Top home health and hospice agencies in California, ranked by ChatGPT answers

Places ChatGPT showed

• HealthFlex Home Health & Hospice · 4.1★ · Home health care service
• 21st Century Home Health Services · 4.7★ · Home health care service
• Compassionate Care Home Health, Hospice, and In-Home Care - HQ · 4.5★ · Home health care service
• 24/7 Care At Home · 5.0★ · Home health care service
• Solace Healthcare, Inc. - Home Health & Hospice Care · 5.0★ · Home health care service
• Bristol Hospice - Bakersfield · 4.9★ · Hospice
• Bristol Hospice - Inland Valley · 5.0★ · Hospice
• Alameda Care Hospice · 4.7★ · Hospice
• Aveeva Hospice · 5.0★ · Hospice

There isn’t one objectively “best” agency statewide—California has thousands of Medicare-certified providers, and the best choice depends heavily on where the patient lives, insurance/network, diagnosis, and whether you need home health or hospice. CMS recommends looking at both quality measures and patient/family experience rather than a star rating alone.

Based on current CMS data, California agency rankings, and breadth/reputation, these are strong agencies I would put on a California shortlist:

Best home health agencies

• HealthFlex Home Health & Hospice — Bay Area / Northern California
  One of my strongest overall choices. HealthFlex says it is a 5-star CMS-rated home-health agency, with skilled nursing, PT/OT, speech therapy, social work and home-health aides. It serves a broad portion of the Bay Area and has hospice as well.
• 21st Century Home Health Services — Bay Area / Northern California
  A substantial Medicare-certified provider based in Burlingame, with coverage extending across numerous Northern California counties. It's a good option when you want a larger organization with multidisciplinary clinical care.
• Compassionate Care Home Health, Hospice, and In-Home Care — Central California
  Particularly worth considering in Fresno, Bakersfield, Visalia, Merced, Modesto, San Luis Obispo and surrounding areas. The organization has multiple California offices and is Medicare/Medicaid certified.
• 24/7 Care At Home — Orange County / Southern California
  A particularly interesting choice for Southern California because it offers home health, hospice and palliative care, with 24/7 support. Its Westminster home-health operation is licensed by California's HCAI.
• Solace Healthcare, Inc. - Home Health & Hospice Care — Bakersfield / Kern County
  A strong regional option. It offers skilled nursing, PT/OT/speech therapy, wound care and other clinical services, and is Medicare/CMS certified and ACHC accredited.

Some other highly rated California home-health agencies

CMS-based California rankings currently include agencies such as Adventist Health Home Care Services (Lodi), Allegro Home Health (Larkspur), Beverly Hills Home Health Care, Compassionate Home Health (Roseville), Healing Touch Home Health (Rancho Cordova), Las Posas Home Health (Camarillo), Mare Island Home Health (Fairfield), Mercy Home Care (Merced), and Select Care Home Health Services (Los Angeles) among agencies with 5-star quality ratings.

Best hospice agencies

For hospice, I would put more weight on family/caregiver experience, responsiveness, symptom management, after-hours availability and local staffing than simply choosing the biggest company.

Some of the strongest current California CMS-reported performers include:

• Madrone Hospice — Yreka
• Together Hospice Care — La Mesa
• Hospice of Amador & Calaveras — Jackson
• Kaiser Foundation Hospital Hospice — Vallejo
• Hospice of San Joaquin — Stockton
• Hospice of the Valleys — Murrieta
• Hospice of Humboldt — Eureka
• Mercy Hospice — Redding
• Providence at Home With Compassus Hospice Care — Sonoma County

These appear among the highest-rated California hospices in current CMS-derived family experience data, with 5-star family ratings and strong willingness-to-recommend scores.

A few additional providers worth investigating by region:

• West Coast Hospice and Palliative Care — San Diego County
  Strong local reputation and a good candidate for families wanting hospice at home with substantial caregiver communication.
• Bristol Hospice - Bakersfield — Kern County
  A well-reviewed local hospice option with a large number of public reviews.
• Bristol Hospice - Inland Valley — Inland Empire
  Worth comparing for patients in the Rancho Cucamonga/San Bernardino area.
• Alameda Care Hospice — East Bay
  A local hospice/home-health provider serving the East Bay.
• Aveeva Hospice — Riverside
  A smaller Riverside-area hospice that may appeal to families looking for a more local/personalized provider.

What I would look for before choosing

For home health, ask:

1. What is the agency's current CMS quality rating?
2. How quickly can a nurse make the first visit?
3. Can they provide the specific PT/OT/wound/IV/respiratory care needed?
4. How often will the nurse visit?
5. Who answers after hours?
6. Does the agency participate with the patient's Medicare Advantage or private insurance plan?

For hospice, I'd additionally ask:

• Is a nurse available 24/7, including nights and weekends?
• How quickly can hospice admission occur?
• Are medications, oxygen, hospital beds and other equipment included when related to the hospice diagnosis?
• How frequently does the RN visit?
• Is there a hospice physician available?
• Does the agency provide respite and bereavement support?
• What happens if symptoms suddenly become severe at 2 a.m.?

California requires medical home-health agencies to be licensed by the California Department of Public Health, while non-medical home-care agencies are licensed through the Department of Social Services.

If you give me the California city or ZIP code, I can narrow this to the 5–10 best home-health and hospice agencies actually serving that area, compare their current CMS ratings, reviews, services, Medicare/Medicaid participation, and contact information.

Places ChatGPT showed

• HealthFlex Home Health & Hospice · 4.9★ · Home health care service
• ProHealth Home Care Inc · 3.8★ · Home health care service
• Butte Home Health & Hospice · 4.1★ · Home health care service
• Compassionate Care Home Health, Hospice, and In-Home Care - HQ · 4.5★ · Home health care service
• Apex Home Health, Hospice and Homecare · 4.8★ · Home health care service
• Solace Healthcare, Inc. - Home Health & Hospice Care · 5.0★ · Home health care service
• Sequoia Home Health & Hospice · 3.8★ · Home health care service

Yes. California has a very large number of Medicare-certified agencies, so I would not choose solely from online reviews. Medicare’s Care Compare data are a better starting point: CMS reports both home-health quality measures and patient-experience ratings, and updates them regularly.

Strong California options to investigate

These are agencies I’d put on a shortlist, subject to confirming that they serve the patient’s ZIP code and accept the patient’s insurance:

• HealthFlex Home Health & Hospice — Particularly worth considering in the Bay Area/Solano and surrounding areas. It offers skilled home health, rehabilitation and hospice, making it useful when a patient may need ongoing support after discharge and potentially hospice later.
• ProHealth Home Care Inc — Northern/Central California, with home health, hospice and palliative-care capabilities. Its broader geographic footprint can be useful for families who want one organization to coordinate different levels of care.
• Butte Home Health & Hospice — A community-owned nonprofit serving Northern California. It provides both Medicare/Medi-Cal-certified home health and hospice.
• Compassionate Care Home Health, Hospice, and In-Home Care — Central California/Fresno area, with skilled home health, hospice and in-home support.
• Apex Home Health, Hospice and Homecare — Orange County/Southern California, offering home health, hospice and non-medical home care.
• Solace Healthcare, Inc. - Home Health & Hospice Care — Bakersfield/Kern County, offering both post-hospital home health and hospice.
• Sequoia Home Health & Hospice — Santa Clara, San Mateo and Alameda counties, with nursing and rehabilitation services as well as hospice.

There are also many smaller agencies that score extremely well on CMS measures. For example, the current California data show agencies such as Adventist Health Home Care Services, Allegro Home Health, Compassionate Home Health, Healing Touch, Las Posas and Mercy Home Care among agencies with 5-star CMS quality ratings.

For someone coming home after a hospital stay

I'd prioritize these five questions, in this order:

1. Can you start within 24–48 hours of discharge?
   Timely initiation is particularly important after hospitalization. CMS specifically reports this measure for home-health agencies.
2. Do you provide the specific disciplines needed?
   Depending on the hospitalization, that could mean skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, wound care, medication management or social work.
3. Will a nurse review medications and communicate with the physician?
   Medication reconciliation and communication between settings are important parts of preventing complications and readmissions.
4. Do you take the patient's exact insurance/Medicare Advantage plan?
   Medicare certification alone doesn't mean an agency is in-network for every Medicare Advantage or commercial plan.
5. If the patient's condition worsens, can the same organization provide hospice?
   This can make transitions substantially easier, although home health and hospice are different Medicare benefits and hospice is appropriate only when the clinical eligibility requirements are met.

One important distinction

If the patient is expected to recover from the hospitalization, you're generally looking for home health—short-term skilled nursing/therapy aimed at recovery or stabilization.

If the patient has a terminal illness and the goal has shifted to comfort rather than curative treatment, you're looking at hospice. CMS's hospice comparison tool includes caregiver-experience and quality information, and its data were refreshed in August 2026.

If you give me the California city or ZIP code where the patient is going home, plus whether they have Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, or another insurance plan, I can narrow this to the 3–5 best agencies for that specific patient and compare their CMS ratings, services, and hospice options.

Places ChatGPT showed

• HealthFlex Home Health & Hospice · 4.1★ · Home health care service
• Muir Home Health · 3.0★ · Home Care Service
• Health Link Home Health Agency · 4.7★ · Home Health Care
• Seaport Home Health · 5.0★ · Home health care service
• Miracle Home Health Care, Inc · 4.7★ · Home health care service

Yes. California has many home health agencies that provide both skilled nursing (RN/LVN) and physical therapy (PT) in the patient’s home. Medicare specifically recognizes skilled nursing and physical therapy as home-health services when medically necessary and ordered by an authorized provider.

Here are some established examples by region:

Agency	Area served	Nursing + PT
HealthFlex Home Health & Hospice	Bay Area / Northern California	Yes
Muir Home Health	Contra Costa, Alameda, Solano counties	Yes
Health Link Home Health Agency	East Bay / San Francisco Bay Area	Yes
Seaport Home Health	San Diego County	Yes
Miracle Home Health Care, Inc	Los Angeles, Orange and portions of San Bernardino counties	Yes
Empress Healthcare	Five Southern California counties	Yes
Avantra Home Health	Southern California	Yes
Fidelis Home Health Care	Burbank / Greater Los Angeles	Yes

A few particularly well-documented options

• HealthFlex — Provides in-home skilled nursing and physical therapy and says it serves the North, East and South Bay areas. It is California-licensed and describes itself as a 5-star Medicare-rated home-health company.
• Muir Home Health — Provides RNs, PTs and PT assistants, with service throughout much of the East Bay, including Contra Costa, Alameda and Solano counties.
• Seaport Home Health — Provides short-term skilled nursing and rehabilitation, including physical therapy, throughout San Diego County.
• Miracle Home Health Care — Medicare/Medi-Cal certified and Joint Commission accredited; provides nursing plus PT/OT/ST. Its stated service area includes LA County, Orange County and portions of San Bernardino County.
• Empress Healthcare — Medicare-certified and licensed by California, offering nursing and therapy in the home across five Southern California counties.

Important qualification

The agency has to serve the patient's particular ZIP code, accept the patient's insurance, and have capacity for new patients. For Medicare-covered home health, the patient generally must meet Medicare's eligibility requirements, have a provider's order/certification and receive care under a plan of care.

If you tell me the California city or ZIP code and the insurance (Medicare, Medi-Cal, Kaiser, Blue Shield, Aetna, etc.), I can narrow this to 5–10 agencies that actually serve that location, including their phone numbers, ratings, and whether they provide both RN nursing and PT.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Compassionate Care Home Health, Hospice, and In-Home Care - HQ · 4.5★ · Home health care service
• Sequoia Home Health & Hospice · 3.8★ · Home health care service

There isn’t a reliable statewide public ranking of California agencies by actual referral-to-response time. The best public proxy is CMS’s “Timely Initiation of Care” measure for home health; CMS defines this as starting care on the physician-specified date or, when no date is specified, within two days of referral or hospital discharge.

Based on the latest information I found, these are particularly strong candidates:

Home health agencies

• Compassionate Care Home Health Agency — Fresno/Central California — 99.8% timely initiation in the latest CMS-derived data I found.
  Compassionate Care Home Health, Hospice, and In-Home Care

★ 4.5 · Home health care service · Open

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Compassionate%20Care%20Home%20Health%2C%20Hospice%2C%20and%20In-Home%20Care%20-%20HQ%2C7545%20N%20Del%20Mar%20Ave%20%23104%2C%20Fresno%2C%20CA%2093711%2C%20United%20States) [Website](http://compassionatecare.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 559-432-2003)

• Amedisys Home Health Care — Burlingame/Peninsula — 99.19% timely initiation and a 4.5-star overall CMS quality rating.
• Amedisys Home Health Care — Hayward/East Bay — 98.97% timely initiation and 4-star overall quality.
• AccentCare — Newport Beach/Orange County — 98.64% timely initiation and 4.5-star overall quality.
• AccentCare — Redding/Northern California — 98.71% timely initiation and 4-star overall quality.
• Sequoia Home Health — Santa Clara/San Mateo/Alameda counties — 97.22% timely initiation and 4.5-star overall quality.
  Sequoia Home Health & Hospice

★ 3.8 · Home health care service · Open

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Sequoia%20Home%20Health%20%26%20Hospice%2C830%20Hillview%20Ct%20Ste%20225%2C%20Milpitas%2C%20CA%2095035%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://sequoiahhh.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 510-739-1992)

Hospice: the fastest-response options are easier to identify

Hospice has a particularly important California requirement: since June 22, 2026, licensed hospices must have the ability to provide an in-person licensed-nurse response within two hours when they receive information that a patient has a medical need or safety concern, within their approved geographic service area.

Several California hospices additionally advertise unusually fast admission/referral response:

• Beta Hospice — Southern California: says referrals receive a response within two hours, 24/7, and that hospital-discharge admissions typically occur the same day.
• Eternal Life Hospice — Ventura & Los Angeles counties: advertises same-day admissions, 24/7 nursing, and clinical intake response within two hours.
• Mission Hospice — San Francisco Peninsula/South Bay: specifically advertises same-day admissions and coordinated transitions for referring providers.
• ProHealth Home Care — 20 California counties: advertises a same-day callback for home-health referrals, with home-health starts generally within 24–48 hours.
• Within Reach Hospice — Los Angeles area: advertises same-day admissions, including evenings and weekends.

If speed after discharge is the #1 priority

I'd use this screening question with the intake department:

> “If the hospital sends you the referral today, can you guarantee a nurse visit at the patient's home today or tomorrow? Who answers referrals after 5 p.m. and on weekends?”

That's more informative than simply asking whether they provide “24/7 service.” Also ask whether DME, medications, and physician orders can be arranged before the patient leaves the hospital.

If you tell me the California city/county where the patient will live after discharge (e.g., Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Bay Area, Fresno), I can narrow this to the 5 fastest agencies serving that exact area, including phone numbers, CMS timely-start rates, hospice/home-health distinction, and which ones advertise same-day or 24/7 intake.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Sea Coast Home Health Care · 4.9★ · Home health care service
• Caring Cove Home Health Care, Inc · 5.0★ · Home health care service
• Suncrest Home Health Services Inc · 4.9★ · Home health care service
• Attentive Home Health · 5.0★ · Home health care service
• Heartford Hospice · 4.3★ · Hospice
• Bristol Hospice - Inland Valley · 5.0★ · Hospice
• Symphony Hospice, Inc · 5.0★ · Hospice
• Silverado Hospice Los Angeles · 4.3★ · Hospice
• Agape Hospice & Palliative Care · 4.3★ · Hospice

Yes. If by “reliable” you mean agencies with established operations, Medicare certification, meaningful quality data, accreditation or major health-system affiliation, and a solid local reputation, I’d start with the following.

One important distinction: home health is skilled medical care at home—nursing, PT/OT/ST, wound care, etc.—while hospice is comfort-focused end-of-life care. The best agency for one isn't necessarily the best for the other.

My Southern California shortlist

Home health

• Providence St. Joseph Health Home and Community Care — One of my first choices in Orange County and surrounding areas. It has operated since 1988, is California-licensed and Joint Commission-accredited, and offers skilled nursing, rehabilitation, social work and personal-care services. It also accepts Medicare, Medi-Cal and private insurance.
• Sea Coast Home Health Care — A particularly strong San Diego option. It is Medicare-certified, California-licensed and Joint Commission-accredited, with nursing and therapy services.
• Caring Cove Home Health Care, Inc — Worth considering for Los Angeles and broader Southern California coverage. It reports Medicare certification and coverage across LA, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.
• Suncrest Home Health Services Inc — A good Inland Empire choice, with reported Medicare certification and a broad Inland Empire/Orange County/Riverside coverage area.
• Attentive Home Health — Another LA-area option with Medicare certification, California licensure and nursing/rehabilitation services.

Hospice

• Heartford Hospice — One I'd put on the short list for Orange County. It is Medicare-certified and ACHC-accredited, with a reported service area extending into parts of LA, Ventura and the Inland Empire.
• Bristol Hospice - Inland Valley — Worth investigating for the Inland Empire. It has an established local operation and specifically serves the Inland Valley/Los Angeles/San Bernardino area.
• Symphony Hospice, Inc — Medicare-certified and Joint Commission-accredited, with an interdisciplinary hospice team. A reasonable Inland Empire candidate.
• Silverado Hospice — Particularly worth considering when dementia/Alzheimer's care is involved. It is an established hospice provider affiliated with Silverado's specialized senior-care organization. Kaiser Permanente's current directory lists its California hospice license and facility information.
• Agape Hospice & Palliative Care — A South Bay/LA-area option with a 24/7 operation and strong local review history.

How I'd actually choose

I wouldn't select an agency based primarily on Google/Yelp ratings. Medicare's Care Compare data is much more useful, although it also has limitations. For example, Medicare's home-health patient survey is based on actual patients' experiences and compares communication, professionalism, medication/pain/safety discussions, overall care and likelihood of recommending the agency.

For hospice, I'd specifically ask:

1. How quickly can you admit the patient?
2. Is a nurse available 24/7 by phone, and how quickly will someone come to the home?
3. Who comes to the home—RN, LVN, CNA/hospice aide, social worker, chaplain?
4. How frequently will the nurse visit initially?
5. How do you handle pain, agitation, breathing problems and medication changes after hours?
6. Do you provide medications, oxygen, hospital bed and other equipment, and how quickly?
7. What happens if the family caregiver becomes overwhelmed?
8. What percentage of your patients remain at home rather than being hospitalized?
9. What is your average daily census and nurse caseload?
10. Which hospitals, physicians and facilities do you work with?

That last group of questions can reveal more than a five-star online rating.

One caveat

Southern California is enormous, and availability and quality can vary substantially by county and even ZIP code. An excellent agency in San Diego may not serve a particular part of Orange County, for example. Also, Medicare's ratings can be unavailable for smaller agencies because there aren't enough completed patient surveys; an absence of a rating doesn't automatically mean poor quality.

If you tell me the city or ZIP code in Southern California (e.g., Orange County, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Palm Springs), and whether you're looking for home health, hospice, or both, I can narrow this to the 5–10 best agencies serving that exact area and compare their Medicare ratings, accreditation, reviews, ownership, services, and contact information.

Places ChatGPT showed

• HealthFlex Home Health & Hospice · 4.1★ · Home health care service
• 21st Century Home Health Services · 4.7★ · Home health care service
• Alameda Care Hospice · 4.7★ · Hospice
• Hospice of San Joaquin · 3.9★ · Home health care service
• R.C. Hospice Care, Inc · 4.8★ · Hospice

Yes. Northern California has several excellent home health and hospice organizations, but the best choice depends heavily on the county, insurance, and whether you need skilled home health, hospice, or both.

I’d put these on a shortlist worth investigating:

Strongest Northern California options

• Sutter Care at Home — One of the strongest broad-coverage choices in Northern California. It offers both home health and hospice and has a large regional footprint. Its hospice locations show strong CMS process-measure performance; for example, the Roseville program scored 99.96/100 on the composite process measure, above California's 93.41 average.
• Kaiser Permanente Home Health & Hospice — Particularly compelling if the patient is a Kaiser member, because care can be integrated with the patient's physicians and medical record. Kaiser has home-health programs as well as hospice services throughout Northern California.
• HealthFlex Home Health & Hospice — A strong Bay Area/Sacramento option for people looking for both home health and hospice. It has offices serving the Peninsula, South Bay and Sacramento regions, and its home-health program emphasizes skilled nursing and rehabilitation. HealthFlex Home Health & Hospice
• 21st Century Home Health Services — Particularly worth considering for home health rather than hospice. It is Medicare-certified and has a broad Northern California/Bay Area service footprint, including San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Napa, Sonoma, Sacramento and other counties. 21st Century Home Health Services
• By the Bay Health — A particularly well-established nonprofit choice for hospice and serious-illness care in San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, Sonoma and Napa/Vallejo-area communities. It is part of the regional nonprofit hospice network that also includes Mission Hospice and Hope Hospice.
• Mission Hospice — Excellent organization to investigate for the Peninsula/South Bay. It is a nonprofit serving San Mateo County and surrounding communities.
• Hospice of the East Bay — A strong East Bay hospice option. CMS-derived data show a 4-star family rating, 90% of surveyed families saying they would definitely recommend it, and a 99.90 composite process score versus 93.41 statewide. Alameda Care Hospice
• Hospice of San Joaquin — Worth considering in the Stockton/San Joaquin area, particularly if you value a community-based nonprofit hospice with both home hospice and an inpatient hospice house. Hospice of San Joaquin
• R.C. Hospice Care — A Sacramento-area hospice provider with strong current local reviews and an interdisciplinary hospice model. R.C. Hospice Care, Inc

A useful distinction

Home health and hospice aren't interchangeable.

• Home health = skilled medical care at home, usually after hospitalization, surgery, injury, or during management of a chronic condition. It can include nursing, PT, OT, speech therapy and social work.
• Hospice = comfort-focused care for someone with a terminal/life-limiting illness, generally when the goal has shifted away from curative treatment.

If you're choosing hospice, I'd give considerably more weight to CMS's family-experience and quality measures than to Google/Yelp ratings. CMS specifically provides Care Compare information on hospice quality, caregiver experience and willingness to recommend the hospice.

My practical shortlist by region

Region	Providers I'd investigate first
San Francisco / Peninsula	By the Bay Health, Mission Hospice, Sutter Care at Home, HealthFlex
East Bay	Hospice of the East Bay, Sutter Care at Home, HealthFlex
South Bay / Santa Clara	Mission Hospice, HealthFlex, 21st Century, Sutter
Sacramento / Placer	Sutter Care at Home, HealthFlex, R.C. Hospice
Stockton / San Joaquin	Hospice of San Joaquin, Sutter, Bristol
North Bay / Sonoma / Napa	By the Bay Health, Sutter Care at Home, Providence/Compassus
Far Northern California	Mercy Hospice, Sutter Care at Home, local community hospices

One important caveat: "best" is much more local than it sounds. The agency with the best reputation in San Francisco may not even serve a particular ZIP code in Sacramento or the North Bay, and staffing/response time can matter more than an overall rating.

If you tell me the city or ZIP code and whether you're looking for home health, hospice, or both, I can narrow this to the top 3–5 agencies serving that exact area, compare CMS ratings, ownership/nonprofit status, reviews, services, and insurance acceptance.

Yes. I checked the latest CMS/Medicare data available in late September–October 2026. One important distinction: home health agencies have a CMS “Quality of Patient Care” star rating, while hospice agencies have a Family Caregiver Survey star rating plus separate quality measures. So I would not combine the two into one ranking.

Highest-rated home health agencies in California

The strongest group is the agencies with 5.0/5 CMS quality-of-patient-care stars. Some of the notable agencies at the top of the current California list are:

Agency	Location	CMS quality	Patient survey
Adventist Health Home Care Services	Lodi	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Allegro Home Health, Inc.	Larkspur	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Beverly Hills H H Care, Inc.	Beverly Hills	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Compassionate Home Health, Ltd.	Roseville	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Healing Touch Home Health Care Inc.	Rancho Cordova	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Las Posas Home Health Services	Camarillo	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mare Island Home Health Inc.	Fairfield	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mercy Home Care	Merced	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Select Care Home Health Services Inc.	Los Angeles	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
24/7 Care At Home – Home Health	Westminster	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hoag Home Health	Newport Beach	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Suncrest Home Health Services Inc.	Chino	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐

These ratings come from the current CMS Care Compare dataset; the California list contains many additional 5-star agencies.

CMS considers 4 or 5 stars above-average performance, while 3–3½ stars represents the middle of the distribution. The quality rating is based on clinical/process and outcome measures rather than online reviews.

Particularly interesting choices

If I were making a shortlist rather than simply picking every 5-star agency, I'd look closely at:

• Adventist Health Home Care Services — Lodi: 5-star CMS quality and 5-star patient survey.
• Compassionate Home Health — Roseville: 5/5 on both measures.
• Mercy Home Care — Merced: 5/5 on both.
• Beverly Hills H H Care — Beverly Hills: 5/5 on both.
• Allegro Home Health — Larkspur: 5/5 on both.
• Suncrest Home Health Services — Chino: 5-star clinical quality, although its patient-survey rating is lower at 3 stars.

There are 360 California agencies rated 4.5 or 5 stars, so location and which services you need matter considerably.

Highest-rated hospices in California

Hospice is a little different. The current CMS family-caregiver star rating identifies several California hospices with 5/5 stars. Among the highest performers are:

Hospice	City	Family rating	% who would recommend
Madrone Hospice, Inc.	Yreka	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	98%
Together Hospice Care LLC	La Mesa	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	98%
Hospice of Amador & Calaveras	Jackson	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	98%
Kaiser Foundation Hospital Hospice – Vallejo	Vallejo	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	95%
Hospice of San Joaquin	Stockton	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	94%
Hospice of the Valleys	Murrieta	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	94%
Hospice of Humboldt, Inc.	Eureka	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	94%
Mercy Hospice	Redding	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	93%
Providence at Home with Compassus Hospice Care, Sonoma County	Petaluma	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	93%
Enloe Medical Center Hospice	Chico	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	93%
First Call Hospice	Citrus Heights	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	91%
Riva Hospice of California	Riverside	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	90%
Aveeva Hospice	Riverside	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	90%
Hospice of Redlands Community Hospital	Redlands	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	90%

These are based on CMS's hospice family-caregiver survey data; CMS also reports separate clinical/process measures, so the caregiver star alone shouldn't be the only criterion.

My takeaway

If you're actually choosing an agency for a particular patient, I'd narrow this much further. A 5-star agency 100 miles away isn't necessarily better than a 4.5-star agency that can reliably get nurses and therapists to the patient's home.

I'd compare:

1. CMS star rating
2. Patient/family survey rating
3. Specific clinical measures
4. Service area and availability
5. Medicare/Medicare Advantage network status
6. Recent California licensing/complaint history
7. For hospice, 24/7 nurse availability, response times, and caregiver support

If you give me the California city or ZIP code where care is needed, I can narrow this to the 5–10 best Medicare-rated home health and hospice agencies that actually serve that area, including their CMS ratings and phone numbers.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Butte Home Health & Hospice · 4.1★ · Home health care service
• Infinity Home Care Provider · 5.0★ · Home health care service
• Grace and Glory Hospice · 4.8★ · Hospice
• Assisted Home Health and Hospice · 4.5★ · Home health care service
• Apex Home Health, Hospice and Homecare · 4.8★ · Home health care service
• California Healthcare Management Group, Inc · 5.0★ · Home health care service

Yes. If by “trusted” you mean locally/family owned, established in the community, and showing signals that families and referral partners value, I’d put the following California providers on a shortlist.

One caveat: “trusted by discharge planners” is difficult to measure publicly. I would not equate Google reviews alone with hospital referral strength. I looked for a combination of ownership, longevity, Medicare/clinical credentials, community reputation, and family experience.

Strongest California candidates

1\. Butte Home Health & Hospice — Chico / Northern California

★ 4.1 · Home health care service · Open

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Butte%20Home%20Health%20%26%20Hospice%2C10%20Constitution%20Dr%20Ste%20A%2C%20Chico%2C%20CA%2095973%2C%20United%20States) [Website](http://www.buttehomehealth.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 530-895-0462)

Probably one of the strongest examples of the model you're describing.

• Founded in Chico in 1984 by Mike and Brooke Quilici.
• Nonprofit and community-owned, rather than corporate-owned.
• Provides both home health and hospice, plus home care/palliative services.
• Serves Butte, Glenn, Tehama and portions of surrounding counties.
• The organization specifically says its goal is to be the agency of choice for patients, families and healthcare providers.
• It reports achieving a 5-star Medicare home-health quality rating in 2025.
• Family testimonials emphasize communication, caregiver support and continuity of care.

Why I'd pay attention: It has the rare combination of 40+ years of local history + community ownership + nonprofit mission + home health/hospice + strong clinical reputation.

• * *

2\. Infinity Care Services — Central Valley

★ 5.0 · Home health care service · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Infinity%20Care%20Services%2C9350%20Flair%20Dr%20%23268%2C%20El%20Monte%2C%20CA%2091731%2C%20United%20States) [Call](tel:+1 626-227-0220)

Infinity is particularly interesting if you're looking for a true family-owned agency rather than a nonprofit.

• Explicitly describes itself as family-owned.
• Offers home health, hospice and non-medical home care.
• Serves San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Sacramento counties.
• Its positioning is strongly family-centered, with an emphasis on individualized care and continuity.

Why I'd shortlist it: The combination of three levels of home-based care can make transitions easier—hospital → home health → hospice/home care when appropriate.

• * *

3\. Grace and Glory Hospice — East Bay / Bay Area / Central Valley

★ 4.8 · Hospice · Open

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Grace%20and%20Glory%20Hospice%2C2145%20Elkins%20Way%20Ste%20A%2C%20Brentwood%2C%20CA%2094513%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://graceandgloryhospice.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 650-898-5784)

This is a particularly interesting independent hospice.

• Locally owned and operated.
• Nurse-led, with the founder/owner having substantial hospice experience.
• Serves Contra Costa, Alameda, San Mateo, San Joaquin and Sacramento counties.
• Offers 24/7 support.
• The agency reports CHAP certification and California licensure.
• Its public reviews include families specifically describing it as a family-owned hospice and praising direct access to the owners/clinical leadership.

Why I'd shortlist it: For discharge planners, the combination of local ownership + nurse leadership + direct access to leadership + 24/7 availability is potentially very attractive.

• * *

4\. Assisted Home Health and Hospice — Santa Barbara

★ 4.5 · Home health care service · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Assisted%20Home%20Health%20and%20Hospice%2C115%20E%20Micheltorena%20St%2C%20Santa%20Barbara%2C%20CA%2093101%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://assistedcares.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 805-569-2000)

A longstanding independent provider worth investigating in Santa Barbara County.

• Reports being privately owned and operated since 1989.
• Provides home health, hospice, palliative care and additional home-care services.
• Its model emphasizes personal attention and experienced staff.
• Current public business reviews are generally favorable.

Why I'd shortlist it: Thirty-plus years of local operation is a meaningful trust signal, particularly for hospital/SNF relationships.

• * *

5\. Apex Home Health, Hospice and Homecare — Orange County

★ 4.8 · Home health care service · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Apex%20Home%20Health%2C%20Hospice%20and%20Homecare%2C520%20N%20Main%20St%20Ste%20200%2C%20Santa%20Ana%2C%20CA%2092701%2C%20United%20States) [Website](http://apexhomehealth.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 714-527-0887)

Worth looking at if your geography is Orange County.

• Locally operated.
• Offers home health, hospice and home care.
• Public business information describes it as locally owned/operated.
• Current business reviews are quite strong, although the review volume isn't large enough for me to treat that alone as evidence of clinical quality.

Why I'd shortlist it: It has the independent-provider feel while covering the continuum from skilled home health through hospice and non-medical care.

• * *

6\. California Healthcare Management Group — Southern California

★ 5.0 · Home health care service · Closed

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=California%20Healthcare%20Management%20Group%2C17337%20Ventura%20Blvd%20Ste%20202%2C%20Encino%2C%20CA%2091316%2C%20United%20States) [Website](http://www.cahmgt.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 818-783-4427)

Another interesting family-owned home-health option.

• Family-owned since 2013.
• Privately owned and locally operated.
• Medicare certified and Joint Commission accredited, according to the organization.
• Emphasizes continuity, with many clinicians reportedly having been with the company since its early years.
• Offers skilled nursing and therapy plus ancillary coordination such as DME, labs and mobile diagnostics.

Important distinction: I'd put this higher on a home-health shortlist than a hospice shortlist; its public positioning is much more heavily centered on home health.

• * *

A particularly interesting category: community-owned nonprofits

I wouldn't limit the search to “family-owned.” Community-owned nonprofits can be exactly what families and discharge planners mean when they say they want a local agency.

Butte Home Health & Hospice is the standout example. It isn't family-owned today, but its roots are local and its governance/mission is community oriented. It has also been operating since 1984.

That can be preferable to a small for-profit agency if the referral source values:

• Long-term community presence
• Nonprofit/community mission
• Broad local coverage
• Stable clinical staff
• Hospice + home health under one organization
• Relationships with hospitals, physicians and senior-care organizations

How I'd rank them for a referral-source perspective

If I were building a California independent-agency target list, my first-pass tiers would look like this:

Provider	Ownership/locality	Home health	Hospice	My initial confidence
Butte Home Health & Hospice	Community-owned nonprofit	✓	✓	Very high
Infinity Care Services	Family-owned	✓	✓	High
Grace & Glory Hospice	Locally/family owned	—	✓	High
Assisted Home Health & Hospice	Privately owned	✓	✓	High
Apex Home Health, Hospice & Homecare	Locally operated	✓	✓	Moderate-high
California Healthcare Management Group	Family-owned	✓	—/limited	Moderate-high for HH

One thing I'd verify before calling any agency “trusted”

Medicare's Care Compare data is more useful than review sites for separating good marketing from actual performance. CMS uses patient/family survey data and clinical outcome measures; for hospice, it also reports family-caregiver experience.

So if you're doing this for referral development, acquisition research, competitive intelligence, or choosing an agency for a family, I would take the next step differently.

I can build you a much more useful California-wide list of 25–50 independent/family-owned home health & hospice agencies, organized by county/metro, ownership, Medicare star rating, hospice family recommendation score, Google/Yelp reputation, years in business, service area, and whether they appear to have strong hospital/SNF referral relationships. That would let us identify the real standouts, rather than just agencies that advertise themselves as family-owned.