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

California has several well-established home health and hospice providers, but the best choice depends on whether you're looking for skilled home health, hospice care, or both.

I would evaluate agencies based on:

• Medicare quality ratings and inspection history.
• Quality of nursing, physician, and caregiver services.
• Responsiveness and 24/7 clinical support.
• Patient and family satisfaction.
• Geographic coverage and staffing availability.
• Experience with complex medical conditions and end-of-life care.

One important distinction: home health and hospice are different services. Home health generally provides intermittent skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other rehabilitative services. Hospice focuses on comfort, symptom management, and quality of life for people with a qualifying terminal illness.

California agencies worth evaluating

These are providers I would put on an initial research shortlist. They are not a definitive statewide ranking; service quality and availability vary by local branch.

1\. Home health agencies

HealthFlex Home Health & Hospice

Northern California, including the Bay Area and surrounding communities.

• Offers skilled home health and hospice services.
• Appears on California high-quality home health lists.
• Ask about local branch staffing and current CMS ratings.
  Burlingame and Fairfield offices

21st Century Home Health Services

• Medicare-certified home health provider.
• Broad Northern California coverage.
• Skilled nursing and rehabilitation services.
• Particularly worth evaluating for post-hospital recovery.
  Burlingame / Bay Area

24/7 Care At Home

• Home health and hospice services.
• Medicare-certified home health.
• Multidisciplinary clinical services.
  Westminster / Southern California

Compassionate Care Home Health, Hospice & In-Home Care

• Offers all three service categories.
• Skilled nursing and rehabilitation.
• Hospice and nonmedical in-home assistance.
  Fresno / Central California

Miracle Home Health Care

• Los Angeles home health provider.
• Skilled nursing, therapy, social work and home health aides.
• Worth evaluating for post-acute and wound-care needs.
  Los Angeles

2\. Hospice agencies

These are additional hospice providers worth investigating based on publicly reported family experience and available quality information.

Hospice of San Joaquin

• Stockton and surrounding communities.
• Reported 5-star family-caregiver rating.
• Strong reported family recommendation rate.
  Stockton

Hospice of the Valleys

• Murrieta and surrounding Inland Empire communities.
• Reported 5-star family-caregiver rating.
• Worth considering for comfort-focused care.
  Murrieta / Inland Empire

Hospice of Humboldt

• Community hospice provider.
• Reported 5-star family-caregiver rating.
• Serves Humboldt County.
  Eureka / Humboldt County

VNA Health

• Home health and hospice services.
• Reported 4-star family-caregiver rating.
• Established community-based provider.
  Santa Barbara

Legacy Hospice and Palliative Care

• Hospice and palliative care.
• Public feedback highlights family communication and bereavement support.
• Worth evaluating for high-touch family support.
  Chino / Southern California

The hospice ratings above are based on reported CMS family-caregiver survey data, not a direct clinical ranking.

How I would verify the best agencies

I recommend checking these three sources before making a selection:

1. Medicare Care Compare – [Compare Medicare-certified agencies](https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) . Review quality ratings, patient surveys and inspection information.
2. California Department of Public Health – [Verify California licensing](https://www.cdph.ca.gov/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) .
3. CMS Provider Data Catalog – [Home Health Agency quality and provider data](https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/dataset/6jpm-sxkc?utm_source=chatgpt.com) .

CMS explains that home health star ratings summarize several measures of care quality, but they should not be the only factor in choosing an agency.

Let me narrow this down to the best agencies for your needs

California is a large market, and I can make a much more useful shortlist if I know the location.

I can then develop a more targeted list of approximately 10–15 agencies, separating home health from hospice and identifying which providers have the strongest independently reported quality indicators.

California has several strong home health and hospice providers, but the best choice depends heavily on the patient's location, medical needs, insurance, and whether the goal is recovery after hospitalization or comfort-focused care.

Based on available Medicare quality information, patient and family feedback, and provider service offerings, I would put the following agencies on the initial shortlist.

1\. Home health agencies worth considering

These agencies are particularly relevant for patients transitioning home after surgery, a stroke, pneumonia, cardiac hospitalization, or another serious illness.

1\. HealthFlex Home Health & Hospice

Strong overall candidate

• Northern California coverage.
• Skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
• Also offers hospice, which can help with continuity if care goals change.
• Multiple regional offices.
  Locations include Burlingame, Oakland, San Jose and Fairfield.

2\. 21st Century Home Health Services

• Particularly worth considering for post-hospital recovery.
• Skilled nursing and rehabilitation services.
• Broad Northern California service footprint.
• Offers a hospital-to-home care model.
  Based in Burlingame, with multiple Northern California service areas.

3\. Aura Home Health

• Skilled home nursing and rehabilitation.
• Particularly worth investigating for East Bay patients.
• Positive local patient feedback.
  Antioch and surrounding communities.

4\. Compassionate Care Home Health & Hospice

• Offers skilled home health and hospice.
• Also offers nonmedical in-home care.
• Multiple services under one organization.
  Fresno and Central California.

5\. Solace Healthcare

• Home health, hospice and palliative care.
• Medicare/CMS certification and accreditation reported by the provider.
• Worth considering for patients in Kern County.
  Bakersfield and surrounding communities.

2\. Hospice agencies worth considering

For patients with advanced illness who are transitioning from hospital care to comfort-focused treatment, these are providers I would investigate.

1\. By the Bay Health

• Established nonprofit provider.
• Hospice, palliative care and family support.
• Northern California coverage.
• Strong candidate for families seeking an established community-based organization.

2\. Hospice of the East Bay

• Community-based hospice provider.
• Family and caregiver support.
• Listed among California's higher-performing hospices in available family survey data.
  Pleasant Hill and East Bay.

3\. Hope Hospice

• Established regional hospice provider.
• Family caregiver support and interdisciplinary care.
• Strong family survey results in available rankings.
  Pleasanton and surrounding communities.

4\. Hospice of San Joaquin

• Strong family caregiver survey performance.
• Listed with a 5-star family rating in the available California hospice comparison.
  Stockton and surrounding communities.

5\. Sharp HospiceCare

• Hospital-system-affiliated hospice program.
• Worth considering for patients already receiving care through Sharp HealthCare.
• Provides hospice and end-of-life support.
  San Diego County.

These are research candidates, not a definitive statewide ranking. Local staffing, response times and current Medicare performance should be verified before selecting an agency.

3\. What makes an agency particularly good after hospitalization?

I would evaluate providers against these criteria:

Evaluation criteria	What to look for
Speed of service	First nursing visit within 24–48 hours when clinically appropriate
Skilled nursing	Medication reconciliation, wound care, injections, disease monitoring
Rehabilitation	Physical, occupational and speech therapy
Hospital coordination	Direct communication with discharge planners and physicians
Readmission prevention	Monitoring for complications and early intervention
Weekend coverage	Nurses available for urgent questions and changes
Insurance	Medicare, Medi-Cal and applicable Medicare Advantage contracts
Caregiver education	Training family members to safely manage care

An important distinction: Medicare home health is not the same as private-duty home care. Medicare-covered skilled home health generally requires a qualifying skilled need, a physician or authorized practitioner’s order, and other eligibility criteria. It does not provide unlimited daily caregiving.

For hospice, I would specifically investigate 24/7 nurse availability, after-hours response, medication delivery, equipment coordination, and bereavement support.

4\. Official quality resources

I recommend using Medicare's own quality information before making a final selection.

• [Medicare Care Compare](https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)  – Search home health and hospice agencies by ZIP code.
• [CMS Home Health Star Ratings methodology](https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/home-health/home-health-star-ratings?utm_source=chatgpt.com)  – Understand how home health quality scores are calculated.
• [California home health agency quality comparison](https://careconsidered.com/ca/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)  – Statewide agency ratings.
• [California hospice family satisfaction comparison](https://careconsidered.com/hospices/ca/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)  – Family caregiver ratings and hospice performance.

5\. I can narrow this down to the best agencies for your situation

California is a large state, and I would not recommend choosing a provider simply because it has a recognizable name. The specific local branch and its staffing can make a tremendous difference.

Which part of California are you interested in?

With that information, I can develop a more useful shortlist of approximately 5–10 agencies, including their quality ratings, strengths, weaknesses, and which ones I would contact first.

Many home health agencies in California provide both skilled nursing (SN) and physical therapy (PT) in the home. These services are commonly ordered together after surgery, hospitalization, illness, injury, or for patients with chronic medical conditions.

Here are several agencies and provider networks worth investigating. Availability depends on the patient's city or ZIP code, insurance, and whether the agency serves the patient's area.

California home health agencies to consider

The following providers are examples of agencies offering skilled nursing and in-home rehabilitation services.

Statewide and regional providers

• CenterWell Home Health – Skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other home health services. Has multiple California locations.
• Sutter Care at Home – Skilled nursing and physical therapy, particularly in Northern California.
• 21st Century Home Health Services – Based in Burlingame; serves multiple Bay Area and Northern California counties.
• Adventist Health Home Care Services – Home nursing and rehabilitation services in parts of California.
• Dignity Health Home Health – Skilled nursing and physical therapy in selected California communities.
• HealthFlex Home Health & Hospice – Skilled nursing and physical therapy in the Bay Area.
• GrandCare Health Services – Post-hospital and post-surgical home health, including nursing and rehabilitation, serving parts of Southern California.

Additional regional agencies

Agency	Location
Miracle Home Health Care	Los Angeles
Therapeutic Home Healthcare	Fresno
Seaport Home Health	Carlsbad / San Diego County
Health Link Home Health Agency	San Francisco / East Bay
Majestic Home Health	Morgan Hill
Grace Community Home Health	Mountain View
Mission Home Health of North County	San Diego County
By the Bay Health	Marin County
Mercy Home Care	Merced
Freedom Home Health and Hospice Care	Marysville

These agencies appear in Medicare-related provider listings with skilled nursing and physical therapy services. Confirm current coverage and availability directly.

How to verify an agency

I recommend checking these five things before selecting an agency:

1. California Department of Public Health home health agency license.
2. Medicare certification, if applicable.
3. Availability of both registered-nurse visits and in-home physical therapy.
4. Insurance participation, including Medicare Advantage, Medi-Cal, and commercial insurance.
5. CMS quality ratings and patient outcomes.

You can also compare agencies through the official [Medicare Care Compare website](https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) .

Let me narrow the list to the best agencies

Which part of California are you interested in?

For example:

• Los Angeles County
• Orange County
• San Diego County
• Riverside / San Bernardino
• San Francisco Bay Area
• Sacramento / Northern California
• Fresno / Central Valley
• All of California

Also, are you looking for agencies that accept Medicare, Medi-Cal, private insurance, or all three?

I can put together a more targeted list with agency names, addresses, phone numbers, service areas, and Medicare quality ratings.

The fastest home health and hospice agencies in California are generally those with 24/7 intake, hospital-discharge coordination, and the ability to complete an initial assessment within 24 hours of referral.

One important distinction: an agency's advertised response time is not necessarily its actual time to the first home visit. There is no single reliable statewide ranking of California agencies by post-discharge response speed.

For hospital discharge planning, I would evaluate agencies on four measures:

1. Referral acknowledgment: How quickly they confirm receipt of the hospital referral.
2. Acceptance time: How quickly they confirm that they can accept the patient and provide the required services.
3. Start of care (SOC): Whether nursing or hospice services can begin the same day or within 24 hours.
4. Weekend and after-hours coverage: Whether they can handle Friday, weekend, and evening discharges without delaying care.

California agencies worth contacting

These are candidates to investigate, not a verified ranking of fastest agencies. I found several providers with published rapid-intake or 24/7 availability information.

Agencies with explicit rapid-response or availability signals

1\. MedicalOne Health — Northern California

Published 24–48 hour admission target

• Targets 24–48-hour post-acute admissions.
• Serves Contra Costa, Alameda, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Solano and Sonoma counties.
• Has a clinical intake coordinator for urgent and complex referrals.

Source: Agency referral information.

[Referral and intake information](https://medicalonehealthllc.com/home-health-referral-intake/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)  · (925) 350-0156

2\. Empress Healthcare — Southern California

Same-day referral confirmation reported

• Reports that most referrals receive same-day confirmation.
• Responds to referral partners within 24 hours during regular business hours.
• Offers home health and hospice services.

[Agency website](https://www.empresshealthcare.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)  · (818) 527-1356

This is a referral acknowledgment commitment, not a guarantee of a first clinical visit.

3\. HealthFlex Home Health & Hospice — Bay Area

• Multiple Bay Area offices, including Oakland, San Jose, Burlingame and Fairfield.
• Home health and hospice services.
• Worth contacting for rapid post-hospital intake and staffing confirmation.

(510) 553-1900

[Agency website](https://www.healthflex.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

4\. Sequoia Home Health & Hospice — Northern California

• Serves Santa Clara, San Mateo and Alameda counties.
• Advertises 24/7 support for home health and hospice.
• Worth checking for same-day discharge coordination.

(510) 739-1992

5\. Crossroads Home Health & Hospice — Oakland / Northern California

• Home health, hospice and care coordination.
• Markets around-the-clock availability.
• Potential candidate for hospital-to-home transitions.

(510) 638-8033

6\. Compassionate Care Home Health, Hospice & In-Home Care — Fresno / Central California

• Home health and hospice under one organization.
• Advertises 24-hour availability.
• Worth evaluating for Central Valley discharge referrals.

(559) 432-2003

These agencies have different geographic coverage and service capabilities. Their actual response speed will depend on the patient's location, clinical needs, insurance and staffing at the time of referral.

How to objectively measure speed

The most useful public benchmark is CMS's Timely Initiation of Care measure for home health.

CMS measures the percentage of eligible patients whose care starts:

• On the physician-ordered start date; or
• Within two days of referral or hospital discharge, as applicable.

This is a much better comparison than online reviews or advertised 24-hour phone availability.

For hospice, CMS publishes a separate family-experience measure called Getting Timely Care. It is useful, but it does not directly rank agencies by time from hospital discharge to hospice admission.

My recommendation

If I were building a hospital discharge referral shortlist, I would initially prioritize:

• Northern California: MedicalOne Health and Sequoia.
• Bay Area: HealthFlex and Crossroads.
• Southern California: Empress Healthcare.
• Central Valley: Compassionate Care.

I would not label any of these the statewide fastest without actual referral-to-visit performance data.

One question to narrow the search

Which California market are you interested in?

• Los Angeles / Orange County
• San Diego / Inland Empire
• San Francisco / Bay Area
• Sacramento / Northern California
• Fresno / Central Valley
• All of California

I can then build a more rigorous competitive comparison, including agency names, intake phone numbers, counties served, published response commitments, same-day admission capability, weekend coverage, and hospice admission responsiveness.

I can also distinguish between home health agencies that accept hospital discharges quickly and hospice agencies that can admit patients rapidly, since those are different operational capabilities.

The most reliable home health and hospice agencies in Southern California should be evaluated on more than reputation. I would prioritize agencies with:

• Strong Medicare quality ratings and accreditation.
• Consistent patient and family satisfaction scores.
• Experienced, responsive nursing and physician teams.
• 24/7 clinical support, including nights and weekends.
• Low rates of hospital readmission and avoidable complications.
• Good communication with family caregivers.
• Transparent staffing, service areas, and care plans.

One important distinction: home health and hospice are different services.

• Home health: Skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and other medically necessary services, generally for people who are homebound and recovering from illness, injury, or surgery.
• Hospice: Comfort-focused care for people with a terminal illness, generally when life expectancy is estimated at six months or less if the illness follows its normal course.

Some organizations offer both, but their quality can differ between service lines.

Agencies worth putting on your shortlist

Based on the available Medicare quality data and local provider information, these are organizations I would investigate first. This is a research shortlist, not a definitive ranking or a guarantee of quality.

1\. Hospice providers

Hospice of the Valleys — Murrieta

Strong CMS caregiver results

• 5/5 family rating
• 94% of surveyed caregivers would recommend it
• CMS process score: 99.08/100

Together Hospice LLC — La Mesa

• 5/5 family rating in the CMS-derived listing
• 98% caregiver recommendation rate
• Worth investigating for San Diego County
• Local business listing: 4.9/5 from 144 reviews

Riva Hospice of California — Riverside

• 5/5 family rating
• 90% caregiver recommendation rate
• CMS process score: 99.56/100

Hospice of Redlands Community Hospital — Redlands

• 5/5 family rating
• 90% caregiver recommendation rate
• Hospital-affiliated hospice worth considering in the Inland Empire

Agape Hospice & Palliative Care — Torrance

• Local listing: 4.9/5 from 176 reviews
• Advertises around-the-clock availability
• Worth evaluating for the South Bay and Los Angeles area

The caregiver ratings and recommendation percentages above are from a CMS-data-based hospice comparison listing, rather than a direct clinical audit.

2\. Home health agencies

These are candidates with encouraging Medicare quality indicators in the California agency listings:

Agency	Location	Reported CMS indicators
Select Care Home Health Services	Los Angeles	5-star quality, 5-star patient survey
Acacia Home Health & Palliative of Southern California	Irvine	5-star quality, 4-star patient survey
Advantage Health Systems	Riverside	5-star quality, 3-star patient survey
24/7 Care at Home	Westminster	5-star quality, 4-star patient survey
Las Posas Home Health Services	Camarillo	5-star quality, 5-star patient survey

These ratings come from a listing based on Medicare Care Compare data. Confirm the current ratings and exact agency location before choosing.

How I would verify reliability before selecting an agency

I recommend checking these three sources:

1. [Medicare Care Compare](https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)  — Official federal quality ratings, patient experience, and hospice information.
2. [California licensed provider directory](https://www.aging.ca.gov/Find_Licensed_Services/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)  — Verify that the agency is properly licensed.
3. [California Licensed Facility Information System](https://lfis.hcai.ca.gov/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)  — Check facility and agency licensing information.

Medicare home health star ratings are based on clinical measures, including timely initiation of care, patient improvement, and potentially preventable hospitalizations.

When interviewing agencies, I would specifically ask:

• How quickly can a nurse respond to an urgent call?
• Is a registered nurse available 24/7?
• How often will the patient receive visits?
• Does the same nurse or care team provide continuity?
• What happens if the assigned nurse is unavailable?
• What percentage of patients are hospitalized while under your care?
• Can you provide references from families you've served?

Let me narrow this down to the best agencies

Southern California is a large area, and the strongest providers in Los Angeles may not serve Orange County, San Diego, or the Inland Empire.

Which geographic area are you interested in?

I can then develop a more targeted shortlist of approximately 5–10 agencies, prioritizing independently verifiable quality, clinical performance, and family satisfaction rather than simply the highest online reviews.

The best home health and hospice agencies in Northern California depend on whether you're looking for in-home skilled nursing and rehabilitation, hospice care, or both.

I would prioritize agencies with:

• Strong Medicare quality ratings and accreditation.
• Consistent patient and family satisfaction.
• Reliable nursing coverage and timely admissions.
• Experienced physical, occupational, and speech therapists.
• Good communication with physicians, hospitals, and families.
• Strong end-of-life support, including 24/7 nursing access for hospice patients.

One important distinction: Home health and hospice are different services. Home health generally provides intermittent skilled care to help someone recover or manage an illness, while hospice focuses on comfort and quality of life for someone with a life-limiting illness.

My recommended Northern California shortlist

Based on available Medicare quality data, patient/family ratings, organizational reputation, and regional coverage, these are the agencies I would investigate first.

1\. Home health agencies

These agencies are worth considering for skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, wound care, medication management, and post-hospital recovery.

Agency	Location	Why consider it
Adventist Health Home Care Services	Lodi / Central Valley	Listed among California's highest-rated home health agencies
Compassionate Home Health	Roseville	5-star CMS quality and patient survey ratings
Mare Island Home Health	Fairfield	5-star CMS quality and patient survey ratings
Healing Touch Home Health Care	Rancho Cordova	5-star CMS quality and patient survey ratings
Mercy Home Care	Merced	Established nonprofit provider; strong CMS ratings
Pathways Home Health and Hospice	Sunnyvale	Established provider with 4.5-star home health quality rating
HealthFlex Home Health	Bay Area	Regional home health and hospice provider
Butte Home Health & Hospice	Chico	Community-based nonprofit with both service lines

The CMS quality ratings above are from the 2026 data listings. Ratings can differ by agency location and reporting period.

2\. Hospice agencies

For hospice, I would put particular emphasis on family satisfaction, responsiveness, symptom management, bereavement services, and the quality of the nursing team.

These are particularly interesting candidates:

1\. Hospice of San Joaquin

Stockton

Nonprofit organization with home hospice, palliative care, bereavement support, and an inpatient Hospice House. Its CMS family recommendation score is 94%.

2\. Hospice of Humboldt

Eureka

Excellent Northern California candidate. CMS family rating of 5/5 and 94% family recommendation.

3\. Mercy Hospice

Redding

Particularly strong CMS process score of 100 and a 5/5 family rating.

4\. Snowline Health

Diamond Springs / El Dorado County

Community-based hospice provider with a 4/5 CMS family rating and 90% recommendation score.

5\. By the Bay Health

Marin County / North Bay

Established nonprofit hospice and palliative care organization. CMS family rating of 4/5 and 89% recommendation.

6\. Hospice of the East Bay

Pleasant Hill / Contra Costa County

Strong CMS process score of 99.9 and 90% family recommendation.

7\. Yolo Hospice

Davis / Yolo County

Nonprofit hospice with a 4/5 CMS family rating and 89% recommendation.

Other agencies worth investigating include Hope Hospice, Hospice of Amador & Calaveras, and Enloe Medical Center Hospice.

3\. Agencies offering both home health and hospice

If you want one organization that can potentially support a patient through recovery, serious illness, and eventually hospice, I would investigate these:

• Butte Home Health & Hospice — Chico and surrounding North Valley communities.
• Pathways Home Health and Hospice — South Bay and surrounding areas.
• HealthFlex Home Health & Hospice — Bay Area.
• Compassionate Care Home Health, Hospice, and In-Home Care — Fresno and Central California.
• Solace Healthcare — Bakersfield and Kern County.
• Crossroads Home Health & Hospice — Oakland and East Bay.

4\. How I would evaluate them

I would not choose an agency based on online reviews alone. I would compare:

1. CMS quality-of-patient-care star ratings.
2. Medicare hospice family survey results.
3. Staff turnover and nursing continuity.
4. Average response time for urgent patient needs.
5. Weekend and after-hours clinical coverage.
6. Geographic coverage and staffing capacity.
7. Whether the agency accepts the patient's insurance.

Useful independent resources:

• [Medicare Care Compare](https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)  — official provider ratings.
• [California Department of Public Health](https://www.cdph.ca.gov/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)  — licensing and regulatory information.
• [CMS Hospice Care Compare](https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)  — hospice quality and family experience information.

5\. Let me narrow this down to the best agencies

Northern California is a large territory, and the strongest agency in the Sacramento region may not be the strongest in the Bay Area or North Coast.

Which geographic area are you most interested in?

I can then put together a more meaningful ranked top 10–20 list, distinguishing genuinely high-performing agencies from those that simply have strong marketing or online reviews.

California has a number of Medicare-certified home health agencies with excellent quality ratings. The important distinction is that Medicare rates home health and hospice agencies differently, so there isn't one directly comparable star-rating list for both.

For home health, the highest possible Medicare Quality of Patient Care rating is 5 stars. For hospice, Medicare publishes family caregiver experience ratings and other quality measures rather than an equivalent overall home health quality star rating.

1\. Highest-rated home health agencies in California

The following agencies appear among California's 5-star-rated providers in available CMS-based listings:

Agency	California location	Medicare quality rating
Adventist Health Home Care Services	Lodi	5.0
Allegro Home Health, Inc.	Larkspur	5.0
Beverly Hills H H Care, Inc.	Beverly Hills	5.0
Compassionate Home Health, Ltd.	Roseville	5.0
Healing Touch Home Health Care	Rancho Cordova	5.0
Las Posas Home Health Services	Camarillo	5.0
Mare Island Home Health	Fairfield	5.0
Mercy Home Care	Merced	5.0
Select Care Home Health Services	Los Angeles	5.0
24/7 Care At Home	Westminster	5.0

Sources: CMS-based California agency listings.

A few important findings:

• Approximately 136 California agencies have 5-star ratings in one October 2026 CMS-based listing.
• Another 360 agencies have 4.5- or 5-star ratings.
• These are quality-of-patient-care ratings, not Google or Yelp reviews.

You can browse the [California 5-star home health agency directory](https://www.myhomecarefinder.com/home-health/ca/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)  or [Medicare Care Compare](https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) .

2\. Highest-rated hospice agencies in California

Hospice quality is particularly important because families are evaluating comfort, symptom management, communication, responsiveness and caregiver support.

The following California hospices have a reported 5-star CMS family caregiver experience rating:

Hospice agency	Location	Family rating
Madrone Hospice, Inc.	Yreka	5
Together Hospice Care	La Mesa	5
Hospice of Amador & Calaveras	Jackson	5
Kaiser Foundation Hospital Hospice	Vallejo	5
Hospice of San Joaquin	Stockton	5
Hospice of the Valleys	Murrieta	5
Hospice of Humboldt	Eureka	5
Mercy Hospice	Redding	5
Providence at Home with Compassus Hospice Care	Petaluma	5
Enloe Medical Center Hospice	Chico	5
Adventist Health Home Care Services	Sonora	5
First Call Hospice	Citrus Heights	5
Riva Hospice of California	Riverside	5
Aveeva Hospice	Riverside	5
Hospice of Redlands Community Hospital	Redlands	5

Source: California hospice quality and family caregiver ratings.

You can see the [California hospice comparison directory](https://careconsidered.com/hospices/ca/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) .

3\. What I recommend comparing before selecting an agency

Don't rely exclusively on the overall star rating. I would look at:

• Clinical quality: Hospitalization rates, symptom management and patient outcomes.
• Patient and family experience: Communication, responsiveness and caregiver support.
• Staffing: Availability of registered nurses, therapists, social workers and aides.
• Availability: Whether nurses are available 24/7 for hospice patients.
• Medicare certification: Verify the specific agency and location.
• Licensing and complaints: Check California licensing records and CMS inspection information.

4\. I can narrow this down considerably

Since California is a large state, a statewide list may include agencies that cannot actually serve the patient.

Are you looking for agencies throughout California, or primarily in Orange County and Southern California?

I can put together a more detailed comparison of the highest-rated home health and hospice providers, including Medicare stars, patient satisfaction, ownership, services and contact information.

California has several well-regarded independent, family-owned, and locally operated home health and hospice providers. The important distinction is finding an agency that is trusted not just by families, but also by hospital case managers, discharge planners, physicians, and social workers.

I would prioritize agencies that demonstrate:

• Local ownership and leadership: Family-owned, independently operated, or locally managed rather than simply a branch of a national chain.
• Strong hospital relationships: Established relationships with discharge planners, skilled nursing facilities, physicians, and social workers.
• Clinical quality: Strong Medicare quality measures, appropriate staffing, responsive clinical leadership, and reliable patient outcomes.
• Family reputation: Consistent positive feedback about communication, compassion, responsiveness, and caregiver support.
• Community reputation: Longstanding relationships with local hospitals, senior communities, and healthcare professionals.

One important consideration: home health and hospice are different services, and an agency can be excellent at one without being equally strong at the other.

California agencies worth putting on a shortlist

These are providers I would investigate first based on reported local or family ownership, geographic roots, service offerings, and available quality or reputation information. This is a research shortlist, not a claim that every agency has been independently endorsed by hospital discharge planners.

Northern California

1\. ProHealth Home Care

Locally owned

• Serves 20 California counties through six offices.
• Offers home health, hospice, palliative care, and home care.
• More than 20 years in operation, according to its website.
• Particularly worth investigating for discharge planners seeking a provider with broader geographic coverage.

Website: [ProHealth Home Care](https://prohealth.us/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) .

2\. R.C. Hospice Care, Inc.

Family-owned

• Based in Rancho Cordova.
• Hospice and palliative care.
• Locally rooted Sacramento-area provider.
• Worth evaluating for families seeking a smaller hospice organization.

Phone: 916-858-1440.

Public business listing: 4.8/5, 22 reviews. This is not a CMS quality rating.

3\. Best Home Health Providers, Inc.

Family-owned

• Based in Hayward.
• Medicare-certified home health.
• Serves Bay Area and surrounding Northern California communities.
• A candidate for post-hospital skilled nursing and rehabilitation referrals.

Phone: 510-783-1274.

4\. Grace and Glory Hospice

Locally owned, nurse-led

• Based in Brentwood.
• Hospice and palliative care.
• Emphasizes locally based clinical leadership and family support.

Phone: 650-898-5784.

Public business listing: 4.8/5, 17 reviews.

5\. Absolute Compassion Hospice

Locally owned and operated

• Sacramento-based hospice provider.
• Focuses on comfort, dignity, and family support.
• Advertises 24/7 availability.

Phone: 916-399-5922.

Southern California

6\. In the Arms of Grace Hospice

Family-owned

• Los Angeles-based boutique hospice.
• Home and residential-facility hospice services.
• Worth considering for families who value a smaller hospice operation.

Phone: 323-928-2992.

Public business listing: 4.7/5, 14 reviews.

7\. Valley Oaks Hospice

Family-owned

• Based in Irvine.
• Serves Orange County and surrounding communities.
• Hospice and family support services.

Phone: 626-593-5166.

Important: CMS-derived family survey information should be reviewed alongside its favorable public review rating.

8\. Morecare Palliative & Hospice

Family-owned

• Based in Fountain Valley.
• Hospice and palliative care.
• A smaller Orange County provider worth evaluating.

Phone: 657-600-8901.

Public business listing: 5.0/5, 12 reviews.

9\. Apex Home Health, Hospice and Homecare

• Santa Ana-based.
• Home health, hospice, and nonmedical home care.
• Offers a continuum of in-home services in Orange County.

Phone: 714-527-0887.

Public business listing: 4.8/5, 39 reviews. Ownership should be independently confirmed.

Central California

• Compassionate Care Home Health, Hospice, and In-Home Care — Fresno. Founded in 2003, with a Central California presence. Provides Medicare-certified home health, hospice, and nonmedical home care. Phone: 559-432-2003.
• Solace Healthcare, Inc. — Bakersfield. Home health, hospice, and palliative care. Reports Medicare/CMS certification, ACHC accreditation, and California licensing. Public listing: 5.0/5, 60 reviews. Phone: 661-843-7787.

These are additional locally rooted candidates; I would verify their current ownership structure before categorizing them as family-owned.

How I would verify whether discharge planners actually trust them

I would not select an agency based on Google reviews alone. I would evaluate these five areas:

Evaluation area	What I would want to see
Hospital relationships	Repeat referrals from hospitals and SNFs
Referral responsiveness	Intake response within 15–30 minutes
Start of care	Reliable same-day or next-day admissions when appropriate
Clinical quality	Strong Medicare Care Compare performance
Family experience	Positive caregiver survey results and recommendations

Two useful independent resources:

• Medicare Care Compare: [Home health quality and patient survey ratings](https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/details/home-health/059217/view-all/?state=CA&utm_source=chatgpt.com) .
• California hospice quality comparisons: [California hospice family caregiver ratings and recommendations](https://careconsidered.com/hospices/ca/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) . These include CMS-derived family survey measures.

Let me narrow this down to the strongest agencies

California is a very large market. The most valuable recommendations would be agencies that have strong local physician, hospital, and discharge-planner relationships in the specific communities they serve.

Which California market are you most interested in?

I can then develop a more targeted list with ownership, leadership, locations, referral contacts, Medicare quality indicators, and evidence of hospital relationships—rather than simply giving you a directory of agencies.