Placement service · Los Angeles County
Board and care home placement
A licensed home with six residents or fewer, caregivers on site day and night, and someone who knows your parent by name. We find one with a bed open now.
What it is
A board and care home is a regular house in a residential neighborhood, licensed by the State of California as a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly, or RCFE. Most hold a license for six residents. Each resident has a bedroom, private or shared, and the home provides all meals, housekeeping, laundry, medication management, and help with bathing, dressing, and using the toilet. Caregivers are on site around the clock.
Because the homes are small, one caregiver may be looking after three to six people rather than fifteen or twenty. That is the main reason families choose board and care: more attention, a calmer household, and usually a lower monthly cost than a large assisted living community.
Signs this may be the right fit
- They need help with bathing, dressing, or using the toilet most days
- Someone needs to be there overnight
- They have fallen, or come close, more than once
- Medications are being missed or doubled up
- A large community feels overwhelming to them
- The budget does not stretch to assisted living
What to look for
- The license and its capacity. Check the license is current and the number of residents matches what you see.
- Whether it is cleared for non-ambulatory residents. If your parent uses a wheelchair now or may later, this decides whether they can stay.
- Whether it holds a hospice care waiver. Without one, a resident who goes on hospice may have to move.
- Who is awake overnight. Awake staff, not someone asleep on call.
- How long the caregivers have been there. Low turnover is one of the best signs a home is run well.
What it costs and who pays
Board and care homes in California typically charge $3,000 to $6,000 a month in 2026,. That usually includes room, meals, care, and medication management in one rate. Where your parent lands in that range depends mostly on how much hands-on care they need. Moving from light assistance to heavy hands-on care typically adds $1,500 to $2,000 a month.
Most families pay privately. Medi-Cal programs can cover the care portion for eligible members, and VA Aid and Attendance can offset the cost for veterans and surviving spouses.
How we help
No cost to your family, start to finish
We match care level first
Before price or location, we check which homes are licensed and staffed for what your parent actually needs.
We confirm real openings
You get two or three homes with a bed open now and a written monthly rate, not a list of names to call.
We stay through move-in
Tours, the physician's report, the admission paperwork, and the first week after.
Questions families ask
Is a board and care home the same as assisted living?
Both are licensed by California as Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly and follow the same regulations. The difference is size. Board and care homes are houses with six or fewer residents. Assisted living communities are larger buildings with more amenities and more residents.
Do residents get their own room?
Often, yes, and some homes offer shared rooms at a lower rate. Ask for both prices.
Can my parent bring their own furniture?
Most homes provide a bed and basic furniture, and many welcome a favorite chair, photos, and familiar bedding. It helps the room feel like theirs.
What happens if their needs increase?
That depends on the home's license and staffing, which is why we check it before you choose. A home cleared for non-ambulatory residents and holding a hospice waiver can usually keep a resident as their needs grow.
Related services
Tell us about your situation
We will call you back the same business day. There is no cost to your family. The care home pays our placement fee.