Live-In Caregivers in St. Helens, OR: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in St. Helens, OR: the local picture

284

residents 85 or older (2.0% of all residents)

912

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

65%

of St. Helens homes have 3 or more bedrooms (72% in Columbia County)

$16.80

top Oregon minimum wage tier per hour

About 284 St. Helens 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 St. Helens have three or more bedrooms (72% in Columbia County), while 6.8% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.5 rooms.

Of St. Helens households headed by someone 65 or older, 912 own their home and 365 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 133 owners and 70 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

St. Helens compared with Columbia County and Oregon

Census figure	St. Helens	Columbia County	Oregon
Residents 85 or older	2.0%	2.2%	2.1%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	26%	24%	27%
Residents 65+ with a disability	38%	33%	34%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	13%	7.7%	9.9%
Residents 65 or older	16%	20%	19%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	7.8%	4.7%	15%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$47,309	$56,667	—

Older residents in towns around St. Helens

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Woodland, WA	5.3 mi	1,246	45
La Center, WA	6.8 mi	550	38
Scappoose, OR	7.3 mi	1,279	174
Ridgefield, WA	7.5 mi	1,689	163
Felida, WA	11 mi	1,774	134
Kalama, WA	11 mi	590	36

Emergency hospitals near St. Helens

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center	Vancouver, WA	13 mi	4 of 5	(360) 487-1000
Peacehealth St John Medical Center	Longview, WA	22 mi	4 of 5	(360) 414-2000
Legacy Emanuel Medical Center	Portland, OR	22 mi	3 of 5	(503) 413-2200

Straight-line miles from the center of St. Helens. 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 St. Helens

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $21.35 an hour (the Oregon median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,626 a month (117% of the $3,942 monthly median income of St. Helens households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $15,543 a month (394% of the $3,942 monthly median income of St. Helens households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Oregon's minimum wage is $16.80 in the Portland metro area, $15.55 in the standard state rate, $14.55 in non-urban counties (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 St. Helens: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to St. Helens?

Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center in Vancouver, about 13 mi in a straight line from the center of St. Helens (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (360) 487-1000. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in St. Helens?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $21.35 an hour (the Oregon median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $4,626 a month (117% of the $3,942 monthly median income of St. Helens households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $15,543 a month (394% of the $3,942 monthly median income of St. Helens households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Oregon's minimum wage is $16.80 in the Portland metro area, $15.55 in the standard state rate, $14.55 in non-urban counties (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in St. Helens?

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 St. Helens 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 St. Helens

More senior care near St. Helens

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in St. Helens

More for St. Helens 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 St. Helens, OR