Overnight Caregivers in Columbus, KS: Night Care at Home

Local figures

Overnight Caregivers in Columbus, KS: the local picture

5.3%

of residents 65+ have serious difficulty remembering, concentrating or deciding (9.4% in Cherokee County)

45%

of residents 65+ in households live alone (31% in Cherokee County)

117

residents 85 or older (4.1% of all residents)

2.5 mi

to the nearest hospital with an emergency department (Columbus)

About 28 Columbus residents 65 or older have serious difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions (5.3%; 9.4% in Cherokee County). Confusion at night is a common reason families arrange overnight care.

234 older residents live alone (45% of those in households). For them an overnight caregiver means someone in the house after dark.

The nearest emergency hospital is Mercy Hospital Columbus in Columbus, about 2.5 mi away in a straight line; keep its number and the person’s medication list by the bed.

Columbus compared with Cherokee County and Kansas

Census figure	Columbus	Cherokee County	Kansas
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty remembering	5.3%	9.4%	7.4%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	45%	31%	30%
Residents 85 or older	4.1%	1.8%	2.0%
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	4.2%	6.0%	5.6%
Residents 65+ with a disability	50%	37%	33%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	25%	15%	8.8%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$26,182	$41,494	—

Older residents in towns around Columbus

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Memory difficulty (65+)
Baxter Springs, KS	12 mi	636	5.4%
Galena, KS	13 mi	480	14%
Carl Junction, MO	17 mi	1,201	9.5%
Pittsburg, KS	19 mi	2,600	14%
Miami, OK	20 mi	1,945	10%
Joplin, MO	20 mi	10,195	9.5%

Emergency hospitals near Columbus

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Mercy Hospital Columbus	Columbus, KS	2.5 mi	not rated	(620) 429-2545
Mercy Hospital Pittsburg, Inc	Pittsburg, KS	17 mi	3 of 5	(620) 231-6100
Mercy Hospital Joplin	Joplin, MO	20 mi	1 of 5	(417) 781-2727

Straight-line miles from the center of Columbus. 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 Columbus

At $15.03 an hour (the Kansas median aide wage), a 10-hour overnight shift three nights a week comes to about $1,954 a month, and every night about $4,559 (209% of the $2,182 monthly median income of Columbus households headed by someone 65+). Awake and asleep night shifts are often paid differently; agree it in writing. Kansas'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 Columbus: common questions

How much does overnight care cost in Columbus?

At $15.03 an hour (the Kansas median aide wage), a 10-hour overnight shift three nights a week comes to about $1,954 a month, and every night about $4,559 (209% of the $2,182 monthly median income of Columbus households headed by someone 65+). Awake and asleep night shifts are often paid differently; agree it in writing. Kansas'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 Columbus

More senior care near Columbus

Overnight Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Columbus

More for Columbus 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 Columbus, KS