Stroke Recovery Support at Home in West Columbia, SC

Hospitals with an emergency department near West Columbia: Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia (0.7 mi); Prisma Health Baptist in Columbia (3.8 mi); Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown in Columbia (6.0 mi). With stroke signs, call 911 rather than driving.

343 West Columbia residents 65 or older have difficulty dressing or bathing (9.3%; 6.7% in Lexington County), and 1,054 have serious difficulty walking: the two kinds of help most often needed in the weeks after a stroke.

At the South Carolina median aide wage of $14.48 an hour, 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,255 a month in wages, which is 32% of the $3,930 monthly median income of West Columbia households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. South Carolina 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.