Live-In Caregivers in Lake Wales, FL: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Lake Wales, FL: the local picture

377

residents 85 or older (2.2% of all residents)

1,975

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (76%)

53%

of Lake Wales homes have 3 or more bedrooms (63% in Polk County)

$15.00

Florida minimum wage per hour

About 377 Lake Wales 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. 53% of homes in Lake Wales have three or more bedrooms (63% in Polk County), while 12% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.1 rooms.

Of Lake Wales households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,975 own their home and 627 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 94 owners and 44 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Lake Wales compared with Polk County and Florida

Census figure	Lake Wales	Polk County	Florida
Residents 85 or older	2.2%	2.1%	2.6%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	25%	24%	25%
Residents 65+ with a disability	31%	32%	31%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	21%	12%	12%
Residents 65 or older	27%	20%	21%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	26%	28%	31%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$52,031	$50,939	—

Older residents in towns around Lake Wales

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Crooked Lake Park, FL	6.3 mi	352	26
Dundee, FL	6.7 mi	915	62
Alturas, FL	7.4 mi	851	9
Cypress Gardens, FL	8.0 mi	1,846	362
Wahneta, FL	8.3 mi	384	0
Grenelefe, FL	9.4 mi	541	42

Emergency hospitals near Lake Wales

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Adventhealth Lake Wales	Lake Wales, FL	1.7 mi	2 of 5	(863) 676-1433
Winter Haven Hospital	Winter Haven, FL	12 mi	3 of 5	(863) 293-1121
Bartow Regional Medical Center	Bartow, FL	13 mi	3 of 5	(863) 533-8111

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

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $16.25 an hour (the Florida median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,521 a month (81% of the $4,336 monthly median income of Lake Wales households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,830 a month (273% of the $4,336 monthly median income of Lake Wales households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Florida's minimum wage rose to $15.00 an hour on September 30, 2026, under Article X, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution.

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 How to get paid to take care of a family member in Florida: SMMC LTC and the PDO.

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 Wales: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Lake Wales?

Adventhealth Lake Wales in Lake Wales, about 1.7 mi in a straight line from the center of Lake Wales (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (863) 676-1433. In an emergency, call 911.

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

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $16.25 an hour (the Florida median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,521 a month (81% of the $4,336 monthly median income of Lake Wales households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,830 a month (273% of the $4,336 monthly median income of Lake Wales households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Florida's minimum wage rose to $15.00 an hour on September 30, 2026, under Article X, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution.

Live-in or 24-hour care in Lake Wales?

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 Wales 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 Wales

More senior care near Lake Wales

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Lake Wales

More for Lake Wales 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 Wales, FL