Live-In Caregivers in Merrill, WI: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Merrill, WI: the local picture

347

residents 85 or older (3.7% of all residents)

855

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (67%)

54%

of Merrill homes have 3 or more bedrooms (63% in Lincoln County)

$7.25

Wisconsin minimum wage per hour

About 347 Merrill 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. 54% of homes in Merrill have three or more bedrooms (63% in Lincoln County), while 17% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.4 rooms.

Of Merrill households headed by someone 65 or older, 855 own their home and 423 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 138 owners and 57 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Merrill compared with Lincoln County and Wisconsin

Census figure	Merrill	Lincoln County	Wisconsin
Residents 85 or older	3.7%	2.9%	2.1%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	35%	29%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	35%	30%	28%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	22%	12%	9.1%
Residents 65 or older	22%	24%	19%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	3.5%	2.4%	9.0%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$37,153	$51,661	—

Older residents in towns around Merrill

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Maine, WI	8.5 mi	519	61
Wausau, WI	15 mi	7,741	1,120
Rib Mountain, WI	20 mi	1,821	110
Tomahawk, WI	21 mi	659	99
Weston, WI	21 mi	3,060	555
Rothschild, WI	22 mi	999	113

Emergency hospitals near Merrill

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Aspirus Merrill Hospital	Merrill, WI	0.5 mi	not rated	(715) 536-5511
Aspirus Wausau Hospital	Wausau, WI	15 mi	4 of 5	(715) 847-2000
Marshfield Medical Center - Weston	Weston, WI	20 mi	3 of 5	(715) 393-3000

Straight-line miles from the center of Merrill. 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 Merrill

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.47 an hour (the Wisconsin median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,785 a month (122% of the $3,096 monthly median income of Merrill households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,718 a month (411% of the $3,096 monthly median income of Merrill households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Wisconsin'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 IRIS in Wisconsin: how a family member gets paid as a caregiver.

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 Merrill: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Merrill?

Aspirus Merrill Hospital in Merrill, about 0.5 mi in a straight line from the center of Merrill (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (715) 536-5511. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Merrill?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.47 an hour (the Wisconsin median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,785 a month (122% of the $3,096 monthly median income of Merrill households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,718 a month (411% of the $3,096 monthly median income of Merrill households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Wisconsin'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 Merrill?

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 Merrill 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 Merrill

More senior care near Merrill

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Merrill

More for Merrill 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 Merrill, WI