Live-In Caregivers in Gary, IN: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Gary, IN: the local picture

1,545

residents 85 or older (2.3% of all residents)

6,883

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (74%)

55%

of Gary homes have 3 or more bedrooms (66% in Lake County)

$7.25

Indiana minimum wage per hour

About 1,545 Gary 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. 55% of homes in Gary have three or more bedrooms (66% in Lake County), while 9.0% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.2 rooms.

Of Gary households headed by someone 65 or older, 6,883 own their home and 2,443 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 884 owners and 210 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Gary compared with Lake County and Indiana

Census figure	Gary	Lake County	Indiana
Residents 85 or older	2.3%	2.0%	1.9%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	39%	29%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	37%	32%	33%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	18%	11%	9.1%
Residents 65 or older	19%	18%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	6.1%	15%	10%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$42,274	$53,273	—

Older residents in towns around Gary

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Ross, IN	4.1 mi	1,051	122
Lake Station, IN	5.0 mi	1,648	154
Griffith, IN	5.9 mi	2,974	186
Hobart, IN	6.5 mi	4,478	489
Highland, IN	6.5 mi	5,096	918
East Chicago, IN	6.8 mi	3,676	514

Emergency hospitals near Gary

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Methodist Hospitals Inc	Gary, IN	0.8 mi	1 of 5	(219) 886-4000
St Mary Medical Center Inc	Hobart, IN	6.6 mi	3 of 5	(219) 947-6196
Regional Mental Health Center	Merrillville, IN	6.6 mi	not rated	(219) 769-4005

Straight-line miles from the center of Gary. 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 Gary

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $16.86 an hour (the Indiana median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,653 a month (104% of the $3,523 monthly median income of Gary households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,274 a month (348% of the $3,523 monthly median income of Gary households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Indiana'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 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 Gary: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Gary?

Methodist Hospitals Inc in Gary, about 0.8 mi in a straight line from the center of Gary (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (219) 886-4000. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Gary?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $16.86 an hour (the Indiana median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,653 a month (104% of the $3,523 monthly median income of Gary households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,274 a month (348% of the $3,523 monthly median income of Gary households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Indiana'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 Gary?

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 Gary 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 Gary

More senior care near Gary

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Gary

More for Gary 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 Gary, IN