Great Falls, Montana

Companion Care for Seniors in Great Falls, MT

Conversation, outings, meals together and a steady, friendly presence for an older adult who lives alone or spends long days by themselves. Post what you need in Great Falls for free and hire a caregiver directly, with no agency mark-up.

Post your care need free Great Falls at a glance

A younger woman and an older woman looking at a phone together on a park bench

Local figures

Companion Care in Great Falls, MT: the local picture

12,067

residents 65 or older (20% of Great Falls)

39%

of residents 65+ in households live alone (34% in Cascade County)

3.6%

of residents 5+ speak a language other than English at home

7.1%

of households have no vehicle (6.0% in Cascade County)

About 4,413 residents of Great Falls aged 65 or older live alone, 39% of older residents in households (34% in Cascade County). They are the people companion care is usually for: mostly independent, but on their own for long stretches of the day.

7.1% of Great Falls households have no vehicle (6.0% in Cascade County). A companion who drives can turn a week at home into appointments, shopping and visits.

Of the 12,067 Great Falls residents aged 65 or older, 1,425 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.

6,375 Great Falls households headed by someone 65 or older own their home and 1,791 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 1,277 older Great Falls residents (11%) live below the poverty line (11% in Cascade 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 3.6% of Great Falls residents aged 5 and over speak a language other than English at home. The most common are Spanish (765), German or West Germanic languages (397), other languages (200). 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.

Great Falls compared with Cascade County and Montana

Census figure	Great Falls	Cascade County	Montana
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	39%	34%	29%
Residents 65 or older	20%	20%	20%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	3.6%	4.1%	4.2%
Households with no vehicle	7.1%	6.0%	4.7%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	11%	11%	9.9%
Residents 65+ with a disability	34%	32%	32%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$52,431	$54,499	—

Older residents in towns around Great Falls

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Live alone (65+)
Malmstrom AFB, MT	5.5 mi	0	—
Conrad, MT	55 mi	592	49%
Helena Valley Northeast, MT	63 mi	990	16%
Helena Valley Northwest, MT	64 mi	624	19%
Helena Valley Southeast, MT	67 mi	1,697	12%
Helena Valley West Central, MT	68 mi	1,506	17%

Hospitals near Great Falls (for rides to appointments)

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Benefis Hospitals Inc	Great Falls, MT	2.4 mi	2 of 5	(406) 455-5000
Great Falls Clinic Hospital	Great Falls, MT	2.4 mi	2 of 5	(406) 216-8000

Straight-line miles from the center of Great Falls. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a companion caregiver can help with

Conversation, cards, puzzles and shared hobbies
Walks and outings to the park, library or senior center
Company at meals, and help preparing them
Rides or escort to appointments, church and visits

Cost

What companion care costs in Great Falls

At the Montana median aide wage of $17.61 an hour, 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,526 a month in wages, which is 35% of the $4,369 monthly median income of Great Falls households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. Montana's minimum wage is $10.85 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 companion caregiver

Isolation is a health risk, not only a mood. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found that nearly one in four Americans aged 65 and older living in the community is socially isolated, and linked isolation to higher risks of dementia, heart disease and early death (2020 report).

Questions worth asking: What do you enjoy doing with the people you care for? Are you comfortable driving, and is your car insured for passengers? How do you handle a client who does not want company at first? More in our companion care guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Companion Care in Great Falls: common questions

How many seniors live alone in Great Falls?

About 4,413 residents aged 65 or older, 39% of older residents in households (Census ACS 2020–2024) (34% in Cascade County).

How much does companion care cost in Great Falls?

What does a companion caregiver do in Great Falls?

A companion keeps an older adult company and helps around the visit: conversation, activities, walks, meals, errands, rides and reminders. It suits someone who is mostly independent but lonely, or a family that wants someone to check in on weekdays.

More near Great Falls