Assisted Living on SSI Income in Bakersfield . Wasco . Taft . Shafter

Assisted Living on SSI Income in Bakersfield

AT REAL CARE LIVING WE WELCOME SSI-ONLY RESIDENTS 

Assisted Living on SSI Income in Bakersfield: How It Works

If Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is your only income, you can still live at Real Care. California pays a higher SSI rate to people who live in a licensed assisted living community, and Medi-Cal can pay for the care itself. Real Care is an approved Assisted Living Waiver provider and is contracted with Anthem Blue Cross and Kaiser Permanente Medi-Cal. Our admissions team handles the applications. You do not have to wait for an approval to move in, and this applies to both assisted living and our secured memory care neighborhood.

At a glance

Your SSI check goes up the month you move in

Social Security and the State of California pay SSI at different rates depending on where you live. A person living alone at home receives the independent-living rate. A person living in a licensed residential care facility for the elderly, which is what Real Care is, receives the Non-Medical Out-of-Home Care rate, about $400 a month higher. The increase exists because the community now provides your housing, meals and daily care.

2026 SSI/SSP rates for one person 

Couples who both receive SSI and live at Real Care together: $3,252.14 total, $2,888.14 to Real Care, $364 kept. Rates change every January with the federal cost-of-living adjustment.

The split is set by the State, not by Real Care. By law a licensed facility may not charge an SSI resident more than the state basic rate for basic services, and the personal and incidental needs allowance is always yours to keep (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 22, § 87464(e)).

What your SSI payment covers

The $1,444.07 basic rate covers everything the State defines as basic services. At Real Care that means:

• A furnished two-person apartment shared with one Residents on SSI live in our shared apartments; private apartments are for private-pay residents.
• Three chef-prepared meals a day plus snacks, with special diets accommodated
• Help with bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting and getting around
• Medication reminders and assistance from trained staff
• 24-hour staff and an emergency call system
• Weekly housekeeping, laundry and linens
• Utilities, including Wi-Fi
• The daily activity calendar, saltwater pool and aqua therapy, theater, library and fitness room
• Scheduled transportation to medical appointments
• Coordination with your doctor, and with home health or hospice if you ever need them

Medi-Cal pays for the care itself

Everyone who receives SSI in California automatically has full-scope Medi-Cal with no share of cost. Medi-Cal never pays room and board, but it can pay Real Care for the hands-on care and services you need, over and above what your SSI covers. There are two ways in, and Real Care participates in both.

Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) — State program, approved provider

A Medi-Cal program run by the Department of Health Care Services since 2009. Real Care is an approved ALW provider and works with all of the ALW Care Coordination Agencies. You apply through a Care Coordination Agency, a nurse assesses your care needs, and Medi-Cal pays Real Care a monthly care rate based on your care tier. Open to adults 21 and older in Kern County who need the level of care a nursing home would otherwise provide. There is a statewide waitlist, so we get you on it early. If you already have a Care Coordination Agency, we work with them; if not, we connect you with one.

Anthem Blue Cross Medi-Cal — Health-plan benefit, no waitlist

If your Medi-Cal is through Anthem Blue Cross, the plan can authorize a CalAIM Community Supports benefit called Assisted Living Facility Transitions. There is no waitlist; Anthem reviews each person case by case. It is available two ways: if you have been in a nursing home for 60 days or more, or if you are living at home or in another setting and are at risk of nursing-home placement. Real Care sends the referral and works with your Anthem care manager. Real Care is a contracted Anthem Blue Cross Community Supports provider.

Kaiser Permanente Medi-Cal — Health-plan benefit, no waitlist

If your Medi-Cal is through Kaiser Permanente, Kaiser can authorize the same Assisted Living Facility Transitions benefit, with no waitlist and the same two doors. Real Care is a contracted Kaiser Permanente Community Supports provider. We send the referral and work with your Kaiser care team.

Medi-Cal members may also change health plans through Health Care Options at 1-800-430-4263.

One program at a time. You can qualify for both programs but only use one at a time. Most families start on the health-plan benefit right away, join the ALW waitlist, and switch when a slot opens. Real Care tracks both for you.

You can move in before the approval comes through

Approvals take time, and families usually need a safe place now. Under Real Care’s SSI program, if you pass our pre-admission assessment you can move in on your SSI income while we apply for ALW or your health plan’s benefit on your behalf. You do not need to be in a nursing home first.

How it works, step by step

1. Call us or schedule a In one call we check your SSI amount, your Medi-Cal status, which health plan you are on, and what help you need day to day.
2. Pre-admission Our administrator meets with you and your family, reviews your physician’s report (form LIC 602), and confirms Real Care can meet your needs.
3. Move in and sign the admission The agreement lists the SSI basic rate as your monthly charge. Bring your SSI award letter, Medi-Cal card and a list of your medications.
4. Report the move to Social We give you a copy of the admission agreement and our license verification. Once Social Security records your new living arrangement, your payment moves to the

$1,626.07 rate, generally starting the month after you move in. If a family member is your representative payee, the same steps apply.

5. We apply for the care We connect you with a Care Coordination Agency for ALW (we work with all of them) and, if you are an Anthem or Kaiser member, send the Community Supports referral to your plan. A nurse assessment sets your care tier.
6. Your care is covered. Medi-Cal or your health plan pays Real Care for your care services. Your SSI covers room and You keep $182 every month, and Medi-Cal continues to cover your doctors, prescriptions and hospital care.

An example: Maria, 76, SSI only 

If you receive Social Security plus a small SSI payment, the rule is the same: your combined check is brought up to $1,626.07. If your Social Security alone is higher than that, you are not on SSI, but you may still qualify for ALW or the health-plan benefit. Call us and we will run your numbers.

What you keep, and what stays yours

• Your $182 personal and incidental needs allowance is yours for haircuts, a phone, clothes, snacks and outings. Real Care never charges against it.
• Your Medi-Cal benefits continue: doctor visits, prescriptions, hospital care, and Medicare if you have
• Your apartment is your You choose your doctor, your visitors and your daily routine.
• Families sometimes ask whether they can pay Real Care a little extra for added Payments from family can reduce an SSI check unless they are structured correctly, so talk to us before arranging anything.

Who qualifies

☑ Age 60 or older (adults 21 and older may qualify for ALW; ask us about younger adults)

☑ Receives SSI/SSP, or Social Security together with SSI

☑ Has full-scope Medi-Cal with no share of cost (automatic with SSI)

☑ Needs help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, medications, meals or mobility

☑ For ALW or the health-plan benefit, needs the level of care a nursing home would otherwise provide

☑ Does not need round-the-clock skilled nursing

☑ Passes Real Care’s pre-admission assessment

Questions families ask

Can I move into Real Care if SSI is my only income?

Yes. Your SSI check covers your room, meals and basic services at the state basic rate, and we apply for Medi-Cal to cover your care. Nothing else is due from you.

How much does assisted living cost if I am on SSI?

In 2026, $1,444.07 a month, paid from your SSI check. You keep the remaining $182. Medi-Cal pays Real Care separately for your care services once your ALW or health-plan approval is in place.

Why does my SSI go up when I move in?

California adds a larger state supplement for people living in licensed board-and-care and assisted living communities, because the community now provides housing, meals and daily care. The 2026 rate is

$1,626.07 for one person.

Do I have to be in a nursing home first?

No. Real Care accepts SSI residents directly from home, a hospital or a nursing home. For the Medi-Cal care programs, a nursing-home stay of 60 days or more opens one door with Anthem and Kaiser, and ALW gives priority to nursing-home residents, but both programs also accept people living in the community who are at risk of placement.

Is there a waitlist?

The ALW has a statewide waitlist. The Anthem Blue Cross and Kaiser Permanente benefits do not; they are authorized case by case. You can move in on your SSI while either application is pending.

What if my Medi-Cal is through another plan?

Real Care is contracted with Anthem Blue Cross and Kaiser Permanente. Members of other Medi-Cal plans can change plans through Health Care Options at 1-800-430-4263, and we can explain what a change would mean for you.

Can I have a private room on SSI?

No. Residents on SSI live in our two-person shared apartments. Private apartments are for private-pay residents. We match roommates carefully, and you can tour a shared apartment before you decide.

Does this work for memory care?

Yes. Our secured memory care neighborhood accepts residents on SSI. Residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia who qualify for ALW or the health-plan benefit have their care covered the same way, and the SSI rate and the $182 you keep are the same.

What if I am already on hospice or home health?

Both can continue at Real Care. Hospice and home health are Medicare or Medi-Cal benefits separate from your assisted living care, and we coordinate with your agency.

Who do I call to get started?

Call (866) 619-3251 or schedule a tour online. One call is enough to find out whether you qualify.

Find out in one phone call

Call (866) 619-3251 or schedule a tour. Have ready: your SSI award letter, Medi-Cal card, health plan card, and a list of your medications.

Figures are the 2026 California SSI/SSP Non-Medical Out-of-Home Care rates published by the Social Security Administration and the California Department of Social Services; they change each January. This page is general information, not legal or benefits advice. Real Care Living, 818 Real Road, Bakersfield, CA 93309. RCFE License #157209417.

Sources (link these in the page footer or keep for reference)

CANHR, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in RCFEs: https://canhr.org/supplemental-security-income-ssi-in-rcfes/ CANHR, 2026 Rate and Cost of Living Adjustments: https://canhr.org/wp-content/uploads/RateCOLA2026.pdf

DHCS, Assisted Living Waiver: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/long-term-care-alternatives-home-and-community-based-service-options/assisted-living-waiver/

Cal. Code Regs., tit. 22, § 87464 (Basic Services): https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/22-CCR-87464