Plain-language ALW guide
Video and phone visits in ALW: what's allowed, and what you can ask for
Some ALW care-coordination visits can happen by video or phone if you choose. What is allowed, what you can ask for, and a checklist for CCA and facility staff.
Some parts of Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) care coordination, such as check-ins, care-plan reviews and transition planning, can happen by video or phone instead of in person. It's your choice, and you can always ask for an in-person visit instead.
Ask About ALW Telehealth Options
If travel is hard, or a family member lives far away, this can put everyone in the same conversation.
Important: Video and phone visits can't replace hands-on care, or anything that needs someone to see how the person is actually doing. They also don't change eligibility, waitlist priority, paperwork requirements or how fast an application moves, and they don't make an unsafe setting safe.
For participants and families
What can be remote. Under the state's current policy (ALW Policy Letter 24-001), certain care-coordination services can be delivered by telehealth: care coordination itself, care-plan development and follow-up, and nursing-facility transition coordination. Beta's ALW team will confirm what applies to your visit against the current policy.
It's your choice. Where the policy allows both, you should be offered a real choice. Before a remote visit, your Beta care coordinator should explain why it's suggested, what technology you need, how your privacy is protected, how your consent is recorded, and what happens if the connection fails.
What you can ask for. An in-person visit at any time, for any reason; a private space; a family member joining; help with communication. If you can't or would rather not use a device, you don't lose any care; the visit happens another way.
When it has to be in person. Anything hands-on, a physical check, an urgent safety concern, a need to see the living environment, memory or communication difficulties a screen makes harder, no privacy, any worry about neglect or abuse, or simply your preference.
For Care Coordination Agency and facility staff
Permitted services. ALW Policy Letter 24-001 identifies care coordination, augmented plan-of-care development and follow-up, and nursing-facility transition care coordination as telehealth-eligible when clinically appropriate, chosen by the participant, documented and privacy-compliant. Confirm the exact service and billing requirements against the current policy before delivery.
CCA checklist. Approved secure platform; confirm identity and who else is present; document consent; private setting; no recording without a lawful, reviewed process; accommodations provided; links sent only to the intended person; any technical failure and follow-up documented.
Facility role. An assisted-living home (licensed as an RCFE or ARF) may help with device access, a private space, communication accommodations, staff observations, records and arranging in-person care when needed. It should not coach the participant or prevent private communication.
Your next step
If you're enrolled and want to talk about how your visits happen, contact your Beta care coordinator.
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This page provides general California ALW information. It is not an eligibility decision or a promise of enrollment, and it is not a guarantee of facility placement. You may choose any Care Coordination Agency listed by DHCS and any participating facility.