Can I get help paying for someone to take care of me?

(Please note:  This is a California specific post.)

Yes, you can if you qualify.  In California, there is a program called “In-Home Supportive Services” for people with low income who need help paying for a personal assistant in their homes.

In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) provide people with low-income who are blind, disabled, or 65 years old or older with personal assistance and other services so they can live safely in their homes.  (Notice that I highlighted “blind” and “disabled,” that is because in public benefits world everything must be exactly defined — clicking on the links should give you the definitions.)  

WHAT DO I DO IF A SERVICE DOG POOPS ON MY FLOOR?

That wasn’t the question that I was asked. I was asked, “What should my business policy be on service dogs?” but I can read between the lines. What she meant was: “what should I do if the dog poops or bites?” But, as long as we’re using nice terms like “policy” I will start there:

While you should train your staff on the laws around service animals, you don’t need to post a policy or make any effort to inform your customers of a policy. In fact, you should avoid anything that treats any one customer (abled or disabled) differently from other customers.