Allentown Senior AdvisorBy Allentown Senior Advisor Care Team · September 1, 2026
Pennsylvania has two assisted-living-style licenses. In Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties DHS lists 68 personal care homes and only 2 assisted living residences. The license decides what care a building can give, whether units are private, and how long a resident can age in place.
Two licenses, one everyday phrase
Families searching for 'assisted living in Allentown' find dozens of results, and almost all of them lead to buildings Pennsylvania licenses as personal care homes. The state created a separate assisted living residence license in 2011, under 55 Pa. Code Chapter 2800, for buildings willing to meet tougher standards. The older personal care home license under Chapter 2600 still covers the large majority of homes.
The difference is not marketing. Pennsylvania law reserves the phrase 'assisted living' for Chapter 2800 licensees, which means a personal care home should not use it in its name or written materials. In practice the phrase is everywhere online, so the license on the wall is the only reliable label.
What the Lehigh Valley's licenses look like
We pulled every personal care home and assisted living residence license in DHS's Human Services Provider Directory for the three counties on November 6, 2026. The result: 70 licenses with 5,255 resident places between them.
| County | Personal care homes | Assisted living residences | Licensed resident places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lehigh County | 34 | 1 | 2,406 |
| Northampton County | 29 | 1 | 2,517 |
| Carbon County | 5 | 0 | 332 |
The handful of assisted living residence licenses are the exception. Several of the region's most modern buildings, with private apartments and on-site nurses, still hold personal care home licenses because converting costs money and the personal care home rules give operators more flexibility.
What a personal care home can and cannot do
A personal care home provides a room, meals, supervision and help with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing and medications. Chapter 2600 sets a floor on care time: at least one hour of personal care a day for each resident who can get around and two hours for residents with mobility needs.
What a personal care home cannot do is provide ongoing skilled nursing with its own staff. When a resident needs daily wound care, injections or round-the-clock nursing, a home health agency may fill the gap for a while, but eventually the home may issue a 30-day discharge notice and recommend a nursing home.
What an assisted living residence adds
An assisted living residence must give each resident a private unit with a bathroom and space for a small kitchen: at least 225 square feet in buildings constructed after January 2011. It must have a nurse available in the building or on call and a dietitian on staff or under contract.
The larger difference is philosophy. The Chapter 2800 rules were written so residents can age in place, with the residence arranging supplemental health care services as needs grow. A resident might stay in an ALR through needs that would push them out of a personal care home.
Why it matters for your family's budget
Personal care homes usually cost less than assisted living residences because rooms can be shared and the building requirements are lighter. CareScout's 2025 survey puts the Pennsylvania median for assisted living communities at about $6,352 a month; no Lehigh Valley figure is published.
Neither license is paid for by Pennsylvania's Medicaid long-term care program. Community HealthChoices does not cover room and board in either setting, so plan on private payment, long-term care insurance, VA benefits or, for very low incomes, SSI with the state's personal care home supplement.
Dual licenses and mixed campuses
Some Lehigh Valley campuses combine several licenses: a personal care home wing, a secured dementia unit, sometimes an assisted living residence, and a nursing home certified by CMS next door. Pennsylvania allows a personal care home and an assisted living residence in distinct parts of one building to hold a dual license, but the residence may not separate or move residents because of how they pay.
On a mixed campus, ask which license covers the room your parent would live in, and what happens to the room if needs change. A move from personal care to the nursing wing may be a short walk, but it is a different license, a different contract and usually a different payment source.
Questions to ask on the tour
Ask to see the posted certificate and confirm the license type and capacity. Ask what nursing staff the building actually employs and on which shifts, regardless of license. Ask which changes in your parent's health would lead to a 30-day discharge notice, and whether the home has kept residents with similar needs before.
Finally, ask the price for each care level in writing. Comparing a personal care home's all-in rate with an assisted living residence's core package plus supplemental services takes a careful side-by-side, and the cheapest quote on day one is not always the cheapest a year later.
How to check which license a building holds
Search the building's name in DHS's provider directory or open its page in our directory. The record shows whether it is a personal care home or an assisted living residence, its maximum capacity, whether its certificate includes a secured dementia unit, and links to every posted inspection report.
If the brochure says assisted living and the certificate says personal care home, ask the administrator what that means for your parent's care plan, especially about nursing needs and discharge.
Frequently asked questions
Is a personal care home the same as assisted living in Pennsylvania?
No. They are separate DHS licenses; only a Chapter 2800 assisted living residence may use the term assisted living, and it must offer private units and nurse availability that a personal care home does not need.
Which is better, a personal care home or an assisted living residence?
Neither is better for everyone. An ALR lets residents stay longer as needs grow; a well-run personal care home can offer excellent daily care at a lower price.
Does Medicaid pay for either one?
Not for room and board. Community HealthChoices waiver services do not pay personal care home or assisted living room and board.
How do I know which license a home has?
Look it up in DHS's Human Services Provider Directory or our directory, or ask to see the certificate posted in the home.
Can a personal care home have a nurse on staff?
Yes. Many do, even though Chapter 2600 does not require one; ask what the nurse's hours are.
