Stroke Recovery Care in Portage, WI: Help at Home

Local figures

Stroke Recovery Support in Portage, WI: the local picture

0.3 mi

to the nearest hospital with an emergency department (Portage)

29%

of residents 65+ have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs (13% in Columbia County)

13%

of residents 65+ have difficulty dressing or bathing (4.0% in Columbia County)

8

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

Hospitals with an emergency department near Portage: Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital in Portage (0.3 mi); Ssm Health St Clare Hospital - Baraboo in Baraboo (15 mi); Sauk Prairie Hospital in Prairie Du Sac (22 mi). With stroke signs, call 911 rather than driving.

181 Portage residents 65 or older have difficulty dressing or bathing (13%; 4.0% in Columbia County), and 404 have serious difficulty walking: the two kinds of help most often needed in the weeks after a stroke.

Portage compared with Columbia County and Wisconsin

Census figure	Portage	Columbia County	Wisconsin
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	13%	4.0%	5.3%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty walking	29%	13%	16%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty remembering	12%	5.5%	5.7%
Residents 65 or older	15%	20%	19%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	41%	27%	30%
Households with no vehicle	7.0%	4.4%	6.4%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$38,264	$57,885	—

Older residents in towns around Portage

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Self-care difficulty (65+)
Poynette, WI	11 mi	379	1.6%
Lake Wisconsin, WI	14 mi	1,234	2.1%
Baraboo, WI	15 mi	2,610	6.9%
Lake Delton, WI	16 mi	781	3.5%
Lodi, WI	17 mi	877	0.1%
Wisconsin Dells, WI	17 mi	555	0.0%

Hospitals near Portage

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital	Portage, WI	0.3 mi	3 of 5	(608) 742-4131
Ssm Health St Clare Hospital - Baraboo	Baraboo, WI	15 mi	4 of 5	(608) 356-1400
Sauk Prairie Hospital	Prairie Du Sac, WI	22 mi	5 of 5	(608) 643-3311
Reedsburg Area Medical Center	Reedsburg, WI	27 mi	5 of 5	(608) 524-6487

Home health agencies serving Portage

Agency	Office	Distance	CMS quality stars	Services listed	Phone
Aveanna Home Health	Baraboo, WI	15 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, home health aides	(608) 356-7570
Interim Healthcare Of Wisconsin	Madison, WI	36 mi	3.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(608) 238-0268
Aspirus At Home	Wausau, WI	99 mi	3.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(715) 847-2600
Ssm Health At Home Home Health-Wisconsin	Madison, WI	36 mi	3 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(800) 924-2273
Commonheart Home Health	Waukesha, WI	71 mi	2.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(920) 261-7108

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

What it covers

What a caregiver for stroke recovery can help with

Help with bathing, dressing and meals
Safe walking and transfers
Rides to rehabilitation and follow-up appointments
Practising the exercises therapists set

Cost

What stroke recovery support costs in Portage

At the Wisconsin median aide wage of $17.47 an hour, 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,514 a month in wages, which is 47% of the $3,189 monthly median income of Portage households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. Wisconsin'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 IRIS in Wisconsin: how a family member gets paid as a caregiver.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a caregiver for stroke recovery

More than 795,000 people in the U.S. have a stroke every year, about 610,000 of them for the first time (CDC). Many go home to recover.

Questions worth asking: Have you cared for someone after a stroke? How do you help with one-sided weakness during transfers? Can you drive to rehabilitation appointments? More in our stroke recovery support guide.

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

Questions

Stroke Recovery Support in Portage: common questions

How much does stroke recovery support cost in Portage?

At the Wisconsin median aide wage of $17.47 an hour, 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,514 a month in wages, which is 47% of the $3,189 monthly median income of Portage households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. Wisconsin's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

What does a caregiver do after a stroke?

Helps with personal care, meals and moving safely, takes the person to therapy, helps them practise what therapists set, and keeps the family informed. Medical and therapy decisions stay with the care team.

More near Portage

More senior care near Portage

Stroke Recovery Support in nearby cities

Other care in Portage

More for Portage 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.

Stroke Recovery Support at Home in Portage, WI