Live-In Caregivers in Palmer Town, MA: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Palmer Town, MA: the local picture

255

residents 85 or older (2.1% of all residents)

1,344

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

63%

of Palmer Town homes have 3 or more bedrooms (58% in Hampden County)

$15.00

Massachusetts minimum wage per hour

About 255 Palmer Town 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. 63% of homes in Palmer Town have three or more bedrooms (58% in Hampden County), while 13% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.7 rooms.

Of Palmer Town households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,344 own their home and 336 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 95 owners and 37 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Palmer Town compared with Hampden County and Massachusetts

Census figure	Palmer Town	Hampden County	Massachusetts
Residents 85 or older	2.1%	2.3%	2.2%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	33%	33%	29%
Residents 65+ with a disability	41%	35%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	11%	15%	11%
Residents 65 or older	21%	18%	18%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	3.2%	26%	25%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$48,681	$48,894	—

Older residents in towns around Palmer Town

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Ware, MA	5.2 mi	1,106	208
Wilbraham, MA	7.8 mi	1,345	198
North Brookfield, MA	13 mi	370	48
Springfield, MA	13 mi	20,464	2,452
Chicopee, MA	14 mi	10,770	1,240
Stafford Springs, CT	15 mi	1,126	88

Emergency hospitals near Palmer Town

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Baystate Wing Hospital	Palmer, MA	1.4 mi	4 of 5	(413) 283-7651
Mercy Medical Ctr	Springfield, MA	15 mi	2 of 5	(413) 748-9000
Johnson Memorial Hospital	Stafford Springs, CT	15 mi	3 of 5	(860) 684-4251

Straight-line miles from the center of Palmer Town. 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 Palmer Town

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $19.67 an hour (the Massachusetts median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,262 a month (105% of the $4,057 monthly median income of Palmer Town households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $14,320 a month (353% of the $4,057 monthly median income of Palmer Town households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Massachusetts's minimum wage is $15.00 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 Palmer Town: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Palmer Town?

Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer, about 1.4 mi in a straight line from the center of Palmer Town (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (413) 283-7651. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Palmer Town?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $19.67 an hour (the Massachusetts median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,262 a month (105% of the $4,057 monthly median income of Palmer Town households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $14,320 a month (353% of the $4,057 monthly median income of Palmer Town households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Massachusetts's minimum wage is $15.00 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Palmer Town?

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 Palmer Town 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 Palmer Town

More senior care near Palmer Town

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Palmer Town

More for Palmer Town 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 Palmer Town, MA