24-Hour Home Care in Altoona, IA: Round-the-Clock Care

Local figures

24-Hour Home Care in Altoona, IA: the local picture

5.2%

of residents 65+ have difficulty dressing or bathing (5.5% in Polk County)

311

residents 85 or older (1.4% of all residents)

32%

of residents 65+ report a disability (31% in Polk County)

$48,263

median yearly income of households headed by someone 65+

188 Altoona residents 65 or older have difficulty dressing or bathing (5.2%; 5.5% in Polk County), and 545 have serious difficulty walking. Round-the-clock care is usually for people who need hands-on help at any hour.

About 311 residents are 85 or older (1.4% of the population).

If you are weighing home care against a nursing home, the nearest Medicare-certified ones are Altoona Nursing And Rehabilitation Center in Altoona (0.4 mi) and Prairie Vista Village in Altoona (1.2 mi).

Altoona compared with Polk County and Iowa

Census figure	Altoona	Polk County	Iowa
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	5.2%	5.5%	5.1%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty walking	15%	18%	17%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty remembering	5.4%	6.0%	5.8%
Residents 85 or older	1.4%	1.5%	2.3%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	32%	32%	31%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	7.6%	7.5%	8.4%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$48,263	$59,099	—

Older residents in towns around Altoona

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Self-care difficulty (65+)
Bondurant, IA	3.5 mi	577	9.2%
Pleasant Hill, IA	3.8 mi	2,222	7.2%
Mitchellville, IA	6.0 mi	263	7.2%
Saylorville, IA	7.9 mi	705	0.0%
Ankeny, IA	8.3 mi	8,466	4.3%
Des Moines, IA	8.6 mi	27,045	6.3%

Home health agencies serving Altoona

Agency	Office	Distance	CMS quality stars	Services listed	Phone
Centerwell Home Health	Urbandale, IA	13 mi	5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, home health aides	(515) 277-0977
Aveanna Healthcare	West Des Moines, IA	17 mi	5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, home health aides	(515) 497-7700
Elara Caring	Chariton, IA	44 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(641) 774-2339
Mercyone Des Moines Home Care	Des Moines, IA	8.5 mi	4 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(515) 643-8383
Angels Care Home Health Of Iowa	Des Moines, IA	10 mi	3.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(515) 252-2847

Nursing homes near Altoona (to compare)

Nursing home	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Certified beds	Phone
Altoona Nursing And Rehabilitation Center	Altoona, IA	0.4 mi	1 of 5	106	(515) 967-4267
Prairie Vista Village	Altoona, IA	1.2 mi	5 of 5	46	(515) 967-8700
Parkridge Specialty Care	Pleasant Hill, IA	3.5 mi	1 of 5	90	(515) 265-5348
Valley View Village	Des Moines, IA	5.1 mi	3 of 5	79	(515) 265-2571

Straight-line miles from the center of Altoona. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a 24-hour caregiver can help with

Someone awake and on duty at all hours
Personal care, meals and medication reminders through the day
Help at night without relying on one tired caregiver
Written handover notes between shifts

Cost

What 24-hour home care costs in Altoona

24-hour care is 168 paid hours a week. At $17.34 an hour (the Iowa median aide wage) that is about $12,624 a month in wages before any overtime, 314% of the $4,022 monthly median income of Altoona households headed by someone 65+. Rates are agreed with each caregiver. Iowa's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see Medicaid programs for family caregivers: who can be paid, and the rules in 12 states.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a 24-hour caregiver

24-hour care is the most hours a family can arrange at home, and the most costly. Each caregiver works a set shift, often two 12-hour or three 8-hour shifts a day, so nobody works all night after working all day. Minimum wage and overtime rules apply to each caregiver you employ directly; for workers who live in the home see DOL Fact Sheet 79B.

Questions worth asking: How do you hand over to the next caregiver? Can you work fixed shifts on the same days each week? Have you worked on a team caring for one client? More in our 24-hour home care guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

24-Hour Home Care in Altoona: common questions

How much does 24-hour home care cost in Altoona?

24-hour care is 168 paid hours a week. At $17.34 an hour (the Iowa median aide wage) that is about $12,624 a month in wages before any overtime, 314% of the $4,022 monthly median income of Altoona households headed by someone 65+. Rates are agreed with each caregiver. Iowa's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

How many caregivers does 24-hour care take?

A week has 168 hours. If each caregiver works about 40 hours, that is four or five people, plus someone to cover sickness and holidays. Fewer caregivers means very long weeks for each of them.

More near Altoona

More senior care near Altoona

24-Hour Home Care in nearby cities

Other care in Altoona

More for Altoona families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

24-Hour Home Care in Altoona, IA