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

Local figures

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

8,199

residents 85 or older (1.3% of all residents)

43,727

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (70%)

58%

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

$7.25

Tennessee minimum wage per hour

About 8,199 Memphis 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. 58% of homes in Memphis have three or more bedrooms (66% in Shelby County), while 14% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.4 rooms.

Of Memphis households headed by someone 65 or older, 43,727 own their home and 18,914 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 3,862 owners and 1,750 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Memphis compared with Shelby County and Tennessee

Census figure	Memphis	Shelby County	Tennessee
Residents 85 or older	1.3%	1.5%	1.6%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	38%	33%	29%
Residents 65+ with a disability	35%	33%	36%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	17%	13%	11%
Residents 65 or older	14%	15%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	11%	11%	8.6%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$45,532	$54,632	—

Older residents in towns around Memphis

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Germantown, TN	11 mi	9,854	1,365
Southaven, MS	11 mi	7,431	568
Horn Lake, MS	12 mi	2,935	128
Bartlett, TN	12 mi	10,412	1,094
Olive Branch, MS	13 mi	6,291	626
West Memphis, AR	13 mi	3,648	250

Emergency hospitals near Memphis

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Methodist Hospitals Of Memphis	Memphis, TN	2.6 mi	3 of 5	(901) 516-8274
Memphis Va Medical Center	Memphis, TN	4.6 mi	3 of 5	(901) 523-8990
Delta Specialty Hospital	Memphis, TN	4.6 mi	not rated	(901) 369-8100

Straight-line miles from the center of Memphis. 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 Memphis

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 (88% of the $3,794 monthly median income of Memphis 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 (296% of the $3,794 monthly median income of Memphis 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 Memphis: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Memphis?

Methodist Hospitals Of Memphis in Memphis, about 2.6 mi in a straight line from the center of Memphis (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (901) 516-8274. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Memphis?

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 (88% of the $3,794 monthly median income of Memphis 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 (296% of the $3,794 monthly median income of Memphis 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 Memphis?

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 Memphis 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 Memphis

More senior care near Memphis

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Memphis

More for Memphis 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 Memphis, TN