Live-In Caregivers in Ellsworth, ME: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Ellsworth, ME: the local picture

283

residents 85 or older (3.3% of all residents)

865

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (78%)

48%

of Ellsworth homes have 3 or more bedrooms (58% in Hancock County)

$15.10

Maine minimum wage per hour

About 283 Ellsworth 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. 48% of homes in Ellsworth have three or more bedrooms (58% in Hancock County), while 16% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.3 rooms.

Of Ellsworth households headed by someone 65 or older, 865 own their home and 238 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 100 owners and 59 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Ellsworth compared with Hancock County and Maine

Census figure	Ellsworth	Hancock County	Maine
Residents 85 or older	3.3%	2.7%	2.3%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	30%	29%	29%
Residents 65+ with a disability	29%	29%	31%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	9.4%	6.6%	9.4%
Residents 65 or older	22%	27%	22%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	3.5%	3.3%	6.0%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$51,708	$60,116	—

Older residents in towns around Ellsworth

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Bucksport, ME	16 mi	1,040	32
Brewer, ME	19 mi	2,163	326
Hampden, ME	21 mi	962	69
Bangor, ME	23 mi	6,353	891
Orono, ME	23 mi	1,227	226
Old Town, ME	29 mi	1,259	57

Emergency hospitals near Ellsworth

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital	Ellsworth, ME	3.9 mi	3 of 5	(207) 667-5311
Northern Light Blue Hill Memorial Hospital	Blue Hill, ME	12 mi	not rated	(207) 374-2836
Mount Desert Island Hospital	Bar Harbor, ME	19 mi	not rated	(207) 288-5081

Straight-line miles from the center of Ellsworth. 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 Ellsworth

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.55 an hour (the Maine median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,019 a month (93% of the $4,309 monthly median income of Ellsworth households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,504 a month (313% of the $4,309 monthly median income of Ellsworth households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Maine's minimum wage is $15.10 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 Ellsworth: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Ellsworth?

Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital in Ellsworth, about 3.9 mi in a straight line from the center of Ellsworth (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (207) 667-5311. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Ellsworth?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.55 an hour (the Maine median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,019 a month (93% of the $4,309 monthly median income of Ellsworth households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,504 a month (313% of the $4,309 monthly median income of Ellsworth households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Maine's minimum wage is $15.10 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Ellsworth?

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 Ellsworth 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 Ellsworth

More senior care near Ellsworth

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Ellsworth

More for Ellsworth 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 Ellsworth, ME