Live-In Caregivers in Creston, IA: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Creston, IA: the local picture

153

residents 85 or older (2.1% of all residents)

784

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (76%)

54%

of Creston homes have 3 or more bedrooms (59% in Union County)

$7.25

Iowa minimum wage per hour

About 153 Creston 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. 54% of homes in Creston have three or more bedrooms (59% in Union County), while 15% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.6 rooms.

Of Creston households headed by someone 65 or older, 784 own their home and 243 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 67 owners and 30 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Creston compared with Union County and Iowa

Census figure	Creston	Union County	Iowa
Residents 85 or older	2.1%	1.9%	2.3%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	49%	38%	31%
Residents 65+ with a disability	28%	29%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	6.1%	6.0%	8.4%
Residents 65 or older	20%	21%	18%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	3.1%	4.3%	9.1%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$38,826	$44,638	—

Older residents in towns around Creston

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Winterset, IA	27 mi	1,188	185
Osceola, IA	30 mi	1,025	132
Atlantic, IA	41 mi	1,632	242
Clarinda, IA	41 mi	1,227	237
Adel, IA	42 mi	792	144
Waukee, IA	44 mi	3,250	370

Emergency hospitals near Creston

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Greater Regional Medical Center	Creston, IA	1.2 mi	3 of 5	(641) 782-7091
Adair County Memorial Hospital	Greenfield, IA	18 mi	not rated	(641) 743-2123
Chi Health - Mercy Corning	Corning, IA	20 mi	3 of 5	(641) 322-3121

Straight-line miles from the center of Creston. 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 Creston

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.34 an hour (the Iowa median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,757 a month (116% of the $3,236 monthly median income of Creston households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,624 a month (390% of the $3,236 monthly median income of Creston households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Iowa's minimum wage is $7.25 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 Creston: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Creston?

Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston, about 1.2 mi in a straight line from the center of Creston (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (641) 782-7091. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Creston?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.34 an hour (the Iowa median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,757 a month (116% of the $3,236 monthly median income of Creston households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,624 a month (390% of the $3,236 monthly median income of Creston households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Iowa's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Creston?

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 Creston 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 Creston

More senior care near Creston

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Creston

More for Creston 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 Creston, IA