Live-In Caregivers in Pontiac, IL: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Pontiac, IL: the local picture

391

residents 85 or older (3.5% of all residents)

1,158

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (74%)

56%

of Pontiac homes have 3 or more bedrooms (65% in Livingston County)

$15.00

Illinois minimum wage per hour

About 391 Pontiac 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. 56% of homes in Pontiac have three or more bedrooms (65% in Livingston County), while 11% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.7 rooms.

Of Pontiac households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,158 own their home and 403 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 145 owners and 118 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Pontiac compared with Livingston County and Illinois

Census figure	Pontiac	Livingston County	Illinois
Residents 85 or older	3.5%	2.9%	2.0%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	44%	33%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	32%	32%	32%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	8.7%	7.2%	10%
Residents 65 or older	21%	20%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	4.1%	4.0%	24%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$42,724	$55,965	—

Older residents in towns around Pontiac

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Fairbury, IL	12 mi	754	205
Dwight, IL	18 mi	766	103
Streator, IL	19 mi	2,679	321
El Paso, IL	22 mi	501	109
Marseilles, IL	27 mi	813	117
Normal, IL	31 mi	6,501	886

Emergency hospitals near Pontiac

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Carle Bromenn Medical Center	Normal, IL	32 mi	3 of 5	(309) 454-1400
Gibson Community Hospital	Gibson City, IL	33 mi	4 of 5	(217) 784-4251
St Joseph Medical Center	Bloomington, IL	34 mi	2 of 5	(309) 662-3311

Straight-line miles from the center of Pontiac. 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 Pontiac

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.30 an hour (the Illinois median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,965 a month (111% of the $3,560 monthly median income of Pontiac households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,322 a month (374% of the $3,560 monthly median income of Pontiac households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Illinois'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 Pontiac: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Pontiac?

Carle Bromenn Medical Center in Normal, about 32 mi in a straight line from the center of Pontiac (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (309) 454-1400. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Pontiac?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.30 an hour (the Illinois median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,965 a month (111% of the $3,560 monthly median income of Pontiac households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,322 a month (374% of the $3,560 monthly median income of Pontiac households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Illinois'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 Pontiac?

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 Pontiac 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 Pontiac

More senior care near Pontiac

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Pontiac

More for Pontiac 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 Pontiac, IL