Live-In Caregivers in Ithaca, NY

About 300 Ithaca 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. 44% of homes in Ithaca have three or more bedrooms (56% in Tompkins County), while 31% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 4.4 rooms.

Of Ithaca households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,498 own their home and 696 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 43 owners and 87 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $19.05 an hour (the New York median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,128 a month (64% of the $6,408 monthly median income of Ithaca households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,868 a month (216% of the $6,408 monthly median income of Ithaca households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. New York's minimum wage is $17.00 in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties, $16.00 in the rest of the state (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 CDPAP in New York: how to get paid to care for a family member.