24-Hour Home Care in Wadena, MN: Round-the-Clock Care

Local figures

24-Hour Home Care in Wadena, MN: the local picture

12%

of residents 65+ have difficulty dressing or bathing (6.8% in Wadena County)

185

residents 85 or older (4.2% of all residents)

46%

of residents 65+ report a disability (35% in Wadena County)

$35,463

median yearly income of households headed by someone 65+

86 Wadena residents 65 or older have difficulty dressing or bathing (12%; 6.8% in Wadena County), and 248 have serious difficulty walking. Round-the-clock care is usually for people who need hands-on help at any hour.

About 185 residents are 85 or older (4.2% of the population).

If you are weighing home care against a nursing home, the nearest Medicare-certified ones are Fair Oaks Lodge in Wadena (0.9 mi) and Lakewood Health System in Staples (17 mi).

Wadena compared with Wadena County and Minnesota

Census figure	Wadena	Wadena County	Minnesota
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	12%	6.8%	5.4%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty walking	34%	22%	16%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty remembering	4.4%	5.5%	6.2%
Residents 85 or older	4.2%	3.7%	2.1%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	40%	34%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	5.8%	10%	8.8%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$35,463	$43,509	—

Older residents in towns around Wadena

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Self-care difficulty (65+)
Perham, MN	24 mi	872	2.4%
Park Rapids, MN	33 mi	1,210	13%
Long Prairie, MN	35 mi	887	2.1%
Baxter, MN	41 mi	2,095	3.2%
Alexandria, MN	41 mi	3,590	5.0%
Detroit Lakes, MN	42 mi	2,539	4.9%

Home health agencies serving Wadena

Agency	Office	Distance	CMS quality stars	Services listed	Phone
Aveanna Home Health	Waite Park, MN	76 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, home health aides	(320) 774-0777
Perham Living Home Care	Perham, MN	24 mi	3.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(218) 347-1880
Vivie Home Health	Alexandria, MN	41 mi	3 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(320) 759-1273
Lakewood Health System Home Care & Hospice	Staples, MN	19 mi	2 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(218) 894-8080
New Dimensions Home Health Care Inc.	Fergus Falls, MN	47 mi	1.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, home health aides	(218) 739-5856

Nursing homes near Wadena (to compare)

Nursing home	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Certified beds	Phone
Fair Oaks Lodge	Wadena, MN	0.9 mi	2 of 5	65	(218) 631-1391
Lakewood Health System	Staples, MN	17 mi	5 of 5	87	(218) 894-1515
Green Pine Acres Nursing Home	Menahga, MN	21 mi	5 of 5	65	(218) 564-4101
St Williams Living Center	Parkers Prairie, MN	23 mi	5 of 5	53	(218) 338-4671

Straight-line miles from the center of Wadena. 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 Wadena

24-hour care is 168 paid hours a week. At $18.45 an hour (the Minnesota median aide wage) that is about $13,432 a month in wages before any overtime, 454% of the $2,955 monthly median income of Wadena households headed by someone 65+. Rates are agreed with each caregiver. Minnesota's minimum wage is $11.41 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 Wadena: common questions

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

24-hour care is 168 paid hours a week. At $18.45 an hour (the Minnesota median aide wage) that is about $13,432 a month in wages before any overtime, 454% of the $2,955 monthly median income of Wadena households headed by someone 65+. Rates are agreed with each caregiver. Minnesota's minimum wage is $11.41 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 Wadena

More senior care near Wadena

24-Hour Home Care in nearby cities

Other care in Wadena

More for Wadena 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 Wadena, MN