IHSS Authorized vs. Unauthorized Tasks 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An IHSS provider is authorized for protective supervision. This service covers:
- Watching over a cognitively impaired recipient to prevent self-harm (Correct answer)
- Supervising children while the recipient is away
- Monitoring the home for security threats
- Watching the recipient's pets during the day
Correct answer: Watching over a cognitively impaired recipient to prevent self-harm
Protective supervision is authorized specifically to observe and redirect a recipient with a cognitive or mental impairment to prevent dangerous behavior.
Question 2: A recipient asks their IHSS provider to perform a task that is not on the approved service list. What should the provider do?
- Perform the task if the recipient says it is urgent
- Decline and explain that only authorized tasks can be performed (Correct answer)
- Perform the task and report it later
- Call 911 if the request seems unreasonable
Correct answer: Decline and explain that only authorized tasks can be performed
Providers must decline unauthorized tasks and explain that only services listed on the approved SOC 873 may be performed.
Question 3: Which of these tasks is typically authorized under IHSS personal care services?
- Trimming hedges around the recipient's home
- Assisting with bowel and bladder care (Correct answer)
- Changing light bulbs in the recipient's home
- Repairing a wheelchair
Correct answer: Assisting with bowel and bladder care
Bowel and bladder care is a recognized personal care service under IHSS when assessed and authorized for the recipient.
Question 4: A provider's recipient asks for help completing an online job application. This task is:
- Authorized under ancillary services if the recipient is job-seeking
- Unauthorized because it is not a listed IHSS service (Correct answer)
- Authorized under accompaniment services
- Authorized if the provider finishes quickly
Correct answer: Unauthorized because it is not a listed IHSS service
Assisting with job applications is not a category of IHSS service and therefore is not authorized regardless of the recipient's situation.
Question 5: When a recipient's authorized hours run out for the month, the provider should:
- Continue working and log extra hours to be reviewed later
- Stop providing services until the next month begins (Correct answer)
- Ask the recipient to pay out-of-pocket for additional hours
- Work additional hours only for critical personal care tasks
Correct answer: Stop providing services until the next month begins
Providers may only work the approved monthly hours; continuing beyond authorized hours is not permitted and will not be paid.
Question 6: An IHSS recipient has authorized hours for cooking. The recipient asks the provider to teach cooking classes to neighborhood seniors in the home. The provider should:
- Decline, as this is beyond the scope of authorized IHSS services (Correct answer)
- Agree, since teaching is educational and beneficial
- Agree only if no payment is involved
- Ask the county social worker for written permission first
Correct answer: Decline, as this is beyond the scope of authorized IHSS services
Teaching classes to third parties is not an authorized IHSS service regardless of how beneficial it may seem.
Question 7: Which situation represents a provider staying within authorized boundaries?
- Completing minor home repairs requested by the recipient
- Assisting the recipient to dress and groom themselves (Correct answer)
- Walking the recipient's dog while the recipient rests
- Buying groceries for the recipient's adult child
Correct answer: Assisting the recipient to dress and groom themselves
Dressing and grooming assistance is a standard authorized IHSS personal care service performed directly for the recipient.
IHSS Authorized vs. Unauthorized Tasks 3
An IHSS provider is authorized for protective supervision.
This service covers: