Stroke Recovery Care in West Plains, MO: Help at Home

Local figures

Stroke Recovery Support in West Plains, MO: the local picture

0.7 mi

to the nearest hospital with an emergency department (West Plains)

32%

of residents 65+ have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs (25% in Howell County)

10%

of residents 65+ have difficulty dressing or bathing (7.5% in Howell County)

6

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

Hospitals with an emergency department near West Plains: Ozarks Healthcare in West Plains (0.7 mi); Mercy St Francis Hospital in Mountain View (20 mi); Baxter Health Fulton County Hospital in Salem (25 mi). With stroke signs, call 911 rather than driving.

215 West Plains residents 65 or older have difficulty dressing or bathing (10%; 7.5% in Howell County), and 680 have serious difficulty walking: the two kinds of help most often needed in the weeks after a stroke.

West Plains compared with Howell County and Missouri

Census figure	West Plains	Howell County	Missouri
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	10%	7.5%	6.4%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty walking	32%	25%	21%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty remembering	12%	9.7%	8.0%
Residents 65 or older	19%	20%	18%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	44%	31%	30%
Households with no vehicle	9.2%	6.1%	6.6%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$27,188	$36,839	—

Older residents in towns around West Plains

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Self-care difficulty (65+)
Mountain View, MO	20 mi	741	3.8%
Cherokee Village, AR	35 mi	1,626	8.1%
Mountain Grove, MO	35 mi	1,069	13%
Horseshoe Bend, AR	37 mi	806	7.6%
Mountain Home, AR	40 mi	4,330	7.4%
Ava, MO	47 mi	621	13%

Hospitals near West Plains

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Ozarks Healthcare	West Plains, MO	0.7 mi	2 of 5	(417) 256-9111
Mercy St Francis Hospital	Mountain View, MO	20 mi	not rated	(417) 934-7000
Baxter Health Fulton County Hospital	Salem, AR	25 mi	not rated	(870) 895-2691
Baxter Health	Mountain Home, AR	40 mi	2 of 5	(870) 508-1000

Home health agencies serving West Plains

Agency	Office	Distance	CMS quality stars	Services listed	Phone
Centerwell Home Health	Rolla, MO	84 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(573) 341-3456
Elara Caring	Dexter, MO	106 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(866) 243-0042
Phoenix Home Care And Hospice	Springfield, MO	82 mi	4 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work	(417) 881-7442
Ozarks Healthcare At Home, Home Health	West Plains, MO	0.7 mi	3.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(417) 256-3133
Spring River Home Health Agency, Inc	Thayer, MO	23 mi	3 of 5	—	(417) 821-1182

Straight-line miles from the center of West Plains. 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 West Plains

At the Missouri median aide wage of $15.90 an hour, 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,378 a month in wages, which is 61% of the $2,266 monthly median income of West Plains households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. Missouri's minimum wage is $15.00 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 Consumer Directed Services in Missouri: how a relative becomes a paid 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 West Plains: common questions

How much does stroke recovery support cost in West Plains?

At the Missouri median aide wage of $15.90 an hour, 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,378 a month in wages, which is 61% of the $2,266 monthly median income of West Plains households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. Missouri's minimum wage is $15.00 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 West Plains

More senior care near West Plains

Stroke Recovery Support in nearby cities

Other care in West Plains

More for West Plains 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 West Plains, MO