My uncle's caregivers were 24 hours. There were 3, later 2, who worked as a team. The best caregivers at the time were from word of mouth. They worked in shifts. Two had families and one was single. When one left the other two decided against a third person. They worked 3 1/2 days each, 24 hours. My uncle had dementia and couldn't be left alone.
When dad was alive mom and an 8 hour caregiver so dad could go out about his business, swim daily, visit the local newspaper for which he wrote a column. Her medical condition was shaky but having a caregiver made them both feel more secure. After dad died mom had 24 hour caregivers, 4 women who broke up the hours themselves. She really didn't need that much care, was afraid of a medical emergency or a fall when she was by herself.
Both people paid for their care themselves. They didn't qualify for Medicare to pay because they owned their own homes in SoCal.
I was the one who paid all the bills.
Nancy