Overnight Caregivers in Ames, IA: Night Care at Home

Local figures

Overnight Caregivers in Ames, IA: the local picture

3.9%

of residents 65+ have serious difficulty remembering, concentrating or deciding (3.8% in Story County)

31%

of residents 65+ in households live alone (30% in Story County)

1,000

residents 85 or older (1.5% of all residents)

1.3 mi

to the nearest hospital with an emergency department (Ames)

About 285 Ames residents 65 or older have serious difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions (3.9%; 3.8% in Story County). Confusion at night is a common reason families arrange overnight care.

2,276 older residents live alone (31% of those in households). For them an overnight caregiver means someone in the house after dark.

The nearest emergency hospital is Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, about 1.3 mi away in a straight line; keep its number and the person’s medication list by the bed.

Ames compared with Story County and Iowa

Census figure	Ames	Story County	Iowa
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty remembering	3.9%	3.8%	5.8%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	31%	30%	31%
Residents 85 or older	1.5%	1.7%	2.3%
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	3.9%	4.3%	5.1%
Residents 65+ with a disability	27%	26%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	6.5%	5.6%	8.4%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$71,689	$69,964	—

Older residents in towns around Ames

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Memory difficulty (65+)
Nevada, IA	7.8 mi	1,242	1.7%
Huxley, IA	9.1 mi	525	5.9%
Story City, IA	11 mi	722	7.6%
Boone, IA	13 mi	2,272	4.8%
Madrid, IA	15 mi	566	7.0%
Polk City, IA	18 mi	874	0.0%

Emergency hospitals near Ames

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Mary Greeley Medical Center	Ames, IA	1.3 mi	4 of 5	(515) 239-2011
Story County Hospital	Nevada, IA	9.0 mi	not rated	(515) 382-2111
Boone County Hospital	Boone, IA	14 mi	not rated	(515) 432-3140

Straight-line miles from the center of Ames. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a overnight caregiver can help with

Help to the bathroom at night and back to bed
Turning and settling someone who cannot move easily
Watching for wandering or confusion
Medication reminders at bedtime and in the morning

Cost

What overnight care costs in Ames

At $17.34 an hour (the Iowa median aide wage), a 10-hour overnight shift three nights a week comes to about $2,254 a month, and every night about $5,260 (88% of the $5,974 monthly median income of Ames households headed by someone 65+). Awake and asleep night shifts are often paid differently; agree it in writing. 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 overnight caregiver

Overnight help is usually arranged when the person gets up in the night or the family caregiver is no longer getting enough sleep. Decide first whether you need an awake caregiver, who stays up through the shift, or one who may sleep in the home and is woken when needed; the two are paid differently.

Questions worth asking: Do you stay awake through the shift, or sleep and wake when called? Have you cared for someone with dementia at night? What would you do if my parent fell during the night? More in our overnight caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Overnight Caregivers in Ames: common questions

How much does overnight care cost in Ames?

At $17.34 an hour (the Iowa median aide wage), a 10-hour overnight shift three nights a week comes to about $2,254 a month, and every night about $5,260 (88% of the $5,974 monthly median income of Ames households headed by someone 65+). Awake and asleep night shifts are often paid differently; agree it in writing. Iowa's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Overnight, live-in or 24-hour care: what is the difference?

Overnight care is a single night shift. A live-in caregiver lives 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.

More near Ames

More senior care near Ames

Overnight Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Ames

More for Ames 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.

Overnight Caregivers in Ames, IA