Private duty nursing at home in Orange County and Southern California
Private duty nursing is one-to-one care from a licensed nurse, an RN or LVN, for the hours your family chooses: a single shift, overnight, or around the clock. It is paid privately, and Medicare does not pay for 24-hour care at home. WholeHealth Concierge offers RN-led private duty nursing across Orange County, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino.
The nurse monitors, helps, coordinates, teaches, reports and advocates. Diagnosis and prescribing stay with your loved one's own physician. Clinical oversight sits with Meagan Williams, RN, BSN, CCRN, California RN license 95328380.
What is private duty nursing?
Private duty nursing is nursing care given one-to-one to a single person, usually at home, by a licensed RN or LVN, for a block of hours the family arranges and pays for privately. It is not an insurance benefit, so the schedule follows the person's needs rather than a payer's visit limits.
The federal Medicare manual gives a useful definition. It describes private-duty nurses as registered nurses, licensed practical nurses or other trained attendants “whose services ordinarily are rendered to, and restricted to, a particular patient by arrangement between the patient and the private-duty nurse,” engaged or paid by the patient or someone acting on their behalf (CMS Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 8, section 50.1). California calls the practical nurse license an LVN, a licensed vocational nurse.
That is the whole distinction. Medicare home health is built around visits. Non-medical home care is built around help with daily living. Private duty nursing is built around a licensed nurse being present for the hours you choose.
Is a private duty nurse the same as a home nurse or an in-home nurse?
In everyday use, yes. Families search for a home nurse, an in-home nurse or a private nurse at home, and they mean the same thing: a licensed nurse who comes to the home. The labels that mean something different are Medicare home health and non-medical home care, compared below. For the wider concierge model, see what a concierge nurse does and concierge nursing for families.
What can a private duty nurse do for your loved one at home?
A private duty nurse monitors your loved one's condition, gives medicines and treatments as the physician ordered, helps with wound care and recovery, teaches the family what to watch for, and reports changes to the doctor early. Diagnosis and prescribing stay with the physician.
California's Board of Registered Nursing explains RN practice under Business and Professions Code section 2725. It includes “observation of signs and symptoms of illness, reactions to treatment, general behavior, or general physical condition and determination of whether these exhibit abnormal characteristics,” followed by reporting, referral or emergency procedures. It also includes giving medications and therapeutic agents ordered by a physician or other authorized prescriber (California BRN, NPR-B-03). At home, that looks like this:
- Monitor vital signs, breathing, skin, pain, eating and drinking, walking, mood and new confusion, so changes are noticed early.
- Help with medicines given as ordered, wound and drain care, IV therapy when ordered, safe moving at home, and recovery after surgery or a hospital stay.
- Coordinate one current medicine list across every prescriber, and keep follow-up visits and the care plan on track.
- Teach the family what to watch for, how to help safely, and who to call.
- Report changes to the physician, and call 911 in an emergency.
- Advocate for your loved one at appointments and during a hospital stay, with the history and medicine list in hand.
For who can legally do which tasks in California, see RN, LVN, CNA, home health aide or caregiver.
Who is private duty nursing for?
Private duty nursing fits when the work needs a nursing license and more hours than a visit can cover: coming home from the hospital, recovering from surgery, living with a condition that can change quickly, or nights the family cannot cover alone.
The honest test is whether the work requires a license. If what your loved one needs is company, meals, bathing and reminders, a home care aide is often the better fit, and we will say so. Private duty nursing is the fit in situations like these:
- Coming home from the hospital. The first days home, with new medicines and instructions. See hospital discharge planning and the discharge checklist.
- After surgery. Recovery nursing at home, from a few hours a day to around the clock. See post-operative clients and the first night after surgery.
- After a stroke. Swallowing, falls, medicines and blood pressure. See home care after a stroke.
- Parkinson's. Medicine timing, freezing and falls. See in-home nursing for Parkinson’s.
- Dementia. Medicines, changes in behavior, and hard nights. See private nursing at home for dementia.
- After an ICU stay. The weeks after intensive care. See home nursing after an ICU stay.
- Nights. When the family needs to sleep. See overnight, 24-hour and live-in nursing.
If you are not sure which level of help fits, start with do you need a private nurse at home.
How is private duty nursing different from home health and a home care aide?
Medicare home health is part-time skilled care on a provider's order for people who are homebound. Private duty nursing is a licensed nurse for the hours the family chooses, paid privately. A non-medical home care aide helps with daily living. Many families use more than one.
| Private duty nursing | Medicare home health | Non-medical home care aide | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who gives the care | A licensed RN, or an LVN working under the direction of a physician or RN (BRN; BVNPT) | A Medicare-certified home health agency (Medicare.gov) | A home care aide; aides who work for licensed Home Care Organizations are on a public registry after a background check (CDSS) |
| What it covers | Nursing work: observing and judging symptoms, and giving medicines and treatments a prescriber ordered (BRN) | Part-time skilled nursing, such as wound care, IV or nutrition therapy, injections and monitoring, plus therapy services (Medicare.gov) | Help with activities of daily living (CDSS) |
| Hours | Arranged between the patient and the nurse (CMS): a shift, overnight, or around the clock | In most cases up to 8 hours a day combined and 28 hours a week; up to 35 for a short time (Medicare.gov) | Arranged with the aide or the home care organization |
| How it starts | The family arranges it; medicines and treatments follow the physician's orders (BRN) | A doctor or other provider sees the person in person and orders the care (Medicare.gov) | The family arranges it |
| Must be homebound? | No Medicare homebound rule, because it is not a Medicare benefit | Yes (Medicare.gov) | No Medicare homebound rule |
| Who pays | The patient or someone on their behalf (CMS); some long-term care policies reimburse home care (CDI). Medicare doesn't pay for 24-hour-a-day care at home (Medicare.gov) | You pay nothing for covered home health services (Medicare.gov) | Usually private pay. Medicare doesn't pay for personal care when it is the only care needed (Medicare.gov). IHSS may help people with a Medi-Cal eligibility determination (CDSS) |
For the fuller side-by-side, see concierge nursing vs. home health and nurse vs. caregiver after surgery.
What is the difference between an RN and an LVN in California?
An RN can assess: observe symptoms, judge whether they are abnormal, and act on that judgment. An LVN practices under the direction of a physician or RN. Both can give medicines that were ordered. Many private duty schedules mix the two, so ask which license covers which hours.
The California Board of Registered Nursing places RN practice in Business and Professions Code section 2725, including the observation and judgment quoted above, and giving medications and therapeutic agents a physician or other authorized prescriber ordered (California BRN, NPR-B-03). For LVNs, section 2859 describes vocational nursing as services “practiced under the direction of a licensed physician and surgeon or registered nurse,” and the LVN scope regulation, 16 CCR 2518.5, lists that the LVN “administers medications” (California BVNPT, January 29, 2026, reproducing the statute and regulation).
The team around your loved one at home
Sources: California BRN; California BVNPT; California Department of Social Services.
A stable overnight where the need is watchfulness and routine medicines may be well served by an LVN. It becomes a problem only when a family believes it is buying RN hours and is not.
Does Medicare cover private duty nursing?
No, not for ongoing or around-the-clock hours. Medicare.gov lists “24-hour-a-day care at your home” among the things Medicare doesn't pay for, and its inpatient hospital page lists private-duty nursing under “Medicare doesn't cover.”
Medicare home health is real and useful, but it is part-time by design. Medicare.gov says: “In most cases, ‘part-time or intermittent’ means you may be able to get skilled nursing care and home health aide services up to 8 hours a day (combined), for a maximum of 28 hours a week,” with more frequent care for a short time, up to 35 hours a week, if the provider decides it is necessary. It also says, “You won't qualify for home health services if you need more than part-time or intermittent skilled care” (Medicare.gov, home health services). The CMS manual sets the same limits: less than 8 hours each day and 28 or fewer hours each week (CMS Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 7).
Medicare home health covers part of a week. A week has 168 hours.
Source: Medicare.gov, home health services. 7 days × 24 hours = 168 hours.
Medicare also says it doesn't pay for long-term care, and that most health insurance, including Medigap, doesn't either (Medicare.gov, long-term care). If your loved one has a Medicare Advantage Plan, Medicare.gov says to check with the plan about home health benefits (Medicare.gov). For the full explainer, read does Medicare cover private duty nursing.
Can long-term care insurance, VA benefits or Medi-Cal help pay?
Sometimes. Some long-term care insurance policies cover home care. VA Aid and Attendance adds a monthly payment to a VA pension for qualified Veterans and survivors. Nursing services may count as a medical expense for taxes. For Medi-Cal, ask Medi-Cal or your Medi-Cal plan.
Long-term care insurance
The California Department of Insurance says that, depending on the type of policy, long-term care insurance can cover “Home Care including Home Health Care, Personal Care, Homemaker Services, Adult Day Care, Hospice Services or Respite Care,” and that policies “most often pay for benefits on a reimbursement basis,” after you receive care and submit a claim. California's free counseling program, HICAP, can help: 1-800-434-0222 (California Department of Insurance). See will long-term care insurance pay for a private nurse.
VA Aid and Attendance
The VA says Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits “provide monthly payments added to the amount of a monthly VA pension for qualified Veterans and survivors.” One way to qualify is needing another person to help with daily activities, like bathing, feeding and dressing (VA.gov). The money goes to the Veteran or survivor, who can put it toward care at home.
Medi-Cal
WholeHealth Concierge is private pay and does not bill Medi-Cal. To ask whether Medi-Cal covers nursing at home, contact Medi-Cal or your Medi-Cal plan.
Taxes
IRS Publication 502 says: “You can include in medical expenses wages and other amounts you pay for nursing services.” If the person also does household work, only the nursing part counts, and only medical expenses above 7.5% of adjusted gross income can be deducted on Schedule A (IRS Publication 502). Nursing care may be deductible; ask your tax advisor. See can you deduct in-home care on taxes and how to pay for in-home care in California.
Who pays for private duty nursing
How much does private duty nursing cost?
It depends on the license level (RN or LVN), the total hours, the shift type and how complex the care is. WholeHealth Concierge does not publish its rates. We talk through cost on a free 15-minute consultation, once we know what the care involves.
A four-hour weekday shift for someone stable and an overnight for someone whose condition is changing are not the same service, and pricing one as the other would mislead you. On the first call we will also tell you if fewer hours, placed at a better time of day, would serve your loved one better.
For how families think about the cost of private nursing in Southern California, read how much concierge nursing costs and private nurse at home in California: costs and who pays.
Can a nurse stay overnight or around the clock?
Yes. Overnight nursing is one shift covering the night. 24-hour nursing is built from two or three rotating shifts, because no single nurse can safely work continuously. Live-in nursing means one nurse stays in the home with defined sleep and break periods.
Most families do not start at 24 hours. Common patterns are an overnight shift so the household can sleep, a daily block covering the hardest hours such as medicine times or wound care, or more hours for the first week or two after a discharge, stepping down as things settle. Live-in is not the same as awake overnight care: if your loved one needs nursing attention through the night, that is an overnight or around-the-clock shift. Compare all three on overnight, 24-hour and live-in nursing, and see a live-in private nurse in Los Angeles.
How does private duty nursing with WholeHealth Concierge work?
It starts with a free 15-minute phone consultation. We review your loved one's needs, medicines, home and hours, match a licensed RN or LVN to the case, and keep the care plan under the clinical oversight of Meagan Williams, RN, BSN, CCRN.
How care starts
- Call or book:A free 15-minute phone consultation. Tell us what is happening and when you or your loved one is coming home.
- Review:Medical history, current needs, medicines, the home, and the hours the family actually needs.
- Match:A licensed RN or LVN matched to the clinical need, with RN oversight of the care plan.
- Care and updates:Care follows the physician's orders. The family gets updates, and hours are adjusted as needs change.
Book online at our consultation page or call (213) 298-3288.
The nurse on shift is a licensed professional matched to the case. Meagan Williams holds the clinical oversight: she reviews the care plan, is the family's point of contact, and adjusts the plan as the situation changes. That does not mean Meagan works every shift. Around-the-clock care always takes more than one nurse. After surgery, we coordinate with the surgeon's office for written post-operative orders.
We also say when you do not need us. If the honest answer is a home care aide, Medicare home health on a physician's order, or challenging the hospital discharge first, we will tell you. See how to appeal a hospital discharge. You can begin with RN care management and add nursing hours to the same plan later.
How do you choose and hire a private duty nurse?
Check the nurse's license yourself, then ask who oversees the care plan, which hours are RN and which are LVN, what gets written down after each shift, and what happens if a nurse calls out or there is an emergency.
- Check the license. The Department of Consumer Affairs License Search shows whether a license is current, expired, or has been subject to disciplinary action (DCA License Search; BRN, verify a license). Search by license number where you can, because common names return more than one person.
- Ask who oversees the plan. A nurse on a shift is not the same as a care plan. Ask who reviews it and who the family calls.
- Ask RN or LVN. Ask which license covers which hours.
- Ask about documentation. Ask to see what gets written after each shift. Dated notes also help with a long-term care insurance claim.
- Ask about call-outs and emergencies. Who covers if a nurse is sick, and who is the backup contact. The answer should be specific.
Meagan Williams's California RN license, 95328380, is a public record you can check. For more, read how to hire a private duty nurse in Orange County and agency vs. independent private nurse.
Which areas of Southern California do you serve?
WholeHealth Concierge offers private duty nursing across Orange County, including Irvine, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Laguna Woods, Tustin and Anaheim, and in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Orange County: Orange County, including Irvine, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Laguna Woods, Tustin and Anaheim.
Los Angeles: private duty nursing in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County and Pasadena.
Inland Empire: Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Upland, Corona, Eastvale and Temecula, plus San Bernardino County and Riverside County.
Private duty nursing, answered.
The questions families ask most often, with a source for each coverage and licensing answer.
What does a private duty nurse do at home?
A private duty nurse monitors your loved one's condition, gives medicines as the physician ordered, helps with wound care and recovery, teaches the family what to watch for, reports changes to the doctor and coordinates with the care team. California's Board of Registered Nursing describes RN work as observing signs and symptoms, judging whether they are abnormal, and reporting or referring (California BRN). Diagnosis and prescribing stay with the physician.
What is the difference between private duty nursing and home health?
Medicare home health is part-time or intermittent skilled care for people who are homebound, ordered by a provider and given by a Medicare-certified home health agency, in most cases up to 8 hours a day and 28 hours a week (Medicare.gov). Private duty nursing is arranged privately for the hours the family chooses, including nights and around the clock. Some families use both.
What is the difference between a caregiver and a nurse?
A home care aide helps with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing and meals. In California, aides who work for licensed Home Care Organizations are listed on a public registry after a background check (California Department of Social Services). A nurse holds an RN or LVN license and does nursing work, such as giving medicines that were ordered and watching for changes in a condition.
What is the difference between an RN and an LVN?
An RN's scope under Business and Professions Code section 2725 includes observing signs and symptoms, judging whether they are abnormal, and acting on that judgment (California BRN). An LVN practices under the direction of a licensed physician or registered nurse, under section 2859 (California BVNPT). Many private duty schedules mix the two.
Does Medicare cover private duty nursing at home?
No, not for ongoing or round-the-clock hours. Medicare.gov lists “24-hour-a-day care at your home” among the things Medicare doesn't pay for, and says you won't qualify for home health if you need more than part-time or intermittent skilled care. Private duty nursing is usually paid privately. See does Medicare cover private duty nursing.
Does Medicare pay for a private duty nurse in the hospital?
No. Medicare's inpatient hospital page lists private-duty nursing under “Medicare doesn't cover” (Medicare.gov). Families who want a nurse on their side during a hospital stay often start with RN hospital advocacy.
Does Medicare Advantage cover private duty nursing?
Check with the plan. Medicare.gov tells people with a Medicare Advantage Plan to check with their plan for more information about home health benefits. Ask the plan in writing whether it covers private duty nursing hours, not just home health visits.
Does Medi-Cal cover private duty nursing?
WholeHealth Concierge is private pay and does not bill Medi-Cal. To ask whether Medi-Cal covers nursing at home, contact Medi-Cal or your Medi-Cal plan.
Does long-term care insurance cover private duty nursing?
It depends on the policy. The California Department of Insurance says long-term care insurance can cover home care, including home health care, depending on the type of policy, and that most policies pay on a reimbursement basis after you receive care and submit a claim (CDI). HICAP gives free counseling at 1-800-434-0222. See long-term care insurance and home nursing.
Can VA Aid and Attendance help pay for care at home?
It may help. The VA says Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits provide monthly payments added to a VA pension for qualified Veterans and survivors, including those who need another person to help with daily activities like bathing, feeding and dressing (VA.gov). The payment goes to the Veteran or survivor, who can put it toward care.
Is private duty nursing tax deductible?
It may be. IRS Publication 502 says you can include in medical expenses wages and other amounts you pay for nursing services, and that only the part of medical expenses above 7.5% of adjusted gross income can be deducted on Schedule A (IRS). Ask your tax advisor. See can you deduct in-home care on taxes.
How much does private duty nursing cost in Orange County?
It depends on the license level (RN or LVN), the number of hours, the shift type and how complex the care is. WholeHealth Concierge does not publish its rates; it talks through cost on a free 15-minute consultation. For how families think about cost, see what private nursing costs.
Do we need a doctor's order to start?
You do not need a referral to call. Once care starts, a nurse gives medicines and treatments as the person's physician or other authorized prescriber ordered (California BRN). After surgery, WholeHealth Concierge coordinates with the surgeon's office for written post-operative orders.
When should a family move from home care to private duty nursing?
When the work needs a nursing license. If your loved one needs company, meals, bathing and reminders, a home care aide may fit. If they need medicines given as ordered, wound care, or someone watching a condition that can change, that is nursing work. See do you need a private nurse at home.
Can a private nurse care for you or your loved one after surgery?
Yes. WholeHealth Concierge arranges recovery nursing at home after surgery, from a few hours a day to around the clock. See post-operative clients and the first night after surgery.
Can a private duty nurse help a loved one living with dementia?
Yes. A nurse can help keep medicines on the schedule the doctor set, watch for new or sudden changes, keep one current medicine list, and cover nights when they get hard. Diagnosis and the treatment plan stay with the physician. See private nursing at home for dementia.
Can a nurse stay overnight or provide live-in care?
Yes. Overnight nursing is one shift covering the night. 24-hour nursing is built from two or three rotating shifts. Live-in means one nurse stays in the home with defined sleep and break periods, so that nurse is not awake for 24 hours. See overnight, 24-hour and live-in nursing.
Will your loved one have the same nurse each time?
We do not promise one nurse for every shift. Around-the-clock care needs two or three nurses rotating, because no single nurse can safely work continuously. Continuity comes from a small, consistent team working from one shared care plan.
How fast can a private duty nurse start?
It depends on the hours and the clinical need. Call and tell us when you or your loved one is coming home, and we will tell you on that call what timing is realistic.
How do I check a nurse's license in California?
Use the Department of Consumer Affairs License Search (DCA). Each record shows whether a license is current, expired, or has been subject to disciplinary action. Search by license number where you can. Meagan Williams's California RN license is 95328380.
Which areas do you serve?
Orange County, Los Angeles County, Riverside County and San Bernardino County. In Orange County that includes Irvine, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Laguna Woods, Tustin and Anaheim. See Orange County, private duty nursing in Los Angeles and the area list above.
Sources
Every page below was opened and read on October 25, 2026. The date after each title is the date the source itself shows.
- Medicare.gov. Home health services (no date shown).
- Medicare.gov. Inpatient hospital care (no date shown).
- Medicare.gov. Long-term care (no date shown).
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 7, Home Health Services (Rev. 12382, issued November 28, 2023).
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 8, Coverage of Extended Care (SNF) Services, section 50.1 (Rev. 12283, issued October 5, 2023).
- California Board of Registered Nursing. An Explanation of the Scope of RN Practice, NPR-B-03 (revised January 2011).
- California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. LVN Scope of Practice, committee memo reproducing Business and Professions Code section 2859 and 16 CCR 2518.5 (January 29, 2026).
- California Department of Social Services. Home Care Services (no date shown).
- California Department of Social Services. In-Home Supportive Services (no date shown).
- California Department of Insurance. Long-Term Care Insurance (no date shown).
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound allowance (no date shown).
- Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses, for use in preparing 2025 returns.
- California Department of Consumer Affairs. License Search (no date shown).
- California Board of Registered Nursing. License Verification (no date shown).
Our scope. WholeHealth Concierge provides private-pay nursing care and coordination. It does not bill Medicare, Medi-Cal or insurance. Diagnosis, prescribing and the choice of medicine, dose and schedule stay with the person's physician or other licensed prescriber. Coverage rules differ between Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans and private long-term care policies; confirm your own situation with your plan and policy. This page is general information, not medical, legal or tax advice for any one person.
Talk to an RN about private duty nursing.
Tell us what is happening at home, and we will work through the level of care and the hours with you. Serving Orange County, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino.