Allentown Senior AdvisorWhat types of senior care are available in the Lehigh Valley?
Families here choose among personal care homes, assisted living residences, secured dementia units inside either one, nursing homes, home health and non-medical home care, hospice, adult day services and independent or continuing care retirement living.
Each guide below explains what the license allows, what it costs at Pennsylvania's 2025 medians, and how many licenses the state lists in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties.
Which agency licenses each care type in Pennsylvania?
The Department of Human Services licenses personal care homes and assisted living residences; the Department of Health licenses nursing homes, home health agencies, home care agencies and hospices; and the Department of Aging licenses older adult daily living centers.
Continuing care retirement communities also need a certificate of authority from the Pennsylvania Insurance Department for their entrance-fee contracts.
Which care types do Medicare or Medical Assistance pay for?
Medicare pays for short skilled nursing stays after a qualifying hospital stay, intermittent home health and hospice; Medical Assistance, through Community HealthChoices or LIFE, pays for nursing home care and home and community-based services, but not for a personal care home's rent and care.
SSI with the state's personal care home supplement helps very-low-income residents, and VA pension with Aid and Attendance can help eligible veterans and surviving spouses with any of these costs.
Care types guides
Personal care homes
Pennsylvania personal care homes explained: Chapter 2600 license, daily care minimums, who they suit, costs and how many are licensed in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties.
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Assisted living residences
What a Pennsylvania assisted living residence must provide under 55 Pa. Code Chapter 2800, how it differs from a personal care home, and the few ALRs in the Lehigh Valley.
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Memory care
How memory care works in Pennsylvania through secured dementia care units and special care units, who qualifies, training rules and how many units the Lehigh Valley has.
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Nursing homes
Lehigh Valley nursing homes explained: Department of Health licensing, CMS star ratings and staffing data, Medicare rehab and Medical Assistance long-term care.
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Home health and home care
Medicare home health versus private non-medical home care in Pennsylvania: who licenses each, what they cover, costs and how Lehigh Valley families arrange them.
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Hospice
How hospice works for Lehigh Valley families: eligibility, Medicare's hospice benefit, hospice in a personal care home or nursing home, and choosing a provider.
Read →Adult day services
How adult day programs work in Pennsylvania, who licenses them, what they cost and how OPTIONS, CHC, LIFE and VA can pay for them for Lehigh Valley families.
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