24-Hour Home Care in Unicoi, TN: Round-the-Clock Care

Local figures

24-Hour Home Care in Unicoi, TN: the local picture

6.2%

of residents 65+ have difficulty dressing or bathing (8.8% in Unicoi County)

102

residents 85 or older (2.7% of all residents)

37%

of residents 65+ report a disability (44% in Unicoi County)

844

residents 65 or older (22% of Unicoi)

52 Unicoi residents 65 or older have difficulty dressing or bathing (6.2%; 8.8% in Unicoi County), and 256 have serious difficulty walking. Round-the-clock care is usually for people who need hands-on help at any hour.

About 102 residents are 85 or older (2.7% of the population).

If you are weighing home care against a nursing home, the nearest Medicare-certified ones are Lakebridge, A Waters Community, LLC in Johnson City (7.1 mi) and Christian Care Center Of Unicoi County in Erwin (7.7 mi).

Unicoi compared with Unicoi County and Tennessee

Census figure	Unicoi	Unicoi County	Tennessee
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	6.2%	8.8%	7.4%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty walking	30%	30%	23%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty remembering	11%	10.0%	8.8%
Residents 85 or older	2.7%	2.6%	1.6%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	30%	29%	29%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	3.1%	13%	11%

Older residents in towns around Unicoi

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Self-care difficulty (65+)
Erwin, TN	7.0 mi	1,357	2.1%
Johnson City, TN	8.8 mi	11,382	8.1%
Elizabethton, TN	9.6 mi	2,950	12%
Jonesborough, TN	9.7 mi	1,309	2.4%
Oak Grove, TN	15 mi	1,100	5.7%
Spurgeon, TN	17 mi	755	8.9%

Home health agencies serving Unicoi

Agency	Office	Distance	CMS quality stars	Services listed	Phone
Ballad Health Homecare	Johnson City, TN	6.8 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(423) 431-6146
Nhc Homecare Johnson City	Johnson City, TN	6.8 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work	(423) 434-0163
Adoration Home Health	Kingsport, TN	23 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(423) 378-7331
Centerwell Home Health	Kingsport, TN	26 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work	(423) 230-1000
Amedisys Home Health	Johnson City, TN	14 mi	4 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(423) 952-2340

Nursing homes near Unicoi (to compare)

Nursing home	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Certified beds	Phone
Lakebridge, A Waters Community, LLC	Johnson City, TN	7.1 mi	3 of 5	109	(423) 975-0095
Christian Care Center Of Unicoi County	Erwin, TN	7.7 mi	4 of 5	50	(423) 743-3141
Center On Aging And Health	Erwin, TN	7.8 mi	3 of 5	120	(423) 743-7669
Abundant Christian Living Community Rehabilitation	Johnson City, TN	8.5 mi	5 of 5	103	(423) 928-3168

Straight-line miles from the center of Unicoi. 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 Unicoi

24-hour care is 168 paid hours a week. At $15.45 an hour (the Tennessee median aide wage) that is about $11,248 a month in wages before any overtime. Rates are agreed with each caregiver. Tennessee 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 TennCare CHOICES: how to get paid to care for a family member in Tennessee.

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 Unicoi: common questions

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

24-hour care is 168 paid hours a week. At $15.45 an hour (the Tennessee median aide wage) that is about $11,248 a month in wages before any overtime. Rates are agreed with each caregiver. Tennessee 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 Unicoi

More senior care near Unicoi

24-Hour Home Care in nearby cities

Other care in Unicoi

More for Unicoi 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 Unicoi, TN