Personal Care in Petal, MS: Help With Bathing & Dressing

Local figures

Personal Care in Petal, MS: the local picture

16%

of residents 65+ have difficulty dressing or bathing (12% in Forrest County)

33%

of residents 65+ have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs (34% in Forrest County)

219

residents 85 or older (1.9% of all residents)

7

Medicare-certified home health agencies list Petal ZIP codes in their service area

About 267 Petal residents aged 65 or older have difficulty dressing or bathing (16%; 12% in Forrest County). The Census Bureau calls this a self-care difficulty, and it is what personal care is for.

542 have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs (33%), so many personal care visits also mean help getting to the bathroom or shower safely.

219 of the 1,713 older residents are 85 or older; needs for hands-on help rise with age.

Petal compared with Forrest County and Mississippi

Census figure	Petal	Forrest County	Mississippi
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	16%	12%	8.8%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty walking	33%	34%	28%
Residents 85 or older	1.9%	1.2%	1.7%
Residents 65+ with a disability	49%	47%	41%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	26%	28%	30%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	12%	14%	15%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$56,833	$49,275	—

Older residents in towns around Petal

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Self-care difficulty (65+)
Hattiesburg, MS	5.6 mi	6,399	12%
West Hattiesburg, MS	8.8 mi	709	15%
Ellisville, MS	17 mi	850	23%
Laurel, MS	24 mi	2,504	13%
Wiggins, MS	34 mi	598	24%
Columbia, MS	35 mi	1,375	19%

Home health agencies with aides serving Petal

Agency	Office	Distance	CMS quality stars	Services listed	Phone
Adoration Home Health	Collins, MS	29 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(601) 765-8316
Mississippi Homecare	Hattiesburg, MS	8.8 mi	3.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(601) 268-8450
Forrest General Home Care	Hattiesburg, MS	8.8 mi	3.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(601) 288-4344
Enhabit Home Health & Hospice	Hattiesburg, MS	8.8 mi	3.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(601) 268-0408
Mississippi Homecare Of Richton	Richton, MS	19 mi	3 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(601) 788-2912
Deaconess Homecare- Region I	Laurel, MS	25 mi	3 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(601) 649-2231

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

What it covers

What a personal care aide can help with

Bathing or showering, with a shower chair if needed
Dressing and undressing
Toileting and incontinence care
Grooming: hair, shaving and oral care

Cost

What personal care costs in Petal

At the Mississippi median aide wage of $11.47 an hour, 20 hours of help a week comes to about $994 a month in wages, which is 21% of the $4,736 monthly median income of Petal households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. Mississippi has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

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 personal care aide

The Census Bureau asks whether a person has difficulty dressing or bathing, which it calls a self-care difficulty; it is the clearest sign that someone needs personal care. Medicare does not pay for personal care when it is the only care needed (Medicare.gov), but many state Medicaid programs do for people who qualify.

Questions worth asking: How do you protect a client’s dignity during bathing and toileting? Are you trained in safe transfers? Can you keep the same morning or evening hours each day? More in our personal care guide.

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

Questions

Personal Care in Petal: common questions

How much does personal care cost in Petal?

At the Mississippi median aide wage of $11.47 an hour, 20 hours of help a week comes to about $994 a month in wages, which is 21% of the $4,736 monthly median income of Petal households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. Mississippi has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

What is the difference between personal care and companion care?

Companion care is company and help around the house. Personal care is hands-on help with the body: bathing, dressing, toileting and grooming. Many caregivers offer both; say in your posting which you need.

More near Petal

More senior care near Petal

Personal Care in nearby cities

Other care in Petal

More for Petal 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.

In-Home Personal Care in Petal, MS