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Guide · California

Care settings in California, explained

Hospitals, families and insurers use many names for the places and services where care happens next. Here is what each one is and which California agency licenses it, so you know what you are choosing and where to check it.

Last reviewed October 2, 2026. Facts are linked to the official sources listed at the end of the page.

Which setting is right for a person is decided with their doctors and care team, and what is covered is decided by their plan or program. This guide explains the options so those conversations are easier.

Skilled nursing facility (SNF)

A health facility for people whose main need is skilled nursing care over an extended period.1 A skilled nursing facility needs a state license from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).1 Medicare can cover a limited skilled nursing stay when certain conditions are met; see Coverage & Payment Basics.

Inpatient rehabilitation

An inpatient rehabilitation facility or unit, sometimes called an acute rehab center or rehabilitation hospital, provides an intensive therapy program with physician supervision and coordinated care for people recovering from a serious illness, injury or surgery.2 For Medicare, the patient's health care provider must certify that this level of rehabilitation is needed.2

Home health

Part-time or intermittent skilled care at home, such as nursing or therapy, ordered by a doctor or other allowed provider.4 A home health agency needs a state license from CDPH,3 and for Medicare to cover home health care, the agency must also be Medicare-certified.4 Home health is different from non-medical home care, below.

Non-medical home care

Aides who come to the home to help with daily activities such as bathing and dressing, hired privately by the person or family.5 In California, the Department of Social Services (CDSS) Home Care Services Branch licenses Home Care Organizations and keeps a public registry of Home Care Aides who have been background checked.5

Hospice

Comfort-focused care for a person whose doctors certify that they are terminally ill, with a life expectancy of six months or less, and who chooses comfort care instead of treatment to cure the illness.6 Hospice care can be given at home, in a nursing home or in a hospice inpatient facility.6 A hospice agency needs a state license from CDPH.7

Palliative care

Specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. It can be given along with treatment meant to cure, at any age and at any stage of the illness.8 That is the main difference from hospice, which is for people who have chosen comfort care instead of curative treatment.

Assisted living and board and care

In California, assisted living communities and board and care homes are licensed as Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs): housing for people 60 and over where 24-hour non-medical care and supervision is provided.9 The CDSS Senior Care Licensing Program licenses and monitors them.10 Adults under 60 who need the same kind of setting may live in an Adult Residential Facility, licensed by the CDSS Adult Care Licensing Program.13

These are not medical facilities, and Medicare does not pay for this kind of long-term, non-medical care; see Coverage & Payment Basics.

Memory care

"Memory care" is a common name for dementia care, not a separate license type: it does not appear on CDSS's list of licensed facility types.9 Dementia care in assisted living is regulated under the RCFE license, and CDSS's updated dementia-care rules took effect on January 1, 2025.11 Ask any community how it cares for residents living with dementia, and check its license record before deciding.

Respite care

Short-term care that gives a family caregiver a rest.6 For people receiving hospice under Medicare, short inpatient respite stays can be part of the hospice benefit.6 California's Caregiver Resource Centers also list respite care among their services for family caregivers.12

Adult day programs and adult day health care

Two different things share the "adult day" name:

  • Adult Day Programs provide non-medical care and supervision in a day setting, for adults 18 and older, for less than 24 hours a day. CDSS licenses them.9, 13
  • Adult Day Health Centers need a CDPH license,14 and the California Department of Aging certifies licensed centers to provide Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS).15 CBAS is a Medi-Cal managed care benefit; for plan members, the Medi-Cal plan decides who is eligible.16

Before you choose any of these

Every facility and agency type above is licensed by a state agency that keeps a public record. It takes a few minutes to look one up; see How to Check a License. You are always free to choose any licensed provider; if you have a health plan, check which providers it covers.

Sources

Official government pages, each read on October 2, 2026. Links open in a new tab. Prime Care Link is not affiliated with these agencies.

  1. 1.California Department of Public Health — Skilled Nursing Facility Initial Application Packet
  2. 2.Medicare.gov — Inpatient rehabilitation care
  3. 3.California Department of Public Health — Home Health Agency Initial Application Packet
  4. 4.Medicare.gov — Home health services
  5. 5.California Department of Social Services — Home Care Services
  6. 6.Medicare.gov — Hospice care
  7. 7.California Department of Public Health — Hospice Agency Initial Application Packet
  8. 8.Department of Health Care Services — Palliative Care Policies
  9. 9.California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing — Facility Types, by Program
  10. 10.California Department of Social Services — Senior Care Licensing Program
  11. 11.California Department of Social Services — Dementia Care in Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly
  12. 12.California Department of Aging — Caregiver Resource Centers
  13. 13.California Department of Social Services — Adult Care Licensing Program
  14. 14.California Department of Public Health — Adult Day Health Center Initial Application Packet
  15. 15.California Department of Aging — Become a New CBAS Provider
  16. 16.Department of Health Care Services — Community-Based Adult Services

Want help with your situation?

We help families and professionals sort through care options and keep the next step moving. Our navigation support is offered at no cost to families and the professionals who refer them, and providers pay nothing to be included or recommended. Call (818) 574-3333 on weekdays or send us a message.