Live-In Caregivers in Poteau, OK: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Poteau, OK: the local picture

168

residents 85 or older (1.9% of all residents)

664

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (75%)

66%

of Poteau homes have 3 or more bedrooms (70% in Le Flore County)

$7.25

Oklahoma minimum wage per hour

About 168 Poteau 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. 66% of homes in Poteau have three or more bedrooms (70% in Le Flore County), while 7.9% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.4 rooms.

Of Poteau households headed by someone 65 or older, 664 own their home and 221 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 76 owners and 23 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Poteau compared with Le Flore County and Oklahoma

Census figure	Poteau	Le Flore County	Oklahoma
Residents 85 or older	1.9%	1.4%	1.6%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	40%	30%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	43%	45%	41%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	7.7%	13%	11%
Residents 65 or older	16%	18%	16%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	13%	6.5%	12%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$42,552	$41,884	—

Older residents in towns around Poteau

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Heavener, OK	12 mi	426	53
Pocola, OK	15 mi	924	81
Greenwood, AR	23 mi	1,906	225
Muldrow, OK	23 mi	509	56
Fort Smith, AR	24 mi	14,381	1,843
Roland, OK	25 mi	411	60

Emergency hospitals near Poteau

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Eastern Oklahoma Medical Center	Poteau, OK	0.4 mi	4 of 5	(918) 647-8167
Mercy Hospital Fort Smith	Fort Smith, AR	23 mi	3 of 5	(479) 314-6000
Baptist Health - Fort Smith	Fort Smith, AR	24 mi	2 of 5	(479) 441-4000

Straight-line miles from the center of Poteau. 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 Poteau

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $13.32 an hour (the Oklahoma median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,886 a month (81% of the $3,546 monthly median income of Poteau households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $9,697 a month (273% of the $3,546 monthly median income of Poteau households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Oklahoma'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 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 Poteau: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Poteau?

Eastern Oklahoma Medical Center in Poteau, about 0.4 mi in a straight line from the center of Poteau (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (918) 647-8167. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Poteau?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $13.32 an hour (the Oklahoma median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,886 a month (81% of the $3,546 monthly median income of Poteau households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $9,697 a month (273% of the $3,546 monthly median income of Poteau households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Oklahoma'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 Poteau?

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 Poteau 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 Poteau

More senior care near Poteau

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Poteau

More for Poteau 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 Poteau, OK