Assisted living residences

What is an assisted living residence in Pennsylvania?

An assisted living residence (ALR) is a DHS-licensed residence under 55 Pa. Code Chapter 2800 that provides housing in private living units with a bathroom and kitchen capacity, personal care, and supplemental health care services so residents can age in place without needing a nursing home.

The assisted living residence licenses in the three counties are Abode Care of Allentown in Allentown (capacity 35) and Country Meadows of Forks in Easton (capacity 90, special care unit 45). Only a Chapter 2800 licensee may legally use the words 'assisted living.'

How is an ALR different from a personal care home?

An ALR must offer private units of at least 160 or 225 square feet depending on construction date, a nurse in the building or on call, a dietitian, and a contract that separates core services from supplemental health services, and it can keep residents with heavier care needs.

A personal care home has none of those unit or clinical requirements. See the full comparison.

Why are there so few assisted living residences in the Lehigh Valley?

Meeting the ALR building standards, private units with kitchen capacity and bathrooms, costs far more than operating a personal care home, and most operators have kept the personal care home license even for large modern buildings.

Statewide, DHS reported 67 ALR licenses against 1,068 personal care home licenses in 2023 data.

What does an assisted living residence cost?

No Lehigh Valley figure is published; expect ALR pricing at or above Pennsylvania's 2025 assisted living median of $76,218 a year, plus charges for supplemental health care services, which the contract must list separately.

ALR contracts run month to month: a resident may leave with 14 days' notice; the residence must give 30.

How do I find an assisted living residence in the Lehigh Valley?

Filter our licensed home roster by license type to see the ALR licenses, or search DHS's Human Services Provider Directory for the 'Assisted Living' service type in Lehigh, Northampton or Carbon County.

Because so few ALRs exist locally, many families compare one ALR with two or three well-run personal care homes. Compare what each contract includes, whether a nurse is reachable at night, and what changes in health would require a move.

How many assisted living residences providers are in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties?

Here is how the state and CMS records distribute assisted living residences between the three counties; agencies have no bed count.