24-Hour Home Care in Petal, MS: Round-the-Clock Care

Local figures

24-Hour Home Care in Petal, MS: the local picture

16%

of residents 65+ have difficulty dressing or bathing (12% in Forrest County)

219

residents 85 or older (1.9% of all residents)

49%

of residents 65+ report a disability (47% in Forrest County)

$56,833

median yearly income of households headed by someone 65+

267 Petal residents 65 or older have difficulty dressing or bathing (16%; 12% in Forrest County), and 542 have serious difficulty walking. Round-the-clock care is usually for people who need hands-on help at any hour.

About 219 residents are 85 or older (1.9% of the population).

If you are weighing home care against a nursing home, the nearest Medicare-certified ones are Bedford Care Center Of Petal in Petal (2.2 mi) and Hattiesburg Health & Rehab Center in Hattiesburg (3.6 mi).

Petal compared with Forrest County and Mississippi

Census figure	Petal	Forrest County	Mississippi
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	16%	12%	8.8%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty walking	33%	34%	28%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty remembering	18%	13%	11%
Residents 85 or older	1.9%	1.2%	1.7%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	26%	28%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	12%	14%	15%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$56,833	$49,275	—

Older residents in towns around Petal

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Self-care difficulty (65+)
Hattiesburg, MS	5.6 mi	6,399	12%
West Hattiesburg, MS	8.8 mi	709	15%
Ellisville, MS	17 mi	850	23%
Laurel, MS	24 mi	2,504	13%
Wiggins, MS	34 mi	598	24%
Columbia, MS	35 mi	1,375	19%

Home health agencies serving Petal

Agency	Office	Distance	CMS quality stars	Services listed	Phone
Adoration Home Health	Collins, MS	29 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(601) 765-8316
Mississippi Homecare	Hattiesburg, MS	8.8 mi	3.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(601) 268-8450
Forrest General Home Care	Hattiesburg, MS	8.8 mi	3.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(601) 288-4344
Enhabit Home Health & Hospice	Hattiesburg, MS	8.8 mi	3.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(601) 268-0408
Mississippi Homecare Of Richton	Richton, MS	19 mi	3 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(601) 788-2912

Nursing homes near Petal (to compare)

Nursing home	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Certified beds	Phone
Bedford Care Center Of Petal	Petal, MS	2.2 mi	5 of 5	60	(601) 544-7441
Hattiesburg Health & Rehab Center	Hattiesburg, MS	3.6 mi	3 of 5	164	(601) 544-4230
Bedford Care Ctr-Monroe Hall	Hattiesburg, MS	5.3 mi	4 of 5	80	(601) 582-9157
Bedford Alzheimer's Care Center	Hattiesburg, MS	5.3 mi	4 of 5	60	(601) 544-5300

Straight-line miles from the center of Petal. 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 Petal

24-hour care is 168 paid hours a week. At $11.47 an hour (the Mississippi median aide wage) that is about $8,350 a month in wages before any overtime, 176% of the $4,736 monthly median income of Petal households headed by someone 65+. Rates are agreed with each caregiver. Mississippi has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

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 Petal: common questions

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

24-hour care is 168 paid hours a week. At $11.47 an hour (the Mississippi median aide wage) that is about $8,350 a month in wages before any overtime, 176% of the $4,736 monthly median income of Petal households headed by someone 65+. Rates are agreed with each caregiver. Mississippi has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

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 Petal

More senior care near Petal

24-Hour Home Care in nearby cities

Other care in Petal

More for Petal 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 Petal, MS