Companion Care for Seniors in Ettrick, VA

About 141 residents of Ettrick aged 65 or older live alone, 19% of older residents in households (36% in Colonial Heights city). They are the people companion care is usually for: mostly independent, but on their own for long stretches of the day.

11% of Ettrick households have no vehicle (6.8% in Colonial Heights city). A companion who drives can turn a week at home into appointments, shopping and visits.

Of the 732 Ettrick residents aged 65 or older, 114 are 85 or older (16%). 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.

401 Ettrick households headed by someone 65 or older own their home and 37 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 130 older Ettrick residents (18%) live below the poverty line (5.3% in Colonial Heights city). 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 10% of Ettrick residents aged 5 and over speak a language other than English at home. The most common are Spanish (361), other Indo-European languages (147), other languages (57). 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 Virginia median aide wage of $14.57 an hour, 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,263 a month in wages, which is 41% of the $3,117 monthly median income of Ettrick households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. Virginia's minimum wage is $12.77 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 Consumer directed care in Virginia: how relatives are paid to give care through CCC Plus.