Board and Care Placement

From the sidewalk it looks like any other house on the block. Inside there are bedrooms, some private and some shared, a kitchen where meals are cooked, a living room and usually a patio or yard. Families also call these boarding homes or residential care homes.

In California a board and care home holds the same license as a large assisted living community. The state's name for that license is RCFE, its category for residential care homes serving older adults, and the Department of Social Services describes it as housing with 24-hour non-medical care and supervision. The National Institute on Aging describes board and care homes as small private facilities, usually with 20 or fewer residents, where staff are available around the clock and nursing and medical care usually are not provided on site.

Small does not mean fewer duties. Every licensed home must provide care and supervision, three meals a day and snacks, help with dressing, eating, bathing and prescribed medications, regular observation of each resident's condition, and planned activities.

The difference from a large community is scale. The state's consumer guide points out that the other residents will be your parent's housemates and dining companions, so who else lives there matters as much as the building.

• It often suits a person who needs close, hands-on help through the day, who is anxious or tired in crowds, or who would notice and miss a caregiver who changed every shift.
• It can suit a person with special needs such as dementia or hospice care, but not every home is able to provide those services. Ask each home directly. See board and care for someone on hospice.
• It may not suit a person who is independent and social and wants a full activity calendar, a choice of dining times and many neighbors. A larger community may fit better: see assisted living placement in Torrance.
• It is not a nursing home. Someone who needs daily skilled nursing care needs a different kind of facility, and the doctor is the one to say so.

Board and care homes are licensed and overseen by the Community Care Licensing Division of the California Department of Social Services. According to the department, the division checks compliance through inspection visits and complaint investigations, requires staff background checks and reviews facility records. The license must be posted in a prominent place inside the home where visitors can see it.

Night staffing is one rule worth knowing. In homes caring for fewer than 16 residents, state regulations require a qualified person on call on the premises at night. If a resident with dementia is found to need awake supervision at night, the home must have at least one staff person awake and on duty.

Hamssa refers families only to homes licensed by the State of California that she has toured herself, after checking each one’s licensing record for citations and complaints. If you believe someone in a licensed home is in immediate danger, call 911. Complaints about a licensed home go to the Community Care Licensing Division, whose complaint line as of October 2026 is 1-844-538-8766. The department says the local office makes an unannounced visit within 10 days of receiving a complaint.

The state keeps a public Facility Search website. It takes a few minutes and you can do it from the driveway before a tour. Our license check guide goes through each screen.

1. 1

   Get the exact name and address

   Small homes often go by a nickname. Ask for the name on the license, or read it off the license posted inside.

2. 2

   Search the state's Facility Search

   Find the home on the Community Care Licensing Division's Facility Search. The record shows the license status, the date licensed and the Regional Office responsible for the home.

3. 3

   Read the visits, complaints and citations

   The site holds five years of information, including licensing reports and complaint investigation reports. One old citation that was corrected reads differently from a pattern.

4. 4

   Call the Regional Office if you need more

   Its phone number is on the same screen as the home's record. You can ask for more detail on a citation or ask to review the home's public file.

5. 5

   Ask the home for its latest report

   The department says homes are required to share their most current licensing information with you, and that you should never rely on the website alone. Visit in person.

Hamssa schedules tours and goes on them with you. She holds an RCFE Administrator Certificate, has worked in senior care for more than a decade, and knows many local homes and their owners. These are the things the state's consumer guide suggests checking, and they are easier with a second pair of eyes.

It starts with a conversation about your parent's care needs, health conditions, preferences, lifestyle and monthly budget. From that Hamssa builds a short list of homes that fit. After the tours she helps you talk terms with the home you choose, and she checks in after the move. The longer tour checklist is worth printing first.

Call, text or WhatsApp 310-594-0694, or send a note through the contact page.