Live-In Caregivers in Meadow Lake, NM: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Meadow Lake, NM: the local picture

85

residents 85 or older (2.0% of all residents)

283

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (80%)

72%

of Meadow Lake homes have 3 or more bedrooms (77% in Valencia County)

$12.00

New Mexico minimum wage per hour

About 85 Meadow Lake 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. 72% of homes in Meadow Lake have three or more bedrooms (77% in Valencia County), while 7.7% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.4 rooms.

Of Meadow Lake households headed by someone 65 or older, 283 own their home and 70 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 85 owners and 0 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Meadow Lake compared with Valencia County and New Mexico

Census figure	Meadow Lake	Valencia County	New Mexico
Residents 85 or older	2.0%	1.6%	2.0%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	55%	25%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	39%	43%	38%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	32%	14%	13%
Residents 65 or older	11%	19%	19%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	60%	28%	31%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$18,681	$50,919	—

Older residents in towns around Meadow Lake

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
El Cerro Mission, NM	4.8 mi	722	11
Peralta, NM	6.8 mi	646	91
El Cerro, NM	7.3 mi	907	29
Bosque Farms, NM	8.2 mi	906	92
Los Chaves, NM	12 mi	1,077	127
Los Lunas, NM	12 mi	3,556	400

Emergency hospitals near Meadow Lake

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Va New Mexico Healthcare System	Albuquerque, NM	19 mi	3 of 5	(505) 256-2889
Unm Hospital	Albuquerque, NM	19 mi	2 of 5	(505) 272-2111
Presbyterian Hospital	Albuquerque, NM	19 mi	2 of 5	(505) 724-8386

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

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $13.71 an hour (the New Mexico median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,971 a month (191% of the $1,557 monthly median income of Meadow Lake households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $9,981 a month (641% of the $1,557 monthly median income of Meadow Lake households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. New Mexico's minimum wage is $12.00 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 Meadow Lake: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Meadow Lake?

Va New Mexico Healthcare System in Albuquerque, about 19 mi in a straight line from the center of Meadow Lake (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (505) 256-2889. In an emergency, call 911.

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

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $13.71 an hour (the New Mexico median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,971 a month (191% of the $1,557 monthly median income of Meadow Lake households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $9,981 a month (641% of the $1,557 monthly median income of Meadow Lake households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. New Mexico's minimum wage is $12.00 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

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

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 Meadow Lake 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 Meadow Lake

More senior care near Meadow Lake

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Meadow Lake

More for Meadow Lake 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 Meadow Lake, NM