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

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Lake Station, IN: the local picture

154

residents 85 or older (1.2% of all residents)

1,013

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (94%)

71%

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

$7.25

Indiana minimum wage per hour

About 154 Lake Station 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. 71% of homes in Lake Station have three or more bedrooms (66% in Lake County), while 5.0% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.3 rooms.

Of Lake Station households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,013 own their home and 60 rent. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Lake Station compared with Lake County and Indiana

Census figure	Lake Station	Lake County	Indiana
Residents 85 or older	1.2%	2.0%	1.9%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	29%	29%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	40%	32%	33%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	13%	11%	9.1%
Residents 65 or older	12%	18%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	22%	15%	10%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$39,656	$53,273	—

Older residents in towns around Lake Station

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Portage, IN	4.0 mi	6,098	460
Hobart, IN	4.5 mi	4,478	489
Gary, IN	5.0 mi	12,880	1,545
South Haven, IN	6.4 mi	957	141
Ross, IN	7.0 mi	1,051	122
Merrillville, IN	7.9 mi	7,540	796

Emergency hospitals near Lake Station

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
St Mary Medical Center Inc	Hobart, IN	3.5 mi	3 of 5	(219) 947-6196
Methodist Hospitals Inc	Gary, IN	4.7 mi	1 of 5	(219) 886-4000
Regional Mental Health Center	Merrillville, IN	7.6 mi	not rated	(219) 769-4005

Straight-line miles from the center of Lake Station. 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 Lake Station

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 (111% of the $3,305 monthly median income of Lake Station 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 (371% of the $3,305 monthly median income of Lake Station 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 Lake Station: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Lake Station?

St Mary Medical Center Inc in Hobart, about 3.5 mi in a straight line from the center of Lake Station (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (219) 947-6196. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Lake Station?

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 (111% of the $3,305 monthly median income of Lake Station 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 (371% of the $3,305 monthly median income of Lake Station 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 Lake Station?

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 Lake Station 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 Lake Station

More senior care near Lake Station

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Lake Station

More for Lake Station 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 Lake Station, IN