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

Local figures

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

280

residents 85 or older (3.5% of all residents)

761

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (73%)

63%

of Dexter homes have 3 or more bedrooms (68% in Stoddard County)

$15.00

Missouri minimum wage per hour

About 280 Dexter 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. 63% of homes in Dexter have three or more bedrooms (68% in Stoddard County), while 11% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.3 rooms.

Of Dexter households headed by someone 65 or older, 761 own their home and 288 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 124 owners and 44 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Dexter compared with Stoddard County and Missouri

Census figure	Dexter	Stoddard County	Missouri
Residents 85 or older	3.5%	2.3%	2.0%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	35%	30%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	55%	46%	34%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	9.5%	13%	10%
Residents 65 or older	21%	21%	18%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	2.1%	1.2%	6.7%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$45,924	$43,160	—

Older residents in towns around Dexter

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Malden, MO	13 mi	753	33
Sikeston, MO	22 mi	3,549	377
Poplar Bluff, MO	25 mi	3,268	308
New Madrid, MO	27 mi	560	110
Portageville, MO	29 mi	387	87
Piggott, AR	31 mi	664	100

Emergency hospitals near Dexter

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Mercy Hospital Stoddard	Dexter, MO	0.3 mi	2 of 5	(573) 624-5566
Missouri Delta Medical Center	Sikeston, MO	22 mi	2 of 5	(573) 472-7586
Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center	Poplar Bluff, MO	25 mi	2 of 5	(573) 785-7721

Straight-line miles from the center of Dexter. 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 Dexter

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 (90% of the $3,827 monthly median income of Dexter 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 (302% of the $3,827 monthly median income of Dexter 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 Dexter: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Dexter?

Mercy Hospital Stoddard in Dexter, about 0.3 mi in a straight line from the center of Dexter (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (573) 624-5566. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Dexter?

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 (90% of the $3,827 monthly median income of Dexter 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 (302% of the $3,827 monthly median income of Dexter 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 Dexter?

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 Dexter 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 Dexter

More senior care near Dexter

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Dexter

More for Dexter 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 Dexter, MO