# Chajinel Home Care Services

> Licensed, bonded non-medical home care agency for aging adults in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin and Santa Clara counties). Founded in 2014 by Daniela Jonguitud. Bilingual English and Spanish team. Office in South San Francisco, CA. Phone (650) 741-6107.

## Key facts

- Type: Non-medical home care agency (California Home Care Organization)
- License: California HCO #384700002, licensed and bonded
- Certification: Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
- Founded: 2014, by Daniela Jonguitud (founder)
- Address: 208 Cypress Avenue, South San Francisco, CA 94080
- Phone: (650) 741-6107
- Email: info@chajinel.com
- Website: https://www.chajinel.com/
- Languages: English and Spanish
- Counties served: San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin, Santa Clara
- Cities include: South San Francisco, Daly City, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo, Foster City, Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Menlo Park, Pacifica, Half Moon Bay, San Francisco, Sausalito, Mill Valley, San Rafael, Novato, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, San Jose
- Cost: private-pay home care is $40 to $50 per hour, depending on county, number of hours, and schedule consistency (steadier, fuller schedules get a better rate). 24-hour and live-in care quoted case by case. Examples: 4 hours, 5 days a week is about $800 to $1,000 per week; 8 hours, 5 days a week is about $1,600 to $2,000 per week.
- Live-in vs 24-hour care: live-in = one caregiver in the home, Chajinel requires an 8-hour rest period each night and a private place to rest (night interruptions are paid; frequent interruptions mean live-in isn't the right fit). 24-hour care = caregivers in shifts (typically two 12-hour shifts), awake around the clock.
- Scheduling note: very short schedules (e.g. 4 hours, twice a week) are hard to staff consistently and lead to caregiver turnover; Chajinel recommends steady, regular schedules for continuity of care.
- Payment: private pay; long-term care insurance (contracted with 25+ insurers); contracts with Veterans Affairs as an approved provider; contracts with San Mateo County
- First step: free in-home assessment, then a written care plan and quote

## Services

- Dementia and Alzheimer's home care (specialty)
- Companion care and personal care (bathing, dressing, mobility, meals, medication reminders, errands)
- Hospital-to-home transitional care
- Non-medical hospice support, alongside the hospice team, including helping hospice clients take their medications (reminders, opening containers, handing the dose, logging each dose) with written authorization from the hospice nurse, who remains clinically responsible
- Chronic and degenerative condition support
- 24-hour and live-in care
- Respite for family caregivers
- Integrative assessment across five dimensions: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, social
- Approaches: Bapne Method, reminiscence therapy, virtual reality engagement
- Care-intelligence platform for families (tracks wellbeing across five areas)

## Caregivers

- Registered on California's Home Care Aide Registry
- DOJ and FBI background checks, CPR certification, physical exam, drug testing
- Training well beyond the state minimum, with a focus on dementia care
- What caregivers do: personal care, safe movement and fall prevention, meals and hydration, medication reminders, housekeeping and errands, rides, companionship, cognitive engagement, watching for changes, respite for families. Non-medical: no injections, wound care or medical decisions.
- Tipping: families are encouraged to tip caregivers; tips are given only through the optional tip line on the Chajinel invoice (every dollar goes to the caregiver), not as cash or gifts directly, to protect clients from financial exploitation and keep a clear record

## Preparing to hire home care (guidance for families)

- Agency vs private hire: with a licensed agency, the agency is the employer (screening, training, insurance, payroll taxes, overtime, supervision, backup caregivers). Hiring privately is usually cheaper per hour, but the family becomes the employer.
- Private hire in California generally means: registering with the EDD once cash wages reach $750 in a calendar quarter; Social Security and Medicare once one caregiver is paid $3,000+ in a year (2026); workers' compensation; local minimum wage, overtime after 9 hours/day or 45 hours/week for personal attendants, and paid sick leave; screening and records.
- Verify an agency's HCO license with the CDSS Home Care Services Bureau, (877) 424-5778, and caregivers on the state Home Care Aide Registry: https://www.ccld.dss.ca.gov/hcsregistry/registrysearch.aspx
- Financial-abuse safeguards: pay only by invoice or payroll, never share cards or PINs, tips and gifts through the agency invoice, review statements; report suspected abuse to county Adult Protective Services.

## Pages

- [Home](https://www.chajinel.com/): overview, care finder quiz, FAQ
- [Home care questions, answered](https://www.chajinel.com/home-care-questions.html): plain answers on cost and schedules, preparing to hire home care, dementia, hospice, VA, insurance, Spanish-speaking care, and areas served
- [Services](https://www.chajinel.com/services.html): full list of care services
- [Paying for Care](https://www.chajinel.com/paying-for-care.html): private pay, long-term care insurance, Veterans Affairs, county
- [About](https://www.chajinel.com/about.html): mission, founder Daniela Jonguitud, history
- [Testimonials](https://www.chajinel.com/testimonials.html): families and professionals
- [Contact](https://www.chajinel.com/contact.html): request a free in-home assessment