Companion Care for Seniors in Charleston, SC

About 8,056 residents of Charleston aged 65 or older live alone, 33% of older residents in households (29% in Charleston County). They are the people companion care is usually for: mostly independent, but on their own for long stretches of the day.

7.2% of Charleston households have no vehicle (5.9% in Charleston County). A companion who drives can turn a week at home into appointments, shopping and visits.

Of the 25,374 Charleston residents aged 65 or older, 3,001 are 85 or older (12%). 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.

11,796 Charleston households headed by someone 65 or older own their home and 4,689 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 1,857 older Charleston residents (7.5%) live below the poverty line (8.9% in Charleston 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.

About 7.8% of Charleston residents aged 5 and over speak a language other than English at home. The most common are Spanish (6,038), other Indo-European languages (1,298), French, Haitian or Cajun (911). If the person you care for is more at ease in one of these languages, say so in your posting; many caregivers list the languages they speak.

At the South Carolina median aide wage of $14.48 an hour, 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,255 a month in wages, which is 20% of the $6,239 monthly median income of Charleston households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. South Carolina 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.