Live-In Caregivers in Lakeland, TN: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Lakeland, TN: the local picture

250

residents 85 or older (1.8% of all residents)

1,205

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (84%)

87%

of Lakeland homes have 3 or more bedrooms (66% in Shelby County)

$7.25

Tennessee minimum wage per hour

About 250 Lakeland 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. 87% of homes in Lakeland have three or more bedrooms (66% in Shelby County); the median home has 7.2 rooms.

Of Lakeland households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,205 own their home and 230 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 103 owners and 0 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Lakeland compared with Shelby County and Tennessee

Census figure	Lakeland	Shelby County	Tennessee
Residents 85 or older	1.8%	1.5%	1.6%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	28%	33%	29%
Residents 65+ with a disability	22%	33%	36%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	0.8%	13%	11%
Residents 65 or older	17%	15%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	15%	11%	8.6%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$64,803	$54,632	—

Older residents in towns around Lakeland

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Arlington, TN	3.7 mi	1,414	91
Bartlett, TN	5.7 mi	10,412	1,094
Oakland, TN	11 mi	1,720	151
Millington, TN	11 mi	1,927	327
Atoka, TN	12 mi	1,272	88
Germantown, TN	13 mi	9,854	1,365

Emergency hospitals near Lakeland

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Saint Francis Bartlett Medical Center	Bartlett, TN	6.0 mi	1 of 5	(901) 820-7050
Baptist Memorial Hospital	Memphis, TN	13 mi	3 of 5	(901) 226-5000
St Francis Hospital	Memphis, TN	14 mi	1 of 5	(901) 765-1000

Straight-line miles from the center of Lakeland. 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 Lakeland

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $15.45 an hour (the Tennessee median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,348 a month (62% of the $5,400 monthly median income of Lakeland households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,248 a month (208% of the $5,400 monthly median income of Lakeland households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Tennessee 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 TennCare CHOICES: how to get paid to care for a family member in Tennessee.

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 Lakeland: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Lakeland?

Saint Francis Bartlett Medical Center in Bartlett, about 6.0 mi in a straight line from the center of Lakeland (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (901) 820-7050. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Lakeland?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $15.45 an hour (the Tennessee median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,348 a month (62% of the $5,400 monthly median income of Lakeland households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,248 a month (208% of the $5,400 monthly median income of Lakeland households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Tennessee 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 Lakeland?

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 Lakeland 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 Lakeland

More senior care near Lakeland

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Lakeland

More for Lakeland 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 Lakeland, TN