Overnight Caregivers in Fort Smith, AR: Night Care at Home

Local figures

Overnight Caregivers in Fort Smith, AR: the local picture

13%

of residents 65+ have serious difficulty remembering, concentrating or deciding (11% in Sebastian County)

32%

of residents 65+ in households live alone (28% in Sebastian County)

1,843

residents 85 or older (2.1% of all residents)

0.6 mi

to the nearest hospital with an emergency department (Fort Smith)

About 1,864 Fort Smith residents 65 or older have serious difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions (13%; 11% in Sebastian County). Confusion at night is a common reason families arrange overnight care.

4,420 older residents live alone (32% of those in households). For them an overnight caregiver means someone in the house after dark.

The nearest emergency hospital is Mercy Hospital Fort Smith in Fort Smith, about 0.6 mi away in a straight line; keep its number and the person’s medication list by the bed.

Fort Smith compared with Sebastian County and Arkansas

Census figure	Fort Smith	Sebastian County	Arkansas
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty remembering	13%	11%	9.9%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	32%	28%	29%
Residents 85 or older	2.1%	2.2%	1.8%
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	13%	11%	8.5%
Residents 65+ with a disability	43%	44%	40%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	13%	12%	12%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$44,235	$44,729	—

Older residents in towns around Fort Smith

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Memory difficulty (65+)
Barling, AR	5.5 mi	990	13%
Van Buren, AR	7.1 mi	4,133	6.4%
Pocola, OK	8.7 mi	924	12%
Roland, OK	8.9 mi	411	27%
Greenwood, AR	12 mi	1,906	7.3%
Alma, AR	13 mi	782	12%

Emergency hospitals near Fort Smith

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Mercy Hospital Fort Smith	Fort Smith, AR	0.6 mi	3 of 5	(479) 314-6000
Baptist Health - Fort Smith	Fort Smith, AR	2.5 mi	2 of 5	(479) 441-4000
Baptist Health - Van Buren	Van Buren, AR	7.6 mi	not rated	(479) 474-3401

Straight-line miles from the center of Fort Smith. 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 Fort Smith

At $13.30 an hour (the Arkansas median aide wage), a 10-hour overnight shift three nights a week comes to about $1,729 a month, and every night about $4,034 (109% of the $3,686 monthly median income of Fort Smith households headed by someone 65+). Awake and asleep night shifts are often paid differently; agree it in writing. Arkansas's minimum wage is $11.00 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 Fort Smith: common questions

How much does overnight care cost in Fort Smith?

At $13.30 an hour (the Arkansas median aide wage), a 10-hour overnight shift three nights a week comes to about $1,729 a month, and every night about $4,034 (109% of the $3,686 monthly median income of Fort Smith households headed by someone 65+). Awake and asleep night shifts are often paid differently; agree it in writing. Arkansas's minimum wage is $11.00 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 Fort Smith

More senior care near Fort Smith

Overnight Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Fort Smith

More for Fort Smith 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 Fort Smith, AR