In Pennsylvania, the cost of senior care is higher than the national average. It’s important to understand the main differences between living and care arrangements when deciding the best setting for an older adult transitioning to senior care. The cost of home care, assisted living, and nursing homes can be significant, depending on your location and necessary care level. Here, we describe these differences and introduce some options to help you pay for senior care in Pennsylvania.
Cost of assisted living in Pennsylvania
Multiple factors influence the cost of assisted living in Pennsylvania. Many of these factors depend on the type and level of care you need. Long-term care financial company Genworth reported in 2024 that the average cost of assisted living in Pennsylvania is $5,550 per month. This cost has increased by 35.37% since the last report in 2021.
The level of care a person requires will impact the cost of assisted living, but where you live also matters. The monthly cost varies by as much as $4,618 a month, depending on where you live in the state. The cost of assisted living ranges from a low of $3,800 in the Gettysburg area to a high of $8,418 per month in the Erie area of Pennsylvania.
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Cost of nursing homes in Pennsylvania
The difference between nursing homes and assisted living facilities is in their accommodations and the level of care they provide. In nursing homes, the living environment is more clinical, where residents live in a private or semi-private room without a living room or kitchen area. In assisted living facilities, residents live in apartments with a private bathroom and kitchenette.
The cost of nursing homes in Pennsylvania is nearly 100% greater than that of assisted living facilities. The average cost for a semi-private room is $10,768 per month, and a private room is $11,558 per month. These costs vary across the state. Pittsburgh has the lowest average cost for a semi-private room in the state at $9,429, and Pittsburgh has the lowest average cost for a private room at $13,992 monthly. The area with the highest average cost for a semi-private room in the state is Allentown where the average price is $13,992, and Allentown has the highest price for a private room at $15,178 per month.
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Read more: How to Pay for Nursing Home Care
Cost of home care in Pennsylvania
If you can stay at home but need a little help, home care is an excellent alternative to moving into a facility, which allows you to stay at home and brings care to you. There are two types of home care that can help meet your needs. One option is homemaker services, where a non-medical caregiver goes to your home to help with basic living activities, like grocery shopping, meal preparation, housekeeping, and cleaning. The other option is to hire a home health aide. A home health aide assists with bathing and toileting and can provide health monitoring, like taking their pulse and blood pressure readings. Home health aides can also monitor the person’s mental health condition they are helping.
The cost difference between the two care types is about 13.0%, so you should consider the type of care that is needed and research your care options based on the needs in order to potentially save money. The average hourly cost of a home health aide is $20.96 per hour, and the homemaker service averages $30.45 an hour. State College has the lowest average cost, averaging about 30% below the average at $17.97 per hour. The highest average cost is in Scranton, which is 53% higher than the state average at just under $39.43 an hour.
Cost of memory care in Pennsylvania
Memory care is the fastest-growing care segment in the U.S. as measured by the number of individuals needing the care and the number of memory care providers. Memory care specializes in the care of residents or patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Memory care is provided at a standalone memory care facility or at an additional cost in an assisted living facility or nursing home.
Memory care is typically an additional cost above assisted living or a nursing home. The incremental cost is due to these residents’ receiving 24-hour long-term care. This additional cost is between $612 and $1,387 per month in Pennsylvania.
