Live-In Caregivers in Harlan, IA: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Harlan, IA: the local picture

286

residents 85 or older (5.8% of all residents)

557

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (73%)

66%

of Harlan homes have 3 or more bedrooms (71% in Shelby County)

$7.25

Iowa minimum wage per hour

About 286 Harlan 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 Harlan have three or more bedrooms (71% in Shelby County), while 12% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 6.1 rooms.

Of Harlan households headed by someone 65 or older, 557 own their home and 209 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 82 owners and 88 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Harlan compared with Shelby County and Iowa

Census figure	Harlan	Shelby County	Iowa
Residents 85 or older	5.8%	4.0%	2.3%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	47%	31%	31%
Residents 65+ with a disability	24%	23%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	24%	16%	8.4%
Residents 65 or older	24%	23%	18%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	4.1%	2.7%	9.1%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$32,500	$53,889	—

Older residents in towns around Harlan

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Atlantic, IA	24 mi	1,632	242
Denison, IA	25 mi	1,109	189
Missouri Valley, IA	30 mi	529	125
Carroll, IA	38 mi	2,456	466
Carter Lake, IA	39 mi	650	100
Council Bluffs, IA	39 mi	10,951	1,120

Emergency hospitals near Harlan

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Myrtue Medical Center	Harlan, IA	0.9 mi	3 of 5	(712) 755-5161
Audubon County Memorial Hospital	Audubon, IA	22 mi	not rated	(712) 563-2611
Manning Regional Healthcare Center	Manning, IA	23 mi	not rated	(712) 655-2072

Straight-line miles from the center of Harlan. 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 Harlan

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.34 an hour (the Iowa median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,757 a month (139% of the $2,708 monthly median income of Harlan households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,624 a month (466% of the $2,708 monthly median income of Harlan households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Iowa'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 Harlan: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Harlan?

Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, about 0.9 mi in a straight line from the center of Harlan (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (712) 755-5161. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Harlan?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.34 an hour (the Iowa median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,757 a month (139% of the $2,708 monthly median income of Harlan households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,624 a month (466% of the $2,708 monthly median income of Harlan households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Iowa'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 Harlan?

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 Harlan 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 Harlan

More senior care near Harlan

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Harlan

More for Harlan 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 Harlan, IA