Allentown Senior AdvisorBy Allentown Senior Advisor Care Team · October 26, 2026
Of the 70 licensed homes in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, the median holds 72 residents. Small homes offer consistent faces and a household feel; large ones offer activities, staff depth and dementia units. Larger homes do not have worse inspection records once size is considered.
The size spread
The same Chapter 2600 license covers a converted house with eight residents and a campus with more than two hundred. Both face the same annual DHS inspection, the same minimum care hours and the same resident rights. Daily life inside them could hardly be more different.
| Licensed capacity | Homes | with a dementia unit | Median violations, latest report |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 or fewer | 8 | 0 | 3.5 |
| 17 to 49 | 14 | 4 | 3.5 |
| 50 to 99 | 27 | 12 | 2.0 |
| 100 or more | 21 | 13 | 2.0 |
The median violation counts are similar across sizes, and slightly lower for the larger homes, even though larger homes have more residents, records and staff for inspectors to check.
What small homes do well
Small homes tend to have the same few caregivers every day, flexible routines, home-style meals at one table and owners who know every family. For a parent who is shy, anxious or easily overwhelmed, that can be the difference between settling in and struggling.
They are often less expensive, and some are more willing to accept residents who receive SSI with the state supplement.
Where small homes fall short
With a small staff, one call-out matters. Activities are fewer, transportation may be limited, and none of the smallest homes in the Lehigh Valley has a secured dementia unit, so a parent whose dementia progresses may have to move.
A small home also depends heavily on its owner. Ask what happens when the owner is away and whether there is a plan if the home is sold.
What large communities do well
Large homes offer a full activity calendar, on-site wellness staff, transportation, salons, chapels, multiple room types and often a dementia unit to move into later without leaving the building. Staff depth means a call-out is less likely to leave a floor short.
Many are part of continuing care campuses with a nursing home on site, which helps if needs change.
Where large communities fall short
Turnover, busy mealtimes and level-of-care pricing are the common complaints. A resident who needs more help may be reassessed into a higher level, and the bill can climb even when the base rate does not. Ask how often reassessments happen and what each level adds.
Large dining rooms can also be hard for people with hearing loss or early dementia.
Middle-sized homes
Between the eight-resident house and the two-hundred-resident campus sits the largest group in the Lehigh Valley: homes of 50 to 99 residents. Many have a secured dementia unit, a dedicated activities staff and a nurse on weekdays, while still being small enough for staff to know every resident by name.
If you are torn between a small home and a large community, tour one of these as well. It may offer the balance your parent needs.
Changes of ownership
Ownership changes affect homes of every size. When a home is sold, the new owner must apply for its own license, and policies, staffing and prices can change. DHS's directory shows the legal entity on each license; our facility pages print it where it differs from the home's name.
Ask any home how long the current owner has operated it, and whether a sale is planned. Families have a right to know who is responsible for their parent's care.
Visiting tips for each size
In a small home, notice whether the owner or manager is present, whether residents are up and dressed by mid-morning, and how meals are served. In a large community, ask to see the specific floor or wing your parent would live on rather than the model apartment, and count staff in the dining room at lunch.
In both, ask residents how long they have lived there and whether they would choose it again. Their answers are often the most honest review available.
How to choose
Match the home to your parent rather than to a brochure. Visit one small and one large home at mealtime, read the latest DHS inspection summary for each, and ask both the same questions about staffing, pricing and discharge.
Our directory can sort every licensed home by capacity, dementia unit and latest violations, so you can build a shortlist of each kind in minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Are small personal care homes safer?
Not inherently; inspection results in the Lehigh Valley are similar across sizes. Read each home's reports.
Do small homes have memory care?
The smallest Lehigh Valley homes have no secured dementia unit; larger homes are more likely to.
Are large homes more expensive?
Often, especially with level-of-care pricing, but room type matters as much as size.
What is the median size of a Lehigh Valley personal care home?
About 72 residents.
Do small homes accept residents with SSI?
Some do; small and nonprofit homes are the most likely to keep beds for SSI residents. Ask each home.
How many small personal care homes are in the Lehigh Valley?
DHS lists only a handful of homes licensed for 16 or fewer residents in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties; most licensed homes hold 50 or more residents.
