Live-In Caregivers in Forrest City, AR: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Forrest City, AR: the local picture

149

residents 85 or older (1.2% of all residents)

625

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (68%)

62%

of Forrest City homes have 3 or more bedrooms (68% in St. Francis County)

$11.00

Arkansas minimum wage per hour

About 149 Forrest City 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. 62% of homes in Forrest City have three or more bedrooms (68% in St. Francis County), while 6.7% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.2 rooms.

Of Forrest City households headed by someone 65 or older, 625 own their home and 295 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 45 owners and 12 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Forrest City compared with St. Francis County and Arkansas

Census figure	Forrest City	St. Francis County	Arkansas
Residents 85 or older	1.2%	1.5%	1.8%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	42%	31%	29%
Residents 65+ with a disability	45%	43%	40%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	25%	20%	12%
Residents 65 or older	12%	18%	18%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	4.3%	2.8%	8.3%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$27,889	$35,293	—

Older residents in towns around Forrest City

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Wynne, AR	15 mi	1,332	109
Marianna, AR	17 mi	614	65
Brinkley, AR	24 mi	648	153
Helena-West Helena, AR	35 mi	1,622	170
West Memphis, AR	35 mi	3,648	250
Marion, AR	36 mi	1,714	213

Emergency hospitals near Forrest City

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Forrest City Medical Center	Forrest City, AR	0.4 mi	not rated	(870) 261-0000
Crossridge Community Hospital	Wynne, AR	15 mi	not rated	(870) 238-3300
Helena Regional Medical Center	Helena, AR	35 mi	not rated	(870) 338-5800

Straight-line miles from the center of Forrest City. 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 Forrest City

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $13.30 an hour (the Arkansas median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,882 a month (124% of the $2,324 monthly median income of Forrest City households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $9,682 a month (417% of the $2,324 monthly median income of Forrest City households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Arkansas's minimum wage is $11.00 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 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 Forrest City: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Forrest City?

Forrest City Medical Center in Forrest City, about 0.4 mi in a straight line from the center of Forrest City (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (870) 261-0000. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Forrest City?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $13.30 an hour (the Arkansas median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,882 a month (124% of the $2,324 monthly median income of Forrest City households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $9,682 a month (417% of the $2,324 monthly median income of Forrest City households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Arkansas's minimum wage is $11.00 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Forrest City?

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 Forrest City 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 Forrest City

More senior care near Forrest City

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Forrest City

More for Forrest City 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 Forrest City, AR