Live-In Caregivers in Portsmouth, VA

About 1,540 Portsmouth 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. 61% of homes in Portsmouth have three or more bedrooms, while 9.9% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.7 rooms.

Of Portsmouth households headed by someone 65 or older, 7,764 own their home and 2,562 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 881 owners and 218 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $14.57 an hour (the Virginia median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,157 a month (79% of the $3,986 monthly median income of Portsmouth households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $10,607 a month (266% of the $3,986 monthly median income of Portsmouth households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Virginia's minimum wage is $12.77 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 Consumer directed care in Virginia: how relatives are paid to give care through CCC Plus.