Live-In Caregivers in Ruston, LA: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Ruston, LA: the local picture

435

residents 85 or older (2.0% of all residents)

1,388

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (72%)

54%

of Ruston homes have 3 or more bedrooms (63% in Lincoln Parish)

$7.25

Louisiana minimum wage per hour

About 435 Ruston 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. 54% of homes in Ruston have three or more bedrooms (63% in Lincoln Parish), while 16% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 4.7 rooms.

Of Ruston households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,388 own their home and 530 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 191 owners and 109 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Ruston compared with Lincoln Parish and Louisiana

Census figure	Ruston	Lincoln Parish	Louisiana
Residents 85 or older	2.0%	1.6%	1.7%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	45%	37%	31%
Residents 65+ with a disability	30%	33%	38%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	12%	13%	15%
Residents 65 or older	12%	14%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	5.2%	4.5%	8.5%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$37,184	$46,321	—

Older residents in towns around Ruston

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Grambling, LA	4.3 mi	558	161
Arcadia, LA	17 mi	585	97
Jonesboro, LA	21 mi	756	188
Farmerville, LA	22 mi	844	201
Claiborne, LA	26 mi	1,938	75
Bawcomville, LA	27 mi	476	22

Emergency hospitals near Ruston

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Northern Louisiana Medical Center	Ruston, LA	0.5 mi	2 of 5	(318) 254-2100
Bienville Medical Center	Arcadia, LA	17 mi	not rated	(318) 263-4700
Jackson Parish Hospital	Jonesboro, LA	20 mi	not rated	(318) 259-4435

Straight-line miles from the center of Ruston. 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 Ruston

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $10.83 an hour (the Louisiana median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,347 a month (76% of the $3,099 monthly median income of Ruston households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $7,884 a month (254% of the $3,099 monthly median income of Ruston households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Louisiana has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

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 Ruston: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Ruston?

Northern Louisiana Medical Center in Ruston, about 0.5 mi in a straight line from the center of Ruston (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (318) 254-2100. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Ruston?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $10.83 an hour (the Louisiana median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,347 a month (76% of the $3,099 monthly median income of Ruston households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $7,884 a month (254% of the $3,099 monthly median income of Ruston households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Louisiana has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Ruston?

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 Ruston 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 Ruston

More senior care near Ruston

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Ruston

More for Ruston 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 Ruston, LA