Yolo County IHSS advisory committee urges after‑hours Home Care Now hotline, virtual access and sustained funding

The Yolo County In‑Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Advisory Committee told the Board of Supervisors on Jan. 28 that caseloads and provider counts have grown and asked the board to support four steps to improve services for consumers and providers.

Kate Ladysch, chair of the Yolo County IHSS Advisory Committee, said the committee represents both consumers and providers and that the public authority and advisory committee are “consumer majority” bodies meant to ensure people with disabilities can live safely at home.

The committee noted roughly 35,100 IHSS consumers and nearly 35,100 providers in the county, with an 8.5 percent year‑over‑year caseload increase and nearly 1,500 net new providers over five years. “Home Care Now provides assistance when urgently needed,” Ladysch said, and public authority staff distributed more than 66,000 pieces of personal protective equipment last year.

Why it matters: IHSS is the county program that pays family‑and‑friend caregivers to provide in‑home care for people who are eligible for Medi‑Cal and cannot otherwise remain safely at home. Committee members and public commenters told supervisors that disruptions to home care can leave people without food, water or assistance with medical…