Live-In Caregivers in Dunellen, NJ: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Dunellen, NJ: the local picture

104

residents 85 or older (1.3% of all residents)

387

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (59%)

67%

of Dunellen homes have 3 or more bedrooms (56% in Middlesex County)

$15.92

New Jersey minimum wage per hour

About 104 Dunellen 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. 67% of homes in Dunellen have three or more bedrooms (56% in Middlesex County), while 11% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.6 rooms.

Of Dunellen households headed by someone 65 or older, 387 own their home and 270 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 41 owners and 18 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Dunellen compared with Middlesex County and New Jersey

Census figure	Dunellen	Middlesex County	New Jersey
Residents 85 or older	1.3%	1.8%	2.1%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	15%	24%	27%
Residents 65+ with a disability	22%	30%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	23%	9.0%	9.7%
Residents 65 or older	13%	16%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	46%	47%	33%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$79,034	$72,915	—

Older residents in towns around Dunellen

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Middlesex, NJ	2.0 mi	2,876	256
North Plainfield, NJ	2.5 mi	2,129	198
South Plainfield, NJ	2.9 mi	4,758	642
Plainfield, NJ	3.1 mi	5,588	512
Watchung, NJ	3.9 mi	1,905	380
Bound Brook, NJ	4.1 mi	1,706	153

Emergency hospitals near Dunellen

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
University Behavioral Health Care	Piscataway, NJ	2.7 mi	not rated	(732) 235-5900
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital	New Brunswick, NJ	7.1 mi	2 of 5	(732) 828-3000
Saint Peter's University Hospital	New Brunswick, NJ	7.1 mi	3 of 5	(732) 745-8600

Straight-line miles from the center of Dunellen. 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 Dunellen

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.83 an hour (the New Jersey median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,863 a month (59% of the $6,586 monthly median income of Dunellen households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,980 a month (197% of the $6,586 monthly median income of Dunellen households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. New Jersey's minimum wage is $15.92 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 Dunellen: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Dunellen?

University Behavioral Health Care in Piscataway, about 2.7 mi in a straight line from the center of Dunellen (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (732) 235-5900. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Dunellen?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.83 an hour (the New Jersey median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,863 a month (59% of the $6,586 monthly median income of Dunellen households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,980 a month (197% of the $6,586 monthly median income of Dunellen households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. New Jersey's minimum wage is $15.92 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Dunellen?

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 Dunellen 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 Dunellen

More senior care near Dunellen

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Dunellen

More for Dunellen 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 Dunellen, NJ