Allentown Senior AdvisorWhat are adult day services in Pennsylvania?
Adult day services, licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging as older adult daily living centers, provide supervision, meals, activities, personal care and health monitoring during the day for older adults who live at home, often with transportation.
Some centers specialize in dementia care. The LIFE program's Bethlehem day center works the same way for its participants.
Who benefits from adult day services?
Adults who should not be alone during the day, including people with early to moderate dementia, people who are isolated, and people whose family caregivers work or need regular respite.
Attendance two or three days a week is common; it can cut the hours of paid home care a family needs.
What do adult day services cost in Pennsylvania?
CareScout's 2025 Pennsylvania median for adult day health care is $30,420 a year, about $2,535 a month for a full schedule, and many families use part-week schedules.
OPTIONS (sliding scale), Community HealthChoices, LIFE, VA programs and long-term care insurance can pay for adult day services for those who qualify.
How do we find an adult day program in the Lehigh Valley?
Ask the county Area Agency on Aging (Lehigh 610-782-3200, Northampton 610-829-4540, Carbon 610-824-7830) for licensed centers near you, then visit during program hours and ask about staffing, transportation and how the center handles health changes.
Adult day centers are not listed in our directory because DHS and CMS do not publish them in the data sets we use.
What does a day at an adult day center look like?
A typical day includes transportation in the morning, a health check, exercise, meals and snacks, social and creative activities, help with personal care as needed, and a ride home in the afternoon, with some centers offering nursing oversight for medications.
Dementia-focused centers keep a calmer, more structured routine with smaller groups.
How do adult day services help family caregivers?
Adult day services give caregivers predictable hours to work, rest or handle their own health appointments, which research and caregiver programs consistently link to lower burnout and later moves to residential care.
The county Area Agency on Aging's caregiver support program can sometimes help with the cost. See caregiver burnout.
Are there adult day programs for people with dementia in the Lehigh Valley?
Yes: several older adult daily living centers in Lehigh and Northampton counties serve participants with dementia, and the LIFE program's Bethlehem center serves many participants with cognitive impairment; ask each center about its experience and staffing for dementia.
Your county Area Agency on Aging keeps the current list of licensed centers and can tell you which ones have openings and which accept OPTIONS or Community HealthChoices payment.
At a glance
| Adult day services are | Adult day services are not | |
|---|---|---|
| License | Department of Aging older adult daily living centers | Personal care homes |
| Hours | Daytime, weekdays for most centers | Overnight care |
| Payment | Private, OPTIONS, CHC, LIFE or VA | Covered by Original Medicare |
