Live-In Caregivers in Iowa, LA: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Iowa, LA: the local picture

27

residents 85 or older (0.8% of all residents)

333

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (87%)

83%

of Iowa homes have 3 or more bedrooms (73% in Calcasieu Parish)

$7.25

Louisiana minimum wage per hour

About 27 Iowa 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. 83% of homes in Iowa have three or more bedrooms (73% in Calcasieu Parish); the median home has 5.8 rooms.

Of Iowa households headed by someone 65 or older, 333 own their home and 48 rent. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Iowa compared with Calcasieu Parish and Louisiana

Census figure	Iowa	Calcasieu Parish	Louisiana
Residents 85 or older	0.8%	1.6%	1.7%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	19%	30%	31%
Residents 65+ with a disability	35%	35%	38%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	14%	13%	15%
Residents 65 or older	20%	16%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	11%	6.5%	8.5%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$51,171	$47,011	—

Older residents in towns around Iowa

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Welsh, LA	12 mi	570	61
Lake Charles, LA	12 mi	13,747	1,715
Moss Bluff, LA	13 mi	2,510	122
Westlake, LA	15 mi	1,137	65
Prien, LA	17 mi	1,009	133
Sulphur, LA	21 mi	3,603	397

Emergency hospitals near Iowa

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Christus Ochsner St Patrick Hospital	Lake Charles, LA	11 mi	3 of 5	(337) 436-2511
Lake Charles Memorial Hospital	Lake Charles, LA	11 mi	3 of 5	(337) 494-3000
Christus Ochsner Lake Area Hospital	Lake Charles, LA	13 mi	not rated	(337) 474-6370

Straight-line miles from the center of Iowa. 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 Iowa

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $10.83 an hour (the Louisiana median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,347 a month (55% of the $4,264 monthly median income of Iowa households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $7,884 a month (185% of the $4,264 monthly median income of Iowa households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Louisiana has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (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 Iowa: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Iowa?

Christus Ochsner St Patrick Hospital in Lake Charles, about 11 mi in a straight line from the center of Iowa (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (337) 436-2511. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Iowa?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $10.83 an hour (the Louisiana median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,347 a month (55% of the $4,264 monthly median income of Iowa households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $7,884 a month (185% of the $4,264 monthly median income of Iowa households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Louisiana has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Iowa?

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 Iowa 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 Iowa

More senior care near Iowa

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Iowa

More for Iowa 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 Iowa, LA