Live-In Caregivers in Alton, IL: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Alton, IL: the local picture

569

residents 85 or older (2.3% of all residents)

1,917

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (65%)

49%

of Alton homes have 3 or more bedrooms (63% in Madison County)

$15.00

Illinois minimum wage per hour

About 569 Alton residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 49% of homes in Alton have three or more bedrooms (63% in Madison County), while 14% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.3 rooms.

Of Alton households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,917 own their home and 1,040 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 186 owners and 89 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Alton compared with Madison County and Illinois

Census figure	Alton	Madison County	Illinois
Residents 85 or older	2.3%	2.1%	2.0%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	44%	32%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	44%	35%	32%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	16%	9.0%	10%
Residents 65 or older	17%	19%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	3.9%	3.6%	24%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$37,027	$57,096	—

Older residents in towns around Alton

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
East Alton, IL	2.7 mi	890	57
Rosewood Heights, IL	4.3 mi	1,068	149
Wood River, IL	4.9 mi	1,691	127
Godfrey, IL	5.1 mi	4,551	576
Bethalto, IL	5.7 mi	2,119	238
Spanish Lake, MO	8.5 mi	2,122	299

Emergency hospitals near Alton

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Alton Memorial Hospital	Alton, IL	0.4 mi	4 of 5	(314) 286-2227
Gateway Regional Medical Center	Granite City, IL	13 mi	2 of 5	(618) 798-3000
Christian Hospital Northeast	Saint Louis, MO	14 mi	4 of 5	(314) 653-5000

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

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in Alton

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.30 an hour (the Illinois median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,965 a month (129% of the $3,086 monthly median income of Alton households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,322 a month (432% of the $3,086 monthly median income of Alton households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Illinois's minimum wage is $15.00 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 live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

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

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in Alton: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Alton?

Alton Memorial Hospital in Alton, about 0.4 mi in a straight line from the center of Alton (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (314) 286-2227. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Alton?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.30 an hour (the Illinois median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,965 a month (129% of the $3,086 monthly median income of Alton households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,322 a month (432% of the $3,086 monthly median income of Alton households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Illinois's minimum wage is $15.00 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Alton?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in Alton it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near Alton

More senior care near Alton

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Alton

More for Alton families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in Alton, IL