Live-In Caregivers in South Berwick, ME: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in South Berwick, ME: the local picture

76

residents 85 or older (2.2% of all residents)

264

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (81%)

65%

of South Berwick homes have 3 or more bedrooms (62% in York County)

$15.10

Maine minimum wage per hour

About 76 South Berwick 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. 65% of homes in South Berwick have three or more bedrooms (62% in York County), while 8.1% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 6.1 rooms.

Of South Berwick households headed by someone 65 or older, 264 own their home and 60 rent. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

South Berwick compared with York County and Maine

Census figure	South Berwick	York County	Maine
Residents 85 or older	2.2%	2.2%	2.3%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	41%	27%	29%
Residents 65+ with a disability	33%	28%	31%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	11%	8.1%	9.4%
Residents 65 or older	16%	22%	22%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	8.2%	5.7%	6.0%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$51,250	$59,150	—

Older residents in towns around South Berwick

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Somersworth, NH	4.8 mi	1,700	52
Dover, NH	5.3 mi	5,597	673
South Eliot, ME	6.6 mi	1,380	95
Durham, NH	8.8 mi	802	133
York Harbor, ME	9.7 mi	981	228
Kittery, ME	10 mi	1,402	427

Emergency hospitals near South Berwick

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Wentworth-Douglass Hospital	Dover, NH	5.3 mi	4 of 5	(603) 740-2580
York Hospital	York, ME	8.8 mi	4 of 5	(207) 351-2478
Frisbie Memorial Hospital	Rochester, NH	10 mi	3 of 5	(603) 332-5211

Straight-line miles from the center of South Berwick. 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 South Berwick

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.55 an hour (the Maine median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,019 a month (94% of the $4,271 monthly median income of South Berwick households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,504 a month (316% of the $4,271 monthly median income of South Berwick households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Maine's minimum wage is $15.10 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 South Berwick: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to South Berwick?

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, about 5.3 mi in a straight line from the center of South Berwick (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (603) 740-2580. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in South Berwick?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $18.55 an hour (the Maine median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,019 a month (94% of the $4,271 monthly median income of South Berwick households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $13,504 a month (316% of the $4,271 monthly median income of South Berwick households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Maine's minimum wage is $15.10 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in South Berwick?

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 South Berwick 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 South Berwick

More senior care near South Berwick

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in South Berwick

More for South Berwick 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 South Berwick, ME