Live-In Caregivers in Fort Atkinson, WI: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Fort Atkinson, WI: the local picture

249

residents 85 or older (2.0% of all residents)

1,159

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (71%)

66%

of Fort Atkinson homes have 3 or more bedrooms (68% in Jefferson County)

$7.25

Wisconsin minimum wage per hour

About 249 Fort Atkinson 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. 66% of homes in Fort Atkinson have three or more bedrooms (68% in Jefferson County), while 8.2% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 6 rooms.

Of Fort Atkinson households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,159 own their home and 463 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 156 owners and 25 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Fort Atkinson compared with Jefferson County and Wisconsin

Census figure	Fort Atkinson	Jefferson County	Wisconsin
Residents 85 or older	2.0%	1.5%	2.1%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	39%	30%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	33%	27%	28%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	16%	8.2%	9.1%
Residents 65 or older	19%	19%	19%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	14%	6.3%	9.0%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$46,786	$59,050	—

Older residents in towns around Fort Atkinson

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Jefferson, WI	5.8 mi	1,261	163
Whitewater, WI	8.2 mi	1,592	141
Lake Mills, WI	11 mi	1,189	102
Johnson Creek, WI	11 mi	364	18
Milton, WI	11 mi	935	82
Edgerton, WI	13 mi	1,046	172

Emergency hospitals near Fort Atkinson

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Fort Memorial Hospital	Fort Atkinson, WI	0.1 mi	4 of 5	(920) 568-5000
Edgerton Hospital And Health Services	Edgerton, WI	13 mi	not rated	(608) 884-3441
Mercy Health System Corp	Janesville, WI	16 mi	3 of 5	(608) 756-6161

Straight-line miles from the center of Fort Atkinson. 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 Fort Atkinson

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.47 an hour (the Wisconsin median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,785 a month (97% of the $3,899 monthly median income of Fort Atkinson households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,718 a month (326% of the $3,899 monthly median income of Fort Atkinson households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Wisconsin's minimum wage is $7.25 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 IRIS in Wisconsin: how a family member gets paid as a caregiver.

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 Fort Atkinson: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Fort Atkinson?

Fort Memorial Hospital in Fort Atkinson, about 0.1 mi in a straight line from the center of Fort Atkinson (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (920) 568-5000. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Fort Atkinson?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.47 an hour (the Wisconsin median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,785 a month (97% of the $3,899 monthly median income of Fort Atkinson households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,718 a month (326% of the $3,899 monthly median income of Fort Atkinson households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Wisconsin's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Fort Atkinson?

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 Fort Atkinson 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 Fort Atkinson

More senior care near Fort Atkinson

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Fort Atkinson

More for Fort Atkinson 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 Fort Atkinson, WI