Companion Care for Seniors in Marion, SC

About 713 residents of Marion aged 65 or older live alone, 46% of older residents in households (37% in Marion County). They are the people companion care is usually for: mostly independent, but on their own for long stretches of the day.

14% of Marion households have no vehicle (8.3% in Marion County). A companion who drives can turn a week at home into appointments, shopping and visits.

Of the 1,555 Marion residents aged 65 or older, 240 are 85 or older (15%). 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.

506 Marion households headed by someone 65 or older own their home and 633 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 446 older Marion residents (29%) live below the poverty line (23% in Marion 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 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 50% of the $2,505 monthly median income of Marion 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.