on your parent's side. A caregiver already serving a neighbor may be able to add a few hours a week.
More than a third of residents are older: ACS 2020–2024 counts 963 people 65 and over (35.1%), and about 303 households are an older person living alone. The state licensing file lists no home care agency in the county, so expect independent caregivers, IHSS providers and relatives. Profiles nearest your ZIP code are shown first.
Private in-home caregivers in Sierra 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.
No caregivers within 60 miles of Sierra County have joined yet
We do not pad this page with distant profiles. Posting is free, and caregivers who join in Sierra 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 Sierra County?
Open postings and a free profile.
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.
The communities of Sierra County
The east and west sides of Sierra County hire differently.
- LoyaltonSocial Services, Public Health, the nursing facility, the clinic and the senior center are all in town, which gives the widest choice of nearby help.
- Sierraville and CalpineThe east-side ride service charges $7 between Loyalton and Sierraville; a caregiver living in either community saves the trip.
- DownievilleThe west-side Social Services office, the Western Sierra Medical Clinic and the Golden Rays ride service are here.
- Sierra City and Goodyears BarGolden Rays connects both to Downieville; a caregiver who drives is the safer plan.
- Alleghany and PikeStops on the county health van route; try to recruit a caregiver who lives close by.
Types of in-home care families in Sierra 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.
Evaluating caregivers in Sierra County
Check what each applicant tells you. An IHSS provider has completed state enrollment, including a Department of Justice fingerprint check, the county orientation and the SOC 846 agreement. Eastern Plumas Health Care's Loyalton nursing facility employs CNAs, so a past supervisor there is a useful reference. The Home Care Aide Registry covers aides who work for licensed agencies. Ask for two references you can phone, have your parent meet the candidates, and pay for a trial shift before setting a schedule. CaregiverConnect does not verify identity, criminal history or references; if you want a background report, arrange it yourself with the applicant's written permission.
Questions families here ask at interview
- Do you live on the east or west side of the county, and how long is your drive to us?
- Are you already an IHSS provider in Sierra County, or will you enroll if my father is approved?
- Have you worked at the Loyalton nursing facility or cared for someone discharged from it?
- Will you drive my mother to the Loyalton or Downieville clinic, or set up a senior-center ride with her?
- Can you cover a long day once or twice a week instead of short daily visits?
- How have you kept someone safe who lives alone between visits?
What in-home care costs in Sierra County: hourly rates and schedules
Loyalton and nearby. Daily or twice-daily visits are realistic when the caregiver lives in town. Smaller communities. Fewer, longer shifts usually work better than many short trips. After a nursing-facility stay. Ask for more hours in the first weeks home, then cut back as your parent regains strength.
| Reference point | Hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employed aides, North Valley-Northern Mountains nonmetro area (includes Sierra County) | $16.50 median | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| IHSS provider wage, Sierra County | $18.50 | 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.
Set a private wage against four reference points. The state minimum is $16.90 an hour; no Sierra County community has a higher local rate in UC Berkeley's inventory. BLS reports a $16.50 median for aides employed in the ten-county nonmetro area that takes in Sierra. IHSS providers here earn $18.50. CareScout's 2025 statewide median for agency home care is $40 an hour, although no licensed agency is based in the county. A directly employed personal attendant earns time and a half after nine hours in a day or 45 in a week. IHSS requires Medi-Cal eligibility, so if your parent has Medi-Cal, call Social Services on (530) 993-6720 before you budget.
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 Sierra County
- Sierra County Social Services: IHSSIHSS can pay for housecleaning, meals, laundry, shopping, personal care, rides to medical appointments and protective supervision for people who are over 65, disabled or blind and meet the program's SSI/SSP-based rules. Offices at 202 Front Street, Loyalton, (530) 993-6720, and 22 Maiden Lane, Downieville, (530) 289-3711.
- Incorporated Senior Citizens of Sierra CountyAgency on Aging Area 4 sends Sierra County callers here for information and assistance, and lists it as the provider of the lunch site, home-delivered meals and outreach. It also runs east-side rides from the Loyalton Senior Center at 302 First Street. (530) 993-4770.
- Agency on Aging Area 4The state names this Sacramento agency, 1401 El Camino Avenue, as Sierra County's Area Agency on Aging, with family caregiver services among its programs. It also runs the long-term care ombudsman program for the county, (916) 376-8910. Main line (916) 486-1876 or 1-800-211-4545.
- Del Oro Caregiver Resource CenterFree services for unpaid family caregivers in Sierra and 12 other counties. To qualify, you care for a senior who needs help with two or more activities of daily living or for someone with an adult-onset cognitive impairment such as dementia. 8421 Auburn Boulevard, Suite 265, Citrus Heights; (916) 728-9333.
- Golden Rays Senior Citizens (west-side rides)Based at 305 A Main Street, Downieville. Fares from Downieville start at $5 in town; longer runs reach Truckee for $30 and Reno or Sacramento for $50. Rides outside 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. cost $10 an hour extra. Schedule on (530) 798-8555.
- HICAP and legal helpFor Medicare questions, HICAP of Northern California serves the county on (530) 258-6827 or 1-800-434-0222. Legal Services of Northern California, (530) 823-7560, provides legal services to older residents.
- Eastern Plumas Health Care, LoyaltonA 39-bed skilled nursing facility at 700 Third Street that accepts Medicare and Medi-Cal, with the Loyalton Medical Clinic nearby at 701 Main Street, (530) 993-1231. To arrange a visit, call the nursing director on (530) 993-6141.
Hiring safely in Sierra County
Before the first shift, agree in writing on tasks, hours, pay, overtime, mileage and notice. Go over timesheets weekly and keep cash and medications secured. To report suspected abuse or neglect of an older or dependent adult, contact Sierra County Social Services, which runs Adult Protective Services, on (530) 993-6720, or the county's 24-hour emergency contact, (530) 289-3720; the statewide APS line is 1-833-401-0832. Payroll and agreement templates: how to hire a private caregiver.
How to hire a private caregiver in Sierra 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.
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Caregivers in range see it immediately. Edit or close it any time from your dashboard.
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Experience, care types, languages, rates, availability. Applicants appear under your posting.
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Agree terms and pay directly
Rate, schedule and payment are between you and the caregiver. No percentage is taken.
What is free and what costs money
Free family account
- Browse profiles, post and edit care needs, receive applications
Family Premium
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No commission on what you pay the caregiver; payments are between you. Details on the pricing page.
Find caregivers near Sierra 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.
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.
- Sierra County, In Home Supportive Services
- Sierra County, Social Services
- Sierra County, Adult Protective Services
- Sierra County, Transit (with Golden Rays and Incorporated Senior Citizens fare schedules)
- Agency on Aging Area 4, Sierra County service providers
- California Department of Aging, services in Sierra County
- Del Oro Caregiver Resource Center
- Eastern Plumas Health Care, Skilled Nursing Facility and Loyalton Medical Clinic
- CDSS, In-Home Supportive Services program
- CDSS, Adult Protective Services
- CDSS, Provider enrollment steps (SOC 847)
- CDSS, IHSS wages by county
- BLS OEWS May 2025, North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area
- 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
- CDSS Community Care Licensing, facility files (file date May 25, 2025)
- California Department of Finance, E-1 population estimates 2026
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year profiles DP02 and DP05, Sierra County
Hiring a caregiver in Sierra County: frequently asked questions
How do we apply for IHSS in Sierra County?
Fill in the county's application for social services and return it to Social Services in Loyalton or Downieville, or call (530) 993-6720. CDSS requires a Medi-Cal eligibility determination, and a social worker visits the home to decide what help is needed.
Can I be paid to look after my mother?
Yes, if she is approved for IHSS and chooses you; the county notes that the recipient is the employer and hires and supervises the provider. You then complete the four CDSS enrollment steps within 90 days. Sierra County pays IHSS providers $18.50 an hour.
Is there a nursing home or assisted living in Sierra County?
Eastern Plumas Health Care runs a 39-bed skilled nursing facility in Loyalton. The state licensing file dated May 25, 2025 shows no residential care home for the elderly in the county.
How does my father get to Reno or Truckee?
From the east side, Incorporated Senior Citizens charges $12 to Truckee or Reno; call (530) 993-4770. From Downieville, Golden Rays charges $30 to Truckee and $50 to Reno, per person for a one-way or same-day round trip.
Who supports family caregivers here?
Del Oro Caregiver Resource Center offers free services to eligible family caregivers in Sierra County, and Incorporated Senior Citizens handles information and referral for Agency on Aging Area 4.
Does CaregiverConnect check the caregivers?
No. Screening is your family's job; we do not confirm anyone's background, licenses or references. Posting is free, and Family Premium ($24.99 a month) unlocks messaging and hiring.
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