Live-In Caregivers in Day Valley, CA: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Day Valley, CA: the local picture

144

residents 85 or older (4.0% of all residents)

615

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (96%)

83%

of Day Valley homes have 3 or more bedrooms (51% in Santa Cruz County)

$16.90

California minimum wage per hour

About 144 Day Valley 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. 83% of homes in Day Valley have three or more bedrooms (51% in Santa Cruz County); the median home has 5.9 rooms.

Of Day Valley households headed by someone 65 or older, 615 own their home and 25 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 62 owners and 0 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Day Valley compared with Santa Cruz County and California

Census figure	Day Valley	Santa Cruz County	California
Residents 85 or older	4.0%	2.1%	1.9%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	10%	26%	23%
Residents 65+ with a disability	16%	28%	33%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	3.6%	9.6%	12%
Residents 65 or older	35%	19%	16%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	18%	34%	44%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$127,879	$85,666	—

Older residents in towns around Day Valley

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Aptos, CA	3.1 mi	1,613	187
Seacliff, CA	4.8 mi	686	75
Rio del Mar, CA	4.9 mi	2,352	311
Soquel, CA	5.4 mi	2,426	258
Amesti, CA	6.1 mi	599	75
Capitola, CA	6.4 mi	2,401	348

Emergency hospitals near Day Valley

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Dominican Hospital	Santa Cruz, CA	7.2 mi	4 of 5	(831) 462-7700
Watsonville Community Hospital	Watsonville, CA	9.7 mi	2 of 5	(831) 724-4741
Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Jose	San Jose, CA	15 mi	3 of 5	(408) 972-7000

Straight-line miles from the center of Day Valley. 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 Day Valley

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $16.90 an hour (the California minimum; the May 2025 median aide wage, $16.50, is below it), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,662 a month (34% of the $10,657 monthly median income of Day Valley households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,303 a month (115% of the $10,657 monthly median income of Day Valley households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. California's minimum wage is $16.90 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 How to get paid to care for a family member in California: IHSS, VA, Paid Family Leave.

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 Day Valley: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Day Valley?

Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, about 7.2 mi in a straight line from the center of Day Valley (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (831) 462-7700. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Day Valley?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $16.90 an hour (the California minimum; the May 2025 median aide wage, $16.50, is below it), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,662 a month (34% of the $10,657 monthly median income of Day Valley households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,303 a month (115% of the $10,657 monthly median income of Day Valley households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. California's minimum wage is $16.90 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Day Valley?

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 Day Valley 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 Day Valley

More senior care near Day Valley

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Day Valley

More for Day Valley 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 Day Valley, CA