Companion Care for Seniors in Brookhaven, MS

About 780 residents of Brookhaven aged 65 or older live alone, 40% of older residents in households (28% in Lincoln County). They are the people companion care is usually for: mostly independent, but on their own for long stretches of the day.

8.7% of Brookhaven households have no vehicle (5.9% in Lincoln County). A companion who drives can turn a week at home into appointments, shopping and visits.

Of the 2,261 Brookhaven residents aged 65 or older, 258 are 85 or older (11%). Before the first visit with someone in that oldest group, ask the family about hearing, eyesight, walking and any memory changes, so the visit is planned around them.

1,096 Brookhaven households headed by someone 65 or older own their home and 288 rent. A companion visiting a house may also help with mail, light chores and keeping an eye on things; in an apartment building, ask whether visitors sign in.

About 538 older Brookhaven residents (27%) live below the poverty line (18% in Lincoln County). For them, Medicaid home and community-based services or the local Area Agency on Aging may cover some companion or homemaker hours, depending on the state program; private pay is not the only route.

At the Mississippi median aide wage of $11.47 an hour, 20 hours of help a week comes to about $994 a month in wages, which is 44% of the $2,277 monthly median income of Brookhaven households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. 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.