Live-In Caregivers in Bristol, TN: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Bristol, TN: the local picture

594

residents 85 or older (2.1% of all residents)

2,852

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (81%)

61%

of Bristol homes have 3 or more bedrooms (68% in Sullivan County)

$7.25

Tennessee minimum wage per hour

About 594 Bristol 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. 61% of homes in Bristol have three or more bedrooms (68% in Sullivan County), while 12% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.7 rooms.

Of Bristol households headed by someone 65 or older, 2,852 own their home and 684 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 372 owners and 50 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Bristol compared with Sullivan County and Tennessee

Census figure	Bristol	Sullivan County	Tennessee
Residents 85 or older	2.1%	2.0%	1.6%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	30%	31%	29%
Residents 65+ with a disability	34%	37%	36%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	11%	10%	11%
Residents 65 or older	20%	22%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	2.4%	2.6%	8.6%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$44,354	$45,032	—

Older residents in towns around Bristol

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Bristol, VA	5.2 mi	3,986	513
Blountville, TN	6.5 mi	702	50
Elizabethton, TN	15 mi	2,950	428
Oak Grove, TN	15 mi	1,100	41
Spurgeon, TN	16 mi	755	137
Colonial Heights, TN	16 mi	703	49

Emergency hospitals near Bristol

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Wellmont Bristol Regional Medical Center	Bristol, TN	2.1 mi	2 of 5	(423) 844-1121
Sycamore Shoals Hospital	Elizabethton, TN	15 mi	2 of 5	(423) 542-1300
Johnston Memorial Hospital	Abingdon, VA	16 mi	3 of 5	(276) 258-1000

Straight-line miles from the center of Bristol. 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 Bristol

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $15.45 an hour (the Tennessee median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,348 a month (91% of the $3,696 monthly median income of Bristol households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,248 a month (304% of the $3,696 monthly median income of Bristol households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Tennessee 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 TennCare CHOICES: how to get paid to care for a family member in Tennessee.

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 Bristol: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Bristol?

Wellmont Bristol Regional Medical Center in Bristol, about 2.1 mi in a straight line from the center of Bristol (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (423) 844-1121. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Bristol?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $15.45 an hour (the Tennessee median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,348 a month (91% of the $3,696 monthly median income of Bristol households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,248 a month (304% of the $3,696 monthly median income of Bristol households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Tennessee 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).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Bristol?

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 Bristol 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 Bristol

More senior care near Bristol

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Bristol

More for Bristol 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 Bristol, TN