Overnight Caregivers in Dunkirk, NY: Night Care at Home

Local figures

Overnight Caregivers in Dunkirk, NY: the local picture

6.2%

of residents 65+ have serious difficulty remembering, concentrating or deciding (7.5% in Chautauqua County)

35%

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

197

residents 85 or older (1.6% of all residents)

0.5 mi

to the nearest hospital with an emergency department (Dunkirk)

About 148 Dunkirk residents 65 or older have serious difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions (6.2%; 7.5% in Chautauqua County). Confusion at night is a common reason families arrange overnight care.

803 older residents live alone (35% of those in households). For them an overnight caregiver means someone in the house after dark.

The nearest emergency hospital is Brooks-Tlc Hospital System, Inc in Dunkirk, about 0.5 mi away in a straight line; keep its number and the person’s medication list by the bed.

Dunkirk compared with Chautauqua County and New York

Census figure	Dunkirk	Chautauqua County	New York
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty remembering	6.2%	7.5%	8.2%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	35%	31%	29%
Residents 85 or older	1.6%	2.5%	2.2%
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	7.7%	6.6%	8.3%
Residents 65+ with a disability	31%	32%	32%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	18%	11%	13%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$45,811	$48,647	—

Older residents in towns around Dunkirk

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Memory difficulty (65+)
Fredonia, NY	2.8 mi	1,883	9.5%
Silver Creek, NY	9.3 mi	307	14%
Lake Erie Beach, NY	16 mi	809	4.7%
Westfield, NY	17 mi	762	12%
Gowanda, NY	20 mi	497	5.8%
Highland-on-the-Lake, NY	23 mi	842	5.9%

Emergency hospitals near Dunkirk

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Brooks-Tlc Hospital System, Inc	Dunkirk, NY	0.5 mi	1 of 5	(716) 366-1111
Westfield Memorial Hospital, Inc	Westfield, NY	16 mi	not rated	(716) 326-4921
Westfield Memorial Hospital, Inc	Westfield, NY	16 mi	not rated	(716) 326-4921

Straight-line miles from the center of Dunkirk. 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 Dunkirk

At $19.05 an hour (the New York median aide wage), a 10-hour overnight shift three nights a week comes to about $2,477 a month, and every night about $5,779 (151% of the $3,818 monthly median income of Dunkirk households headed by someone 65+). Awake and asleep night shifts are often paid differently; agree it in writing. New York's minimum wage is $17.00 in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties, $16.00 in the rest of the state (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 CDPAP in New York: how to get paid to care for a family member.

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 Dunkirk: common questions

How much does overnight care cost in Dunkirk?

At $19.05 an hour (the New York median aide wage), a 10-hour overnight shift three nights a week comes to about $2,477 a month, and every night about $5,779 (151% of the $3,818 monthly median income of Dunkirk households headed by someone 65+). Awake and asleep night shifts are often paid differently; agree it in writing. New York's minimum wage is $17.00 in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties, $16.00 in the rest of the state (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 Dunkirk

More senior care near Dunkirk

Overnight Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Dunkirk

More for Dunkirk 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 Dunkirk, NY