24-Hour Home Care in Onalaska, WI: Round-the-Clock Care

Local figures

24-Hour Home Care in Onalaska, WI: the local picture

6.8%

of residents 65+ have difficulty dressing or bathing (7.3% in La Crosse County)

708

residents 85 or older (3.7% of all residents)

36%

of residents 65+ report a disability (32% in La Crosse County)

$60,347

median yearly income of households headed by someone 65+

263 Onalaska residents 65 or older have difficulty dressing or bathing (6.8%; 7.3% in La Crosse County), and 857 have serious difficulty walking. Round-the-clock care is usually for people who need hands-on help at any hour.

About 708 residents are 85 or older (3.7% of the population).

If you are weighing home care against a nursing home, the nearest Medicare-certified ones are Onalaska Care Center in Onalaska (0.7 mi) and Mulder Health Care Facility in West Salem (6.2 mi).

Onalaska compared with La Crosse County and Wisconsin

Census figure	Onalaska	La Crosse County	Wisconsin
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	6.8%	7.3%	5.3%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty walking	22%	19%	16%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty remembering	9.7%	8.4%	5.7%
Residents 85 or older	3.7%	2.4%	2.1%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	31%	30%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	4.6%	9.7%	9.1%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$60,347	$55,379	—

Older residents in towns around Onalaska

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Self-care difficulty (65+)
French Island, WI	3.5 mi	898	1.6%
La Crosse, WI	4.6 mi	8,794	8.9%
West Salem, WI	5.9 mi	975	9.3%
Holmen, WI	6.4 mi	1,556	4.9%
La Crescent, MN	6.5 mi	1,204	1.8%
Sparta, WI	20 mi	1,636	7.3%

Home health agencies serving Onalaska

Agency	Office	Distance	CMS quality stars	Services listed	Phone
Aveanna Home Health	La Crosse, WI	6.3 mi	5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, home health aides	(608) 406-3140
Commonheart Home Health	Waukesha, WI	159 mi	2.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(920) 261-7108
International Quality Homecare	Rochester, MN	65 mi	2 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, home health aides	(888) 995-4742
Almost Family	Eau Claire, WI	67 mi	2 of 5	nursing, home health aides	(715) 831-0631
Maxim Healthcare Services	Madison, WI	111 mi	not rated	nursing, home health aides	(608) 232-1000

Nursing homes near Onalaska (to compare)

Nursing home	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Certified beds	Phone
Onalaska Care Center	Onalaska, WI	0.7 mi	5 of 5	80	(608) 783-4681
Mulder Health Care Facility	West Salem, WI	6.2 mi	1 of 5	87	(608) 786-1600
Lakeview Health Center	West Salem, WI	6.8 mi	5 of 5	50	(608) 786-1400
La Crescent Health Services	La Crescent, MN	6.9 mi	1 of 5	42	(507) 895-4445

Straight-line miles from the center of Onalaska. 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 Onalaska

24-hour care is 168 paid hours a week. At $17.47 an hour (the Wisconsin median aide wage) that is about $12,718 a month in wages before any overtime, 253% of the $5,029 monthly median income of Onalaska households headed by someone 65+. Rates are agreed with each caregiver. Wisconsin'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 IRIS in Wisconsin: how a family member gets paid as a caregiver.

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 Onalaska: common questions

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

24-hour care is 168 paid hours a week. At $17.47 an hour (the Wisconsin median aide wage) that is about $12,718 a month in wages before any overtime, 253% of the $5,029 monthly median income of Onalaska households headed by someone 65+. Rates are agreed with each caregiver. Wisconsin'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 Onalaska

More senior care near Onalaska

24-Hour Home Care in nearby cities

Other care in Onalaska

More for Onalaska 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 Onalaska, WI