Overnight Caregivers in Merritt Island, FL

Local figures

Overnight Caregivers in Merritt Island, FL: the local picture

9.3%

of residents 65+ have serious difficulty remembering, concentrating or deciding (7.7% in Brevard County)

20%

of residents 65+ in households live alone (26% in Brevard County)

1,135

residents 85 or older (3.2% of all residents)

4.2 mi

to the nearest hospital with an emergency department (Cocoa Beach)

About 876 Merritt Island residents 65 or older have serious difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions (9.3%; 7.7% in Brevard County). Confusion at night is a common reason families arrange overnight care.

1,897 older residents live alone (20% of those in households). For them an overnight caregiver means someone in the house after dark.

The nearest emergency hospital is Cape Canaveral Hospital in Cocoa Beach, about 4.2 mi away in a straight line; keep its number and the person’s medication list by the bed.

Merritt Island compared with Brevard County and Florida

Census figure	Merritt Island	Brevard County	Florida
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty remembering	9.3%	7.7%	7.6%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	20%	26%	25%
Residents 85 or older	3.2%	3.0%	2.6%
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	7.2%	6.8%	6.4%
Residents 65+ with a disability	35%	33%	31%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	7.2%	8.1%	12%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$75,371	$58,980	—

Older residents in towns around Merritt Island

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Memory difficulty (65+)
Cocoa Beach, FL	3.3 mi	4,128	4.7%
Rockledge, FL	3.9 mi	7,233	7.4%
Viera East, FL	4.0 mi	3,985	9.2%
Viera West, FL	5.9 mi	4,051	2.0%
Cocoa West, FL	6.7 mi	859	12%
Cocoa, FL	7.1 mi	4,259	16%

Emergency hospitals near Merritt Island

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Cape Canaveral Hospital	Cocoa Beach, FL	4.2 mi	3 of 5	(321) 799-7111
Viera Hospital	Melbourne, FL	7.1 mi	5 of 5	(321) 434-9000
Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital	Melbourne, FL	12 mi	3 of 5	(321) 752-1200

Straight-line miles from the center of Merritt Island. 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 Merritt Island

At $16.25 an hour (the Florida median aide wage), a 10-hour overnight shift three nights a week comes to about $2,113 a month, and every night about $4,929 (78% of the $6,281 monthly median income of Merritt Island households headed by someone 65+). Awake and asleep night shifts are often paid differently; agree it in writing. Florida's minimum wage rose to $15.00 an hour on September 30, 2026, under Article X, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution.

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 How to get paid to take care of a family member in Florida: SMMC LTC and the PDO.

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 Merritt Island: common questions

How much does overnight care cost in Merritt Island?

At $16.25 an hour (the Florida median aide wage), a 10-hour overnight shift three nights a week comes to about $2,113 a month, and every night about $4,929 (78% of the $6,281 monthly median income of Merritt Island households headed by someone 65+). Awake and asleep night shifts are often paid differently; agree it in writing. Florida's minimum wage rose to $15.00 an hour on September 30, 2026, under Article X, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution.

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 Merritt Island

More senior care near Merritt Island

Overnight Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Merritt Island

More for Merritt Island 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.