Live-In Caregivers in Smithsburg, MD: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Smithsburg, MD: the local picture

14

residents 85 or older (0.4% of all residents)

145

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (71%)

79%

of Smithsburg homes have 3 or more bedrooms (68% in Washington County)

$15.00

Maryland minimum wage per hour

About 14 Smithsburg 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. 79% of homes in Smithsburg have three or more bedrooms (68% in Washington County), while 5.5% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 7.1 rooms.

Of Smithsburg households headed by someone 65 or older, 145 own their home and 58 rent. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Smithsburg compared with Washington County and Maryland

Census figure	Smithsburg	Washington County	Maryland
Residents 85 or older	0.4%	2.1%	1.9%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	27%	28%	27%
Residents 65+ with a disability	26%	32%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	17%	9.0%	9.5%
Residents 65 or older	11%	18%	17%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	4.3%	9.4%	21%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$45,547	$56,121	—

Older residents in towns around Smithsburg

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Robinwood, MD	4.8 mi	1,273	194
Paramount-Long Meadow, MD	6.2 mi	468	72
Wayne Heights, PA	6.6 mi	483	126
Waynesboro, PA	6.7 mi	1,607	141
Fountainhead-Orchard Hills, MD	7.7 mi	1,362	77
Hagerstown, MD	7.7 mi	6,354	707

Emergency hospitals near Smithsburg

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Meritus Medical Center	Hagerstown, MD	6.0 mi	3 of 5	(240) 313-9500
Wellspan Waynesboro Hospital	Waynesboro, PA	7.5 mi	4 of 5	(717) 765-4000
Frederick Health Hospital	Frederick, MD	19 mi	3 of 5	(240) 566-3300

Straight-line miles from the center of Smithsburg. 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 Smithsburg

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.29 an hour (the Maryland median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,963 a month (104% of the $3,796 monthly median income of Smithsburg households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,315 a month (351% of the $3,796 monthly median income of Smithsburg households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Maryland'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 Smithsburg: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Smithsburg?

Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown, about 6.0 mi in a straight line from the center of Smithsburg (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (240) 313-9500. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Smithsburg?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.29 an hour (the Maryland median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,963 a month (104% of the $3,796 monthly median income of Smithsburg households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,315 a month (351% of the $3,796 monthly median income of Smithsburg households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Maryland'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 Smithsburg?

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 Smithsburg 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 Smithsburg

More senior care near Smithsburg

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Smithsburg

More for Smithsburg families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year (small-place figures carry wide margins of error); 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 Smithsburg, MD