Pennsylvania Residential Alzheimer’s Care (Memory Care): Laws, Costs & Financial Help

Legal Definition of Assisted Living / Memory Care in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, the Department of Human Services, Bureau of Human Services Licensing, is responsible for the oversight of Assisted Living Residences and Personal Care Homes, including their memory/dementia care units. The difference between the two types of assisted living communities is the available level of care, but both types have specialized dementia units.

In order to be licensed, Personal Care Homes are only required to provide assistance with the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing/grooming, eating, toileting) and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (cleaning, cooking, laundry, medication management, etc.). However, their dementia care units must have specialized staffing and facilities.

The same is true for dementia care units in Assisted Living Residences, which are also required to provide a higher level of care, in general, than Personal Care Homes. Assisted Living Residences also have far more specific services and supports, including:

• 24-hour supervision
• Specialized cognitive support services
• Skilled nursing
• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Behavioral health services
• Nutritious meals
• Activities that encourage socialization
• Transportation
• Personal care assistance with the Activities of Daily Living
• Personal care assistance with the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living

No more than two residents are permitted in each secure dementia unit bedroom in both Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences, regardless of the room’s size. These special dementia care units are allowed to have doors equipped with locking devices, electronic card systems or any other security that prevents immediate egress if they have written approval from the Department of Health, the Department of Labor and Industry or an appropriate local building authority.

Dementia units must provide space for visits, dining and group and individual activities. All dementia unit residents must receive a minimum of two hours of direct care per day, and they must have access to the following types of activities at least once per week:

• Gross motor activities, like dancing, stretching and other exercises
• Self-care activities, such as personal hygiene instruction
• Social activities, like games, music and holiday celebrations
• Crafts, like sewing, decorations and drawing
• Sensory and memory enhancement activities, including storytelling, current events and cooking
• Outdoor activities, like walking and gardening, as weather permits

There are approximately 1,000 licensed Personal Care Homes in Pennsylvania, and another 1,000 licensed Assisted Living Facilities.

Pennsylvania Assisted Living Laws & Regulations

Admissions Process & Requirements

There are a number of conditions a person must meet in order to be admitted to a Personal Care Home or Assisted Living Residence in Pennsylvania. A person with special needs may live in a Personal Care Home so long as the facility demonstrates it can adequately address those needs. Personal Care Homes are not allowed, for instance, to admit someone who needs full-time nursing-home care.

Assisted Living Residences may not admit anyone with the following medical needs without approval from the Department of Human Services:

• Ventilator dependency
• Vascular ulcers that are not healing
• Continuous intravenous fluids
• Infectious diseases requiring isolation
• Physical restraints

Both types of residences require every resident to have a written program describing the specific needs of the person and the services the residence intends to provide. Among the issues assessed are:

• Mobility
• Medications
• Thinking ability
• Physical limitations
• Personal interests

An assessment must be completed within 15 days of admission for personal care homes, and implemented within 30 days of moving in. In assisted living, the assessment must be made within 30 days of moving in.

For residents in dementia units, Personal Care Homes are required to have an additional cognitive assessment by a doctor or geriatric assessment team within 72 hours of admission to a dementia care unit. Memory care residents must be reassessed annually. In Assisted Living Residences, a support plan must be developed within 72 hours of pre-admission for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and this plan must be revised quarterly.

Assessments are made by medical professionals who work for the Personal Care Home or Assisted Living Residence, not a personal doctor. The assessment fee is often included at no additional cost when a new resident signs a contract, but this is not always the case.

Staff & Training

Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences in Pennsylvania are not required to maintain a specific staff-to-patient ratio. Rather, the rules state there must be enough staff to adequately meet the needs in every resident’s support plan. Regulations do say that for every 50 Personal Care Home residents there must be one staffer at all times trained in CPR and first aid. In Assisted Living Residences, there must be one CPR and first-aid-trained person, present at all times, for every 35 residents.

In Assisted Living Residences, administrative staff, direct care staff, ancillary staff, substitute personnel and volunteers must receive at least four hours of dementia-specific training within 30 days of hire, and at least two additional hours of dementia-specific training each year. An administrator must be on-hand for 36 hours or more per week at Assisted Living Residences, which are also required to have a licensed nurse available at all times and a dietician on staff.

In both Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences, direct care staffers must be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or GED. They must have 12 hours of annual training to work in Personal Cae Homes, and 16 hours of annual training to work in Assisted Living Residences. This training must include:

• Orientation on topics including fire safety, emergency preparedness, residents’ rights, and reporting abuse.
• Training and competency programs for assistance with Activities of daily living.

Evictions & Discharges

Both Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences in Pennsylvania must give residents 30 days notice before transferring or evicting them. If an eviction becomes necessary, there are other requirements as well: The home must provide a reason for the eviction, the name of a new residence or location the evicted resident can relocate to, and the method for appealing the decision to evict.

A home cannot allow someone to live there if staff cannot meet their needs. The screening process should determine appropriateness before a move-in, but if a resident’s health were to change an eviction might become necessary. If a home cannot accommodate residents who are non-ambulatory, for instance, then a person who loses the ability to walk would not be able to keep living there. If full-time nursing care becomes necessary, then your loved one may need to transfer into a nursing home. Keep in mind, however, that special accommodations are allowed by the state if the home contracts with outside medical professionals to help keep a person in their memory care community.

It’s very important to be clear on eviction policy before moving your loved one into a memory care community. This is because unfair evictions can be a problem in assisted living communities nationally. Ask what can get someone evicted (Aggressive behavior? Non-payment of bills?) and what the next steps are. Get answers that are as specific as possible in writing. If you received an eviction notice and need to know next steps, click here.

How Much Does Memory Care Cost in Pennsylvania?

There can be significant differences in the cost of Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences depending on what part of Pennsylvania you are in. The table below lists the median monthly cost of standard Personal Care Homes/Assisted Living Residences and those that provide care for residents with dementia (also known as memory care) in different regions of the state as of 2025. The table also includes the statewide median costs, as well as the median cost for all non-metropolitan areas. Individuals who are in the early to mid stages of dementia may be best suited for assisted living facilities, which are less expensive than memory care, while those with more severe symptoms or who are in the late stages of dementia will likely need memory care.

Pennsylvania residents who live near the state’s borders might find less expensive care in neighboring states like Ohio and West Virginia.

Financial Assistance for Residential Alzheimer’s Memory Care

There are several sources of financial assistance and care support for qualified Pennsylvania seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias who reside in Personal Care Homes or Assisted Living Residences. They include Pennsylvania Medicaid’s Community HealthChoices Program, as well as Living Independence for the Elderly (LIFE), Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), elder loans, tax credits and reverse mortgages.

Community HealthChoices Program

Pennsylvania Medicaid’s Community HealthChoices (CHC) Program will cover some long-term care services and supports for qualified seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia who live in a Personal Care Home or Assisted Living Residence. These benefits can include adult day care, meal delivery, medication management and personal care assistance with the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting). To be clear, Medicaid may cover some of these services, but it will not pay for room and board in assisted living.

To qualify for CHC, applicants must require a Nursing Facility Level of Care. They also have to meet an asset limit, which is $2,000 for an individual in 2026, and income limit, which is $2,982/month for an individual. Not all assets are counted toward the limit, including an applicant’s primary home in many cases. To see if you or your loved one qualify for Medicaid, use this free and easy online test by clicking here.

Living Independence for the Elderly

Pennsylvania residents age 55 and over who require a NFLOC can have all of their healthcare coverage, including Medicaid and Medicare, streamlined into one plan with Living Independence for Elderly (LIFE). LIFE also offers vision, dental and hearing care, and LIFE day centers provide day-time supervision, meals, social activities and regular health checkups for program participants. Being enrolled in Medicaid and/or Medicare is not a requirement for LIFE, but it is free for Pennsylvania seniors who are enrolled in Aged, Blind and Disabled (ABD) Medicaid. There are 18 LIFE programs in Pennsylvania, and they are all listed here. LIFE is known as Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in other states.

Nursing Home Medicaid

Pennsylvania’s Nursing Home Medicaid will cover all nursing home expenses, including room and board, for all eligible applicants. To qualify, applicants must meet an asset limit ($2,000 for an individual in 2026) and an income limit ($2,982/month for an individual in 2026). They also have to meet the medical requirement of needing a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC), which means they need the type of full-time supervision and care associated with nursing homes. It’s important to note that a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia does not guarantee a NFLOC designation. However, many people with dementia will meet the requirements.

Pennsylvania’s Domiciliary Care

Pennsylvania’s Domiciliary Care services, known as Dom Care, can be an alternative to Personal Care Homes or Assisted Living Residences for dementia patients in their early and perhaps middle stages who have limited financial resources. Dom Care homes are, essentially, foster homes licensed to house and care for adults with some mental, physical and emotional challenges, but not if they require a Nursing Facility Level of Care, so late-stage dementia patients would likely not be eligible. The homes are required to provide medication management and personal care assistance with the Activities of Daily Living, and they are licensed by Area Agencies on Aging. Dom Care home providers must have First Aid and CPR certifications, pass criminal history checks and have satisfactory personal and financial references. And no more than three adults can reside in a Dom Care home at one time.

Dom Care is for Pennsylvania adults who qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In fact, their caregivers receive payments directly from the Social Security Administration, which also administers the SSI program. Pennsylvania seniors and their families can apply through their local Area Agency on Aging.

Veterans Affairs (VA)

Qualified Pennsylvania veterans (or their surviving spouses) can also receive financial assistance through a Veterans Affairs (VA) Pension that they could use to pay for assisted living or memory care. There are three levels of VA Pensions – Basic, Aid & Attendance (A&A) and Housebound. To qualify for any of them, veterans or their surviving spouses need to meet a net worth limit of $163,699 (effective Dec. 2025 – Nov. 2026), which is calculated by adding the total of their assets to their annual income. Some assets are exempt, like a primary home, primary vehicle and household furniture and appliances. The income of the applicant must also be less than the pension they’re applying or in order for them to be eligible. And applicants must have met a military service requirement, which includes not having received a dishonorable discharge.

To qualify for A&A, veterans or their surviving spouses must also meet a medical requirement, which is one of the following must be true:

• They need help to perform the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing/grooming, eating, toileting) OR
• They have to stay in bed for at least a large portion of the day due to illness OR
• They are in a nursing home due to loss of mental or physical abilities OR
• Their eyesight is extremely limited (5/200 or less in both eyes even with glasses or contacts; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or fewer)

To qualify for Housebound, veterans must spend most of their time in their home due to a permanent disability.

There is no medical requirement for VA Basic Pensions.

Qualified veterans or their surviving spouses are entitled to their Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) minus their annual income. The following MAPRs are effective from Dec. 1, 2025, to Nov. 30, 2026.

VA Basic Pension MAPRs

• Veterans without spouses or children: $17,441
• Veterans with dependent spouses or children: $22,839
• Surviving spouses without dependent children: $11,699
• Surviving spouses with dependent children: $15,311
• Two veterans married to each other: $22,839

VA Aid & Attendance MAPRs

• Veterans without spouses or children: $29,093
• Veterans with dependent spouses or children: $34,488
• Surviving spouses without dependent children a maximum of $18,697
• Surviving spouses with dependent children: $22,304
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies for A&A: $34,488
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies for A&A and the other for Housebound: $38,350
• Two veterans married to each other and both qualify for A&A: $46,143

VA Housebound MAPRs

• Veterans without spouses or children: $21,313
• Veterans with dependent spouses or children: $26,710
• Surviving spouses without dependent children: $14,298
• Surviving spouses with dependent children: $17,902
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies for Housebound: $26,710
• Two veterans married to each other and both qualify for Housebound: $30,580
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies for Housebound and the other for A&A: $38,350

Veterans’ Homes
All six of Pennsylvania’s Veterans’ Homes are licensed as memory care facilities. So, these can be an excellent and cost-effective alternative to Personal Care Homes or Assisted Living Residences for eligible veterans who have Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. The homes are located in Philadelphia County (Delaware Valley Veterans’ Home), Lackawanna County (Gino J. Merli Veteran’s Center), Blair County (Pennsylvania Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home), Chester County (Southeastern Veterans’ Center) and Allegheny County (Southwestern Veterans’ Center). Click here to learn more about Pennsylvania’s Veterans’ Homes.

Supplemental Security Income Program

Dementia patients age 65 and over with limited income and assets may qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). These funds can be used to pay for the cost of assisted living or memory care. As of 2026, the maximum SSI benefit for an individual is $994/month and for a married couple it’s $1,491/month.

To qualify for SSI, applicants must be age 65 and over or have a significant disability, and they must meet an income limit and an asset limit. As of 2026, individuals may meet the SSI income limit if they earn less than $2,073/month OR they get less than $1,014/month from non-work sources, like Social Security benefits or pension payments. They may meet the SSI asset limit if they have $2,000 or less in countable assets. For couples, the income limit is $3,067/month in work income or $1,511/month in non-work income, and the asset limit is $3,000.

Other Options

1) Elder care loans exist for families to cover the costs of moving into memory care while waiting for other financial resources to become available. For example, if one is waiting for Medicaid approval or waiting to sell a home. More on bridge loans for memory care.
2) Some tax credits and deductions can provide financial relief for seniors with dementia and their families. Seniors with limited financial resources can claim the Credit for the Elderly and/or the Disabled, as long as no one can claim them as a dependent. If someone (like an adult child) can claim the senior as a dependent, they can utilize the Child and Dependent Care Credit, and they can deduct any medical or dental expenses they paid for the senior.
3) A reverse mortgage loan can be a viable option for some senior homeowners who are in need of extra income to help pay dementia care. However, reverse mortgages are not recommended for every senior homeowner who needs extra income, so it’s important to consult with a professional before taking out one of these loans.