Illustration — no photo of this home on file yet

Helping Hands Care Home

Small home·Licensed for 6·Merced, California

Licensed since 2022Licence #247209260
  • Care approvals on fileWheelchair · Dementia · Hospice · BedriddenState licensing record · September 13, 2026
  • Estimated starting rate$4,600 a monthCovelight estimate · likely $3,750–$5,650
  • Home sizeLicensed for 6Small care home · a licensed care home (RCFE)
  • Ways to payAsk the homeMedi-Cal ALW participation not on file
  • Last state visitAugust 14, 2025CDSS inspection record

Helping Hands Care Home is a small care home in Merced — a licensed residential care facility for the elderly (RCFE), the licence category behind “assisted living” and “board and care.” It is licensed for 6 residents since 2022.

Built from CDSS public records · September 13, 2026. Every fact below names its source and date.

Quick answers and the state record

A citation does not make a home unsafe, and an empty file does not make a home good.

Quick answers about Helping Hands Care Home

Is Helping Hands Care Home licensed?

The state lists this license as “Licensed,” per CDSS records as of September 13, 2026.

How many residents is Helping Hands Care Home licensed for?

6 residents — a small home, per CDSS records as of September 13, 2026.

Has Helping Hands Care Home been cited?

0 Type A and 0 Type B citations since 2022, per CDSS records as of September 13, 2026. Those records count 4 state visits over the same years.

Is Helping Hands Care Home still open?

This license was on the CDSS roster as of September 28, 2026.

What does Helping Hands Care Home cost?

$4,600 a month to start is a Covelight estimate, likely $3,750–$5,650. This home’s own rate is not on file. Ask: “What is the all-in monthly rate, and what would push it higher?”

Covelight’s estimate starts from the rates 10 small homes and similar homes within 40 miles publish, then adjusts for this home’s size, state care approvals, Medi-Cal waiver participation, years licensed and the area’s prices. In testing, the likely range held the real rate for 6 in 10 homes. This home’s own rate is not on file.

The price is made in the phone call. Nothing here is a quote, an offer or a discount.

A starting rate is the room and the base care. California homes commonly bill care levels, medication management, supplies, transport and a second person in the room as extras. Many also charge a one-time fee at move-in. Ask for that list in writing before anything is signed.

Only prices a home put out itself count here: its own website, a listing it supplied, or a price a listing site says the home confirmed. Prices a site shows without saying where they came from are left out.

Does Helping Hands Care Home take Medi-Cal?

On Medi-Cal’s Assisted Living Waiver: this home is not on the DHCS participation list dated September 23, 2026. Ask the program about current options. The waiver pays for care services, not room and board.

Who holds the license?

The license is held by Helping Hands Senior Care Inc., per CDSS records as of September 13, 2026.

Is there a hospital nearby?

Mercy Medical Center is 4.3 miles away in a straight line, per the CDPH licensed-hospital list dated September 16, 2026. See licensed care homes near it.

Can Helping Hands Care Home keep a resident on hospice?

Hospice care is approved on this license, covering up to 5 residents, per CDSS records as of September 13, 2026.

Helping Hands Care Home license and inspection record

  • Name on the license: “HELPING HANDS CARE HOME”, per the CDSS roster as of May 25, 2025.
  • License #247209260. The state lists this license as “Licensed,” per CDSS records as of September 13, 2026.
  • Licensed for 6 residents — a small home, per CDSS records as of September 13, 2026.
  • Licensed to Helping Hands Senior Care Inc., per CDSS records as of September 13, 2026.
  • First licensed in 2022, per CDSS records as of September 13, 2026.
  • 4 state inspection visits since 2022, per CDSS records as of September 13, 2026.
  • 0 Type A and 0 Type B citations on file since 2022, per CDSS records as of September 13, 2026. The same records count 4 state visits in that period.
  • 0 complaints and 0 substantiated allegations on file since 2022, per CDSS records as of September 13, 2026.
  • The most recent state visit on file is August 14, 2025, per CDSS records as of September 13, 2026.
Type A citationa violation that poses an immediate risk to health, safety or personal rights if it is not correctedType B citationa violation that could become a risk if not corrected, or one involving records, resources or required services

California writes these definitions for every licensed home, not for this one. CDSS citation definitions (PDF) ↗

See the state’s own record

Can they support the care needed?

California licenses a home for specific kinds of care. The state’s record lists what this home is approved for; the home’s own answers fill in what changes as needs change.

  • Wheelchair / non-ambulatoryApproved · covers up to 6 residents
  • Dementia / memory careApproved by the state
  • Hospice careApproved · covers up to 5 residents
  • BedriddenApproved · covers up to 1 resident

State licensing record · September 13, 2026. An approval may cover specific rooms or residents; it does not establish an opening.

Read the state’s own wording
AGE RANGE 60 AND OVER. APPROVED FOR 6 NON-AMBULATORY, OF WHICH 1 MAY BE BEDRIDDEN. MASTER BEDROOM APPROVED FOR BEDRIDDEN. APPROVED HOSPICE WAIVER FOR 5.

983 - RCFE / DEMENTIA

CDSS record, verbatim · September 13, 2026

As needs change

  • Staying through hospice

    Hospice waiver on file · covers up to 5 — care may continue at the end of life

    Ask: “If hospice is needed, can care continue here until the end?”

    State licensing record · September 13, 2026

  • If memory loss develops

    Dementia-care designation on file

    Ask: “Can we read the dementia care disclosure and discuss how daily support works?”

    State licensing record · September 13, 2026

3 more questions to ask the home
  • Two-person transfers or a lift

    Not on file

    Ask: “If two people or a lift are needed to transfer, can the person stay?”

  • Someone awake overnight

    Not on file

    Ask: “Who is awake overnight, and how do residents ask for help?”

  • Medicines

    Not on file

    Ask: “Who manages the medicines, and what happens when a dose is missed?”

What it costs here

Covelight estimate

$4,600a month to start

Likely $3,750–$5,650

From 10 nearby homes that publish rates · this home’s rate is not on file

Likely monthly total

$4,600a month

Likely $3,750–$5,850

With a shared room and basic help.

An estimate for planning, not a quote. The price is made in the phone call.

See the full cost breakdownRoom, care and fees · how people pay · how this estimate works
Room
Daily care
Sharing the room
  • Starting monthly rate$4,600likely $3,750–$5,650

    Covelight’s estimate starts from the rates 10 small homes and similar homes within 40 miles publish, then adjusts for this home’s size, state care approvals, Medi-Cal waiver participation, years licensed and the area’s prices. In testing, the likely range held the real rate for 6 in 10 homes. This home’s own rate is not on file.

  • Basic help with daily careUsually includedup to $600

    Basic help is usually part of the starting rate. Homes that price care by level start around $600 a month (45 California homes publish a care-level range, seen in September 2026).

  • One-time move-in fee$2,000one time · likely $0–$4,000

    Homes that list a one-time entry or community fee charge a median of $2,000 (134 California listings; middle half $1,000–$4,000). Many homes list none — ask.

Likely monthly totalLikely $3,750–$5,850
$4,600
First monthWith a one-time move-in fee · likely $4,400–$8,950
$6,600
How people payPrivate pay, Medi-Cal waiver, SSI/SSP, veterans, insurance
  • Private payMost residents pay from savings, a home sale or family help. Ask for the rate and what it includes in writing.
  • Medi-Cal Assisted Living WaiverThis home is not on the DHCS participation list dated September 23, 2026. Ask the program about current options. The waiver pays for care services, not room and board.
  • SSI/SSPCalifornia’s 2026 standard is $1,626.07 a month; $1,444.07 of it goes to the home and $182 stays with the resident. Whether this home accepts it is not on file — ask.
  • VeteransVA Aid & Attendance can add to a veteran’s or surviving spouse’s pension. Ask whether residents here have used it.
  • Long-term care insuranceMost policies pay for licensed care homes. Ask what paperwork the home provides for claims.
  • MedicareDoes not pay for room and board in a care home. It can still cover hospice or home-health visits inside one.
If the money runs out, what Medi-Cal covers
Avoid surprises on the billWhat changes the price, and what to ask
  • The care level

    Some homes charge one all-inclusive rate. Others add levels or points as needs grow. Ask how the level is set, who decides, and what the next level costs.

  • What is billed separately

    Medication management, incontinence supplies, transportation and a second person in the room are often extra. Ask for the list in writing.

  • Move-in costs

    A one-time community fee or deposit is common. Ask what it covers and whether any of it comes back if the stay is short.

  • Increases

    California requires at least 90 days’ written notice, with reasons, before a rate rises (Health & Safety Code §1569.655). A change in the resident’s care level is the section’s own exception and can be billed sooner.

  • What is the full monthly cost for the room and care we need, and what does it include?
  • What would the next care level cost, and who decides when it changes?
  • What is billed separately, and is there a one-time fee or deposit at move-in?
  • Is any private-pay period required before another payment program can begin?
How this estimate worksWithin 25% for 7 in 10 homes in testing

Covelight’s estimate starts from the rates 10 small homes and similar homes within 40 miles publish, then adjusts for this home’s size, state care approvals, Medi-Cal waiver participation, years licensed and the area’s prices. In testing, the likely range held the real rate for 6 in 10 homes. This home’s own rate is not on file.

10 homes like this within 40 miles publish starting rates mostly between $2,800–$4,800.

  • Only prices a home put out itself count: its own website, a listing it supplied, or a price Seniorly says the home confirmed. Prices a listing site shows without saying where they came from are left out.
  • Nearby homes are the nearest of the same size that publish a rate, widening from 3 to 40 miles until at least 8 do. The estimate starts from what they charge, then adjusts for this home’s size, state care approvals, Medi-Cal waiver participation, years licensed and the area’s prices.
  • Room, care-level, second-person and move-in lines come from what California homes publish on listing sites. Memory care uses Covelight’s researched premium over assisted living.
  • Totals add each line’s figure and combine the lines’ ranges as separate charges, because a home is rarely at the top, or the bottom, of every line at once.
  • We tested this estimate on 1,546 California homes that publish their own starting rate. It was within 10% of the real rate for 3 in 10 homes and within 25% for 7 in 10; the likely range held the real rate for 6 in 10 (September 12, 2026).
  • It cannot see this home’s specials, how it assesses care, or which rooms are open.
Show the 10 nearby homes behind this estimate

Where it is

  • 658 Lim Street, Merced, CA 95341Address from the public record · September 13, 2026. Confirm the entrance with the home before visiting.

Opening the neighborhood map…

The state record

California inspects every licensed home and publishes what it found. Here are the dated documents and the state’s own words, beside what is typical for homes this size.

Since 2022, the state has filed 4 documents for this home, and its records count 4 visits since 2022. The most recent is a facility evaluation report, dated August 14, 2025.

On file since
2022
State visits
4
Most recent visit
August 14, 2025

Beside homes the same size

  • Type A citations0typical 0
  • Type B citations0typical 0
  • Substantiated allegations0typical 0
  • Total complaints0typical 0

“Typical” is the statewide median across the 6,808 licensed small board-and-care homes (6 or fewer beds) in the state record — larger, longer-licensed homes accumulate more visits and reports, so compare like with like. One complaint can contain several allegations. Counts cover this licence since 2022.

Year by year
YearVisitsDocumentsSubstantiated2025110202411020231102022110

The last 36 months — 2 of 4 documents

20251 state visit · 1 document
Aug 14, 2025Facility evaluation reportReport on file

Type of visit: Required - 1 Year

On 08/14/2025, Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) V Gorban arrived unannounced to conduct Required Annual Inspection. LPA met with staff Rosalind Geronimo. Administrator (AD) Krystyl Sheen Ibanez was notified but did not attend the visit, certification number 6053811740 and expiration date 10/01/2025. LPA conducted facility tour inside and out of facility with staff. Residents observed at the facility before lunch time. The facility was observed to be at a comfortable temperature of 75 degrees, clean, in good repair, and no passageway obstructions or fire hazards observed. Fire extinguisher was observed with a service date of 07/30/2024. Recent fire drill recorded on July 07th, 2025 Dining area and Kitchen were toured. An adequate supply of perishable and non-perishable food was observed to be properly stored in freezer, refrigerator, and pantry. Food is delivered once a week. The facility is comprised of single level home. The census during the visit was 6 residents. Hot water temperature tested at 109 degrees F. LPA observed securely fastened grab bar and non-skid mat in shower area. The facility courtyard was toured and observed to be free from debris. There was outdoor seating available for the residents. Facility phone number observed operational 209-325-4444 Medications were stored in a locked medication closet in a common area. The first Aid Kit was observed with all required items. LPA reviewed facility Plan of Operation, Infection Control Plan, Emergency Disaster Plan and number of staff and residents’ files requested and reviewed during the inspection visit. LPA requested the following files: LIC 500 Personnel Report, LIC 308 Designation of Administrative Responsibility, and updated Emergency disaster plan Deficiency cited during this visit on attached LIC809-D Exit interview conducted, report signed and copy of this report provided to staff for facility recordsthe state’s words, verbatim · CDSS document, Aug 14, 2025
20241 state visit · 1 document
Sep 4, 2024Facility evaluation reportReport on file

Type of visit: Required - 1 Year

On 09/04/2024, Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) V. Gorban arrived unannounced at the facility to conduct a Required Annual Inspection. LPA met with staff Sabrina Deniels and announced the purpose of the inspection. Administrator Krystyl Ibanez was notified of Licensing visit and was able to attend it. Administrators certificate number 6053811740 and renewal date 10/1/2025. LPA toured the facility inside and outside. Passageways and exits were clear and free from obstruction. Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors were present and operational. Facility was clean and odor free. LPA observed sufficient amount of perishable and non-perishable foodstuffs. Common areas were clean, adequately furnished, and adequately lit. Resident bedrooms were clean and had required minimum furnishings. Resident bathrooms were clean, odor free, and water temperature was within required temperature range. The rooms temperature observed at 77 degrees F. A locked cabinet was observed to store resident medications, and medications appeared to be administered properly. LPA reviewed facility plan of operations and emergency disaster plan. LPA reviewed a sample of resident and staff files. CCLD requested the following documents to update the facility file: LIC 500 Personnel Report, LIC 308 Designation of Administrative Responsibility, LIC 610-E the Emergency Disaster Plan, LIC 9020 Register of Facility Residents, Alternative contact information to be provided by 9/10/2024 No deficiencies were cited during the inspection. Exit interview conducted and a copy of the report was provided.the state’s words, verbatim · CDSS document, Sep 4, 2024
What the state’s words mean
Substantiatedthe state found the allegation more likely true than notUnsubstantiatedthere was not enough evidence to prove a violation occurred — not a finding of wrongdoingUnfoundedthe evidence showed the allegation was false, could not have happened, or had no reasonable basisType A citationa violation that poses an immediate risk to health, safety or personal rights if it is not correctedType B citationa violation that could become a risk if not corrected, or one involving records, resources or required services

CDSS citation definitions (PDF) ↗ · CDSS complaint outcomes ↗

An “unsubstantiated” complaint is not a finding of wrongdoing — it means the state investigated and could not confirm the allegation. Outcome words are the state’s own; we never grade, score, or color a record, and we publish no reviews — the state’s dated documents and the questions below stand in their place.

Life here

Rooms, meals, the rhythm of a day, faith and language, pets and house rules — as the home describes them. Tap any detail for its source and date; nothing here is graded.

The home has not described daily life anywhere we have reviewed yet — that is the case for most small homes, and it says nothing about the home. These questions fill in the picture; keep the ones that matter to you.

Before you call

Ask every home the same questions — the state’s record does not answer these. Keep the ones that matter and they travel with your saved homes.

  1. What is included in the monthly rate, and what costs extra?
  2. Who is awake overnight, and how do residents ask for help?
  3. Which rooms does the non-ambulatory approval cover, and what transfer support is provided?
  4. What could change whether someone can stay here?
  5. Can we see a bedroom and share a meal during a visit?

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