Allentown Senior AdvisorWhat does senior care cost in the Lehigh Valley?
CareScout's 2025 Pennsylvania medians are about $6,352 a month for an assisted living community, $11,954 for a semi-private nursing home room, $6,483 for 44 hours a week of home care and $2,535 for adult day health care; no Allentown-area or memory care median is published.
Last verified: October 2026| Care type (Pennsylvania, 2025) | Annual median | About per month | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assisted living community | $76,218 | $6,352 | 4% over 2024; national median $74,400 |
| Home care, non-medical caregiver (44 hrs/week) | $77,792 | $6,483 | about $34 an hour; national $80,080 |
| Adult day health care | $30,420 | $2,535 | national $24,700 |
| Nursing home, semi-private room | $143,445 | $11,954 | about $393 a day; national $114,975 |
| Nursing home, private room | $164,250 | $13,688 | about $450 a day; national $129,575 |
Source: CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey, released March 2, 2026. CareScout's 2025 release reports Pennsylvania statewide medians only. It publishes no Allentown or Lehigh Valley figure, so we do not print one.
Who pays for senior care in Pennsylvania?
Most families pay privately at first; Medicare covers short skilled nursing stays, home health and hospice; Medical Assistance, delivered through Community HealthChoices, pays for nursing home care and home and community-based services; LIFE serves eligible adults 55 and older in Lehigh and Northampton counties; and VA pension with Aid and Attendance helps eligible veterans and survivors.
The gap families meet most often is the personal care home bill itself: Community HealthChoices does not pay a personal care home's room, board or personal care, so most residents pay privately or rely on SSI with the state supplement.
Where can Lehigh Valley families get free help with benefits?
Lehigh County residents call the Office of Aging and Adult Services at 610-782-3200, Northampton County residents the Area Agency on Aging at 610-829-4540 and Carbon County residents the Area Agency on Aging at 610-824-7830; each runs PA MEDI Medicare counseling and screens for long-term care programs.
The PA Independent Enrollment Broker, 1-877-550-4227, handles Community HealthChoices and LIFE enrollment.
Costs & Paying guides
What senior care costs for Lehigh Valley families
CareScout's 2025 Pennsylvania medians for assisted living, home care, adult day health and nursing homes, what they mean for Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton families, and a home care hours table.
Read →Medical Assistance for long-term care in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's 2026 Medical Assistance long-term care income and resource limits, spousal protections, the five-year look-back, and how Lehigh Valley families apply.
Read →Community HealthChoices, explained
How Pennsylvania's Community HealthChoices managed long-term care program works in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties: who qualifies, the three plans, services and limits.
Read →LIFE: all-inclusive care built around a day center
How Pennsylvania's LIFE program, its version of PACE, works for Lehigh and Northampton county residents through SeniorLIFE Lehigh Valley in Bethlehem, who qualifies and why Carbon County has no provider.
Read →SSI and the personal care home supplement
How Pennsylvania's state supplement to SSI helps very-low-income personal care home residents: the 2026 amounts, who qualifies and how to find a Lehigh Valley home that accepts it.
Read →What Medicare pays for, and what it doesn't
Medicare's skilled nursing, home health and hospice benefits for Lehigh Valley seniors, the three-day hospital rule, and why Medicare never pays for a personal care home.
Read →VA Aid and Attendance, explained
VA pension with Aid and Attendance: the rates effective December 2025, the net worth limit, how it helps pay for a personal care home or home care, and where Lehigh Valley veterans get help.
Read →Lottery-funded help for older Pennsylvanians
The Lottery-funded programs that cut Lehigh Valley seniors' costs: PACE and PACENET prescription coverage, the Property Tax/Rent Rebate, shared rides and the OPTIONS in-home program.
Read →At a glance
| This section gives you | This section does not give you | |
|---|---|---|
| Prices | Pennsylvania's published 2025 medians | A Lehigh Valley or memory care figure that does not exist |
| Programs | How Medical Assistance, CHC, LIFE, SSP, Medicare and VA work | An eligibility decision |
| Limits | 2026 income, resource and spousal figures | Legal or tax advice |
