Live-In Caregivers in Dos Palos, CA: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Dos Palos, CA: the local picture

76

residents 85 or older (1.3% of all residents)

443

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

59%

of Dos Palos homes have 3 or more bedrooms (71% in Merced County)

$16.90

California minimum wage per hour

About 76 Dos Palos 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. 59% of homes in Dos Palos have three or more bedrooms (71% in Merced County), while 9.2% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 4.9 rooms.

Of Dos Palos households headed by someone 65 or older, 443 own their home and 141 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 70 owners and 0 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Dos Palos compared with Merced County and California

Census figure	Dos Palos	Merced County	California
Residents 85 or older	1.3%	1.3%	1.9%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	25%	24%	23%
Residents 65+ with a disability	38%	40%	33%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	14%	16%	12%
Residents 65 or older	22%	12%	16%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	53%	53%	44%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$22,296	$44,830	—

Older residents in towns around Dos Palos

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Los Banos, CA	13 mi	5,205	476
Firebaugh, CA	13 mi	963	30
Mendota, CA	21 mi	1,066	50
McSwain, CA	23 mi	564	24
Chowchilla, CA	23 mi	1,898	257
Merced, CA	24 mi	9,545	964

Emergency hospitals near Dos Palos

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Memorial Hospital Los Banos	Los Banos, CA	13 mi	3 of 5	(209) 826-0591
Mercy Medical Center	Merced, CA	24 mi	3 of 5	(209) 564-5000
Madera Community Hospital	Madera, CA	31 mi	not rated	(559) 706-8226

Straight-line miles from the center of Dos Palos. 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 Dos Palos

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 (197% of the $1,858 monthly median income of Dos Palos 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 (662% of the $1,858 monthly median income of Dos Palos 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 Dos Palos: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Dos Palos?

Memorial Hospital Los Banos in Los Banos, about 13 mi in a straight line from the center of Dos Palos (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (209) 826-0591. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Dos Palos?

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 (197% of the $1,858 monthly median income of Dos Palos 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 (662% of the $1,858 monthly median income of Dos Palos 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 Dos Palos?

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 Dos Palos 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 Dos Palos

More senior care near Dos Palos

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Dos Palos

More for Dos Palos 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 Dos Palos, CA