Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Milwaukee County

In-Home Caregivers in Milwaukee, WI

Senior care in Milwaukee without an agency in the middle: describe the help your parent needs, read the profiles of independent caregivers nearby, and settle the schedule and rate directly with whoever you pick.

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How to find an in-home caregiver in Milwaukee

Milwaukee has 566,973 residents according to the 2020–2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates, and 67,890 of them are 65 or older (12.0%). The city's median age is 32.4, yet 22.5% of its households include someone over 65, and 16,237 households are women of that age living on their own; 35.7% of residents aged 65-plus report a disability. These households are the ones posting for in-home care: an hour or two of help with bathing and meals, a sitter for a parent who cannot safely be left by themselves, or a companion who drives to appointments.

The cards above list independent caregivers within 50 miles, and that list updates as people join. Write your post in plain terms: the tasks, the days and hours, whether a car is needed, and which language your parent prefers. ACS figures for Milwaukee show 22.0% of residents five or older speaking something besides English with family (Spanish 16.0%, Asian and Pacific Island languages 3.0%), so ask for a caregiver who speaks your parent's language if that matters at home. Before you hire privately, call the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Milwaukee County: it can tell you whether IRIS or Family Care might pay for some of the help, and IRIS can pay a relative.

Available now

Private in-home caregivers near Milwaukee, WI

Independent caregivers with profiles on CaregiverConnect whose home base is within 50 miles. You agree on duties, schedule and pay directly with the person you hire.

Caregiver in Milwaukee, WI

about 5 mi from Milwaukee · 3+ yrs experience

HousekeepingErrandsMeal prepPersonal careMandarinKoreanOtherfull-time

$20/hrSee full profile

1 of 1 available caregiver within 50 miles of Milwaukee, nearest first. Names, photos, bios, references and the Verified badge details are shown once you create a free family account; this public page keeps caregivers anonymous.

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What you can post

Types of in-home care families in Milwaukee arrange

All non-medical. For nursing tasks (injections, wound care, catheters) you need a licensed home health agency, not a private caregiver.

Senior care at home · Personal care · Companion care · Dementia care · Respite care · Overnight and live-in · Post-surgery recovery · Part-time and flexible

Choosing well

Evaluating caregivers in Milwaukee

When you hire on your own, the checking falls to you, and three public tools help. The state's Wisconsin Online Record Check System (WORCS), run by the Department of Justice, lets an individual submit a criminal background check and retrieve the result online. The DHS Misconduct Registry search shows people with substantiated findings of abuse, neglect or misappropriation of client property. A caregiver who says they are a certified nurse aide should appear on the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry, and CNAs renew every 24 months. The state Caregiver Law requires regulated entities to check employees who have regular, direct contact with clients; when you hire privately, ask the caregiver's consent and run the checks yourself. Next, meet the candidate in your parent's own kitchen or living room so your parent has a say, ring two families the caregiver worked for before, and pay for a short trial. CaregiverConnect does no vetting or background checks of its own.

Questions families here ask at interview

When a past client with dementia grew restless in the evening, what calmed them?
Can you manage transfers from bed to wheelchair safely, and have you been trained to do it?
Will you drive here or take the bus, and what is your backup if the bus does not run?
Are you on the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry, and may I look you up there?
Would you be willing to take part in IRIS as a participant-hired worker, with timesheets approved each pay period?
Can you speak Spanish with my mother when she is tired and loses her English?
If you could not come one day, how much notice would you give and who would cover?

Schedules and cost

What in-home care costs in Milwaukee: hourly rates and schedules

Three schedules cover most needs in a Milwaukee home: short morning and evening visits for washing, dressing, medication reminders and meals; weekday daytime cover while adult children work; and overnight or weekend stays for a parent with memory loss. If IRIS will pay part of the care, plan around its rule that one participant-hired worker may not be paid for more than 40 hours a week for one participant; splitting a full-time week between two caregivers keeps within it.

Reference point	Hourly	Source
Employed aides, Milwaukee–Waukesha, WI metro (Milwaukee County)	$17.80 median	BLS OEWS, May 2025
Wisconsin minimum wage	$7.25	effective July 24, 2009
Agency non-medical caregiver, Wisconsin hourly median (CareScout 2025)	$36.00	CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025

Who is the employer. When you hire a caregiver directly, you are the employer. The Wisconsin minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (effective July 24, 2009); the federal minimum of $7.25 and federal overtime rules apply to directly employed caregivers unless the work is exempt companionship under the FLSA. Source: US Department of Labor, direct care workers; the state source is listed at the end of this page.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts aide employment (home health and personal care, SOC 31-1120) in the Milwaukee–Waukesha metro at 30,090, with a median wage of $17.80 an hour and a mean of $16.91 (May 2025); nursing assistants there have a median of $21.97. CareScout's 2025 survey puts the Wisconsin median for a non-medical caregiver from an agency at $36 an hour. What you actually pay is settled privately with the caregiver; treat these numbers as a starting range for that conversation. Wisconsin's minimum wage has been $7.25 since July 24, 2009 (DWD), well below any of these figures. Once one caregiver's cash pay from you reaches $3,000 during 2026, IRS Topic 756 applies Social Security and Medicare taxes, reported on Schedule H.

No agency tracks private rates. A caregiver you hire directly will usually expect more than the employed-aide median and less than an agency rate; every caregiver on this site lists an hourly rate on their profile, and the hiring guide covers taxes and overtime.

Local help

Caregiver resources for families in Milwaukee

Aging & Disability Resource Center of Milwaukee County1230 W. Cherry Street, Milwaukee, WI 53205; (414) 289-6874, TRS 711. Information and assistance, options counseling on public and private long-term care, and benefits specialists. Phones are answered weekdays from 8 until 4:30, but only until 1 on Wednesdays.
Milwaukee County Caregiver Support ProgramPhone consultations or home visits, the six-week Powerful Tools class in English and Spanish, and grant funds for respite through the Alzheimer's Family Caregiver Support Program and the National Family Caregiver Support Program. Call (414) 289-6874.
Milwaukee County Dementia Care Specialists(414) 289-6259. Family consultations, advance care planning, memory cafés, the Savvy Caregiver workshop and free memory screenings.
Senior dining, senior centers and Meals on WheelsSenior dining (414) 289-6995. Four county-owned senior centers, Clinton Rose, Kelly, Washington Park and Wilson Park, are open to anyone 50 or over. Meals on Wheels referrals through (414) 289-6874; registered clients contact Goodwill at (414) 358-6527.
Transportation for older adultsOATS vans for residents 60 and over, $5 each way to medical and dental visits; enroll on (414) 289-6874 and book through z-Trip on (414) 206-1888 three business days ahead. Transit Plus for riders whose disability prevents bus use, $4 each way, (414) 343-1700. Eras Senior Network volunteer drivers, free, (414) 488-6500.
IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct)Wisconsin's self-directed Medicaid long-term care program. Participants get a budget, choose their providers and can hire and manage their own workers, including family members.
Adult Protective Services, Milwaukee CountyThe APS helpline is the ADRC on (414) 289-6874, after hours too, or the county's online APS referral form. For anyone 60 or older you can also call the Wisconsin Elder Abuse Hotline, 833-586-0107.

Safety

Hiring safely in Milwaukee

Put everything on paper before the caregiver starts: the caregiver's tasks, the weekly hours, the rate, the way time gets recorded, and what happens on holidays and sick days. Log hours on a sheet you both initial, lock away medications, checkbooks and spare keys, and set up alerts with your parent's bank. Federal domestic-service rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act cover household employees, with exemptions for some companionship and live-in work; the Department of Labor proposed changing those exemptions in July 2025, so check its direct care page for the current rule before relying on one. Concerns about mistreatment or money going missing go to (414) 289-6874 or the state Elder Abuse Hotline, 833-586-0107. The hiring guide covers agreements and payroll in more detail.

A woman and an older man talking across a wooden table at home. Stock photograph; not a CaregiverConnect user.

How it works

How to hire a private caregiver in Milwaukee (no agency)

CaregiverConnect is a marketplace, not an agency: you hire the caregiver directly, which is why there is no agency mark-up on their hourly rate. That also means screening is your responsibility, and we tell you how.

Describe the care you need
Your posting goes live
Review caregivers and applicants
Message and hire
Agree terms and pay directly

Pricing, plainly

What is free and what costs money

Browsing, posting and receiving applications are free. Messaging and confirming a hire are part of Family Premium ($24.99/month, cancel any time). No commission on what you pay the caregiver; see the pricing page.

Guides

Useful reading

IRIS in Wisconsin: how a family member gets paid as a caregiver · How to hire a private caregiver: cost, screening, taxes and a written agreement · Medicaid programs for family caregivers: who can be paid, and the rules in 12 states

Sources (checked 2026-10-25):

Questions

Hiring a caregiver in Milwaukee: frequently asked questions

Could IRIS put me on payroll as Dad's caregiver in Milwaukee?

Possibly, through IRIS. The DHS IRIS Policy Manual says family members, guardians and legal representatives may be paid caregivers for authorized services, and IRIS Self-Directed Personal Care allows hiring family members, although the person who represents the participant cannot also provide the personal care. Your father must be on Medicaid and functionally eligible; the ADRC on West Cherry Street starts the screening.

What is the difference between IRIS and Family Care?

Both are Medicaid long-term care programs for older adults and adults with disabilities. In IRIS you manage a budget and choose and supervise your own workers with help from an IRIS consultant. In Family Care you join a managed care organization that arranges services. DHS has placed one Family Care contractor, My Choice Wisconsin, under corrective action, which is worth asking about when you compare options.

How much does private home care cost here?

Caregivers set their own rates on their profiles. As reference points, the employed aide median in the Milwaukee–Waukesha metro is $17.80 an hour, while agencies statewide charge a CareScout median of $36 an hour for non-medical help. Discuss up front whether nights, dementia care or heavy personal care carry a higher rate than companionship.

Mom has stopped driving. What rides exist for her medical visits?

Milwaukee County's OATS vans serve residents 60 and older for $5 each way to medical visits, booked three business days ahead, and Eras Senior Network volunteers drive for free with a week's notice. Medicaid members, including IRIS participants, can use VEYO/MTM for non-emergency medical rides on (866) 907-1493.

Does CaregiverConnect check the caregivers listed above?

No. Profiles are written by the caregivers themselves. Use WORCS for a criminal record check, the DHS Misconduct Registry and the Nurse Aide Registry, and call references before you agree terms.

Post your care need in Milwaukee

It is free, takes about ten minutes, and caregivers in Milwaukee County can see it as soon as it is live.

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A woman on a sofa at home reviewing caregiver profiles on a laptop