Live-In Caregivers in Fitzgerald, GA: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Fitzgerald, GA: the local picture

116

residents 85 or older (1.3% of all residents)

647

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (69%)

61%

of Fitzgerald homes have 3 or more bedrooms (65% in Ben Hill County)

$7.25

Georgia minimum wage per hour

About 116 Fitzgerald 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. 61% of homes in Fitzgerald have three or more bedrooms (65% in Ben Hill County), while 9.7% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.6 rooms.

Of Fitzgerald households headed by someone 65 or older, 647 own their home and 294 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 50 owners and 9 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Fitzgerald compared with Ben Hill County and Georgia

Census figure	Fitzgerald	Ben Hill County	Georgia
Residents 85 or older	1.3%	1.5%	1.4%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	36%	32%	26%
Residents 65+ with a disability	33%	28%	34%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	21%	19%	11%
Residents 65 or older	17%	18%	15%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	5.0%	7.1%	15%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$28,519	$33,208	—

Older residents in towns around Fitzgerald

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Ocilla, GA	7.9 mi	499	77
Abbeville, GA	20 mi	349	46
Tifton, GA	23 mi	2,845	223
Ashburn, GA	24 mi	955	33
Douglas, GA	27 mi	1,671	133
McRae-Helena, GA	32 mi	1,115	81

Emergency hospitals near Fitzgerald

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Dorminy Medical Center	Fitzgerald, GA	0.8 mi	not rated	(229) 424-7100
Irwin County Hospital	Ocilla, GA	8.3 mi	not rated	(229) 468-3845
Dodge County Hospital	Eastman, GA	34 mi	not rated	(478) 448-4067

Straight-line miles from the center of Fitzgerald. 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 Fitzgerald

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $14.07 an hour (the Georgia median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,049 a month (128% of the $2,377 monthly median income of Fitzgerald households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $10,243 a month (431% of the $2,377 monthly median income of Fitzgerald households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Georgia's state rate is lower than the federal one, so employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act pay at least the federal $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor).

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 Fitzgerald: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Fitzgerald?

Dorminy Medical Center in Fitzgerald, about 0.8 mi in a straight line from the center of Fitzgerald (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (229) 424-7100. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Fitzgerald?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $14.07 an hour (the Georgia median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,049 a month (128% of the $2,377 monthly median income of Fitzgerald households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $10,243 a month (431% of the $2,377 monthly median income of Fitzgerald households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Georgia's state rate is lower than the federal one, so employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act pay at least the federal $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Fitzgerald?

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 Fitzgerald 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 Fitzgerald

More senior care near Fitzgerald

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Fitzgerald

More for Fitzgerald 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 Fitzgerald, GA