Live-In Caregivers in Red Oak, IA: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Red Oak, IA: the local picture

245

residents 85 or older (4.4% of all residents)

541

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

45%

of Red Oak homes have 3 or more bedrooms (56% in Montgomery County)

$7.25

Iowa minimum wage per hour

About 245 Red Oak 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. 45% of homes in Red Oak have three or more bedrooms (56% in Montgomery County), while 10% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.5 rooms.

Of Red Oak households headed by someone 65 or older, 541 own their home and 182 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 104 owners and 37 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Red Oak compared with Montgomery County and Iowa

Census figure	Red Oak	Montgomery County	Iowa
Residents 85 or older	4.4%	3.8%	2.3%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	39%	33%	31%
Residents 65+ with a disability	48%	37%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	12%	8.1%	8.4%
Residents 65 or older	19%	23%	18%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	4.1%	2.5%	9.1%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$33,072	$46,325	—

Older residents in towns around Red Oak

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Shenandoah, IA	19 mi	1,280	250
Clarinda, IA	22 mi	1,227	237
Glenwood, IA	27 mi	1,116	217
Atlantic, IA	28 mi	1,632	242
Plattsmouth, NE	35 mi	1,093	208
Council Bluffs, IA	36 mi	10,951	1,120

Emergency hospitals near Red Oak

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Montgomery County Memorial Hospital	Red Oak, IA	0.5 mi	not rated	(712) 623-7000
Shenandoah Medical Center	Shenandoah, IA	19 mi	not rated	(712) 246-1230
Clarinda Regional Health Center	Clarinda, IA	21 mi	4 of 5	(712) 542-2176

Straight-line miles from the center of Red Oak. 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 Red Oak

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.34 an hour (the Iowa median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,757 a month (136% of the $2,756 monthly median income of Red Oak households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,624 a month (458% of the $2,756 monthly median income of Red Oak households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Iowa'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 Red Oak: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Red Oak?

Montgomery County Memorial Hospital in Red Oak, about 0.5 mi in a straight line from the center of Red Oak (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (712) 623-7000. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Red Oak?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $17.34 an hour (the Iowa median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,757 a month (136% of the $2,756 monthly median income of Red Oak households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,624 a month (458% of the $2,756 monthly median income of Red Oak households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Iowa'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 Red Oak?

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 Red Oak 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 Red Oak

More senior care near Red Oak

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Red Oak

More for Red Oak 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 Red Oak, IA