Live-In Caregivers in Bolivar, MO: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Bolivar, MO: the local picture

502

residents 85 or older (4.5% of all residents)

963

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (60%)

58%

of Bolivar homes have 3 or more bedrooms (68% in Polk County)

$15.00

Missouri minimum wage per hour

About 502 Bolivar 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. 58% of homes in Bolivar have three or more bedrooms (68% in Polk County), while 9.7% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.4 rooms.

Of Bolivar households headed by someone 65 or older, 963 own their home and 653 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 348 owners and 65 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Bolivar compared with Polk County and Missouri

Census figure	Bolivar	Polk County	Missouri
Residents 85 or older	4.5%	2.5%	2.0%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	49%	32%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	44%	38%	34%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	12%	16%	10%
Residents 65 or older	20%	18%	18%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	3.3%	3.9%	6.7%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$38,158	$40,120	—

Older residents in towns around Bolivar

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Buffalo, MO	18 mi	454	68
Willard, MO	22 mi	667	26
Strafford, MO	29 mi	281	52
Springfield, MO	29 mi	27,514	4,304
Republic, MO	30 mi	3,124	232
Marshfield, MO	33 mi	1,492	158

Emergency hospitals near Bolivar

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Citizens Memorial Hospital	Bolivar, MO	0.3 mi	3 of 5	(417) 326-6000
Lakeland Behavioral Health System	Springfield, MO	29 mi	not rated	(417) 865-5581
Cox Medical Centers	Springfield, MO	31 mi	3 of 5	(417) 269-6000

Straight-line miles from the center of Bolivar. 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 Bolivar

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $15.90 an hour (the Missouri median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,445 a month (108% of the $3,180 monthly median income of Bolivar households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,575 a month (364% of the $3,180 monthly median income of Bolivar households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Missouri'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 Consumer Directed Services in Missouri: how a relative becomes a paid caregiver.

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 Bolivar: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Bolivar?

Citizens Memorial Hospital in Bolivar, about 0.3 mi in a straight line from the center of Bolivar (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (417) 326-6000. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Bolivar?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $15.90 an hour (the Missouri median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,445 a month (108% of the $3,180 monthly median income of Bolivar households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,575 a month (364% of the $3,180 monthly median income of Bolivar households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Missouri'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 Bolivar?

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 Bolivar 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 Bolivar

More senior care near Bolivar

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Bolivar

More for Bolivar 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 Bolivar, MO