IHSS is designed to help the low-income elderly, blind, and people with disabilities of all ages live safely in their own homes if they wish to do so, rather than in a nursing home or other group care facility. IHSS pays for a wide variety of home-based services performed by home help workers, including non-medical personal care such as bathing, grooming, feeding, dressing or toilet assistance, and cleaning, laundry, shopping, cooking, washing dishes. Under direction of a licensed health care professional, IHSS can arrange for paramedical services, or provide transportation to and from medical and other necessary appointments. Residents of San Francisco who are living in their own home (not a board and care facility, nursing home or hospital), who are U.S. citizens, or are otherwise eligible to receive SSI, are eligible for IHSS. Clients must be low-income and possess limited financial resources (a home and a car are considered exempt assets and will not be counted as financial resources). Elder or disabled adults who do not exceed the financial assets limits allowed for free IHSS services may still receive them for a share of costs based on their income and assets.