ALW Rights and Complaints: Who to Call

If someone is in danger right now, call 911. For everything else, you have the right to be heard and to choose your home and your care coordinator. You can complain without losing your place in the Assisted Living Waiver (ALW). Here's who to contact for each kind of problem, and how to make the complaint count. The official word for a complaint is a "grievance"; we'll say complaint.

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Who to call, by kind of problem

Start with the row that sounds most like your situation. Contacts can change, so confirm the current destination on the DHCS ALW grievance page first.

The problem	Start here
Abuse, neglect or danger	Call 911 if it's urgent. Then tell the licensing agency or the Long-Term Care Ombudsman (below), and your care coordinator.
The ALW care itself, services in your plan not happening	Your Care Coordination Agency (CCA). If Beta is your CCA, contact Beta's ALW team.
Beta, or another CCA, as your coordinator	The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) by email at ALWGrievances@dhcs.ca.gov
The home, cleanliness, staff, charges, how you're treated	The California Department of Social Services (CDSS), which licenses assisted-living homes, or your local Long-Term Care Ombudsman, a free, independent advocate for residents. DHCS currently lists CDSS's complaint line as (844) LET-US-NO, which is (844) 538-8766, and letusno@dss.ca.gov.

Important: Making a complaint is not a reason to lose ALW services. Retaliation is not allowed, and no one should talk you out of raising a concern because you're afraid of losing your place. Your choices are real but not unlimited: a home still has to take ALW, have space, agree to admit you, and be able to meet your needs safely. This page is general guidance, not individualized legal advice.

Will complaining hurt my placement?

It shouldn't. The people you complain to will look into it, and your care coordinator will be told if the problem affects your safety, services or care plan, even when the complaint goes to a licensing agency or the Ombudsman.

Your rights, in short

Current ALW materials support these rights, among others.

To take part in your own care planning and to get information you can understand.
To choose among available qualified homes and providers, and to change your Care Coordination Agency.
To be treated with respect and privacy, and to be free from pressure and retaliation.
To have a representative involved when you've authorized one.
To get complaint and fair-hearing information.

How to make a complaint count

When it's safe to do so, a few minutes of preparation makes the complaint much easier to act on.

Write down what happened, with dates, times and who was involved.

Keep any messages, notices or documents that relate to it.

Say what you'd like to happen, an apology, a change in care, a refund, a move.

Ask for written confirmation that the complaint was received.

Don't send medical records or ID numbers by ordinary email; ask for a safe way.

Notices, denials and fair hearings

Some Medi-Cal decisions, a denial, a reduction or an end to a benefit, come with a written notice that explains your right to a fair hearing and a deadline for asking for one. Follow the destination and deadline on that notice, and get qualified legal or benefits help if you're unsure.

Beta's ALW team can explain what the notice is about; we can't give legal advice.

Your next step

Tell Beta's ALW team about a concern, we'll first make sure everyone is safe, then tell you which route applies. Want a different care coordinator? You can switch at any time without your benefits changing: how to change your CCA.

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View How to Change Your CCA