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Residents of assisted living get to enjoy the privacy of their own apartment while still benefiting from a close community of friends and neighbors. Family caregivers can take comfort in the knowledge that their loved one is safe in a supportive environment, with staff readily able to respond to emergencies, and assist with personal care or other basic needs.

It’s common for assisted living staff to offer assistance with:

In assisted living, residents usually live in small private apartments and share common areas, like dining rooms, patios, and recreation areas.

Some assisted living facilities offer additional amenities, such as:

What Does Assisted Living Offer to Older Adults and their Family Caregivers?

According to the Genworth Cost of Care Survey, in 2021 the national average for assisted living fees was $4,500 per month. You can find the average monthly cost of assisted living in your specific area using the 

Note that in many cases assisted living facilities charge a base rate for room and board and charge extra for care or services. It’s common to offer “level of care” packages based on the amount of personal care assistance needed or pay-per-use charges for transportation or other services.

How Much Does Assisted Living Cost?

Taking the time to find the right assisted living facility, where your loved one will feel comfortable and at home is worth the effort.

Consider using a senior facility referral service. 

Keep in mind that these services are not all the same. It may require a bit of research to ensure you’re working with a reputable one, but doing so is worthwhile. Read more about what to look for: Should I Use a Senior Facility Placement Service?

Consider your preferences, needs, and non-negotiables.

 What would you like to see in a senior living setting and what do you absolutely need? Think about your loved one’s needs now, as well as what they might be in the near future. If you anticipate an increase in needs it might make more sense to move directly to a facility that can accommodate them, rather than having to go through the disruption of another move again next year.

If your loved one has complex medical needs or severely impaired mobility a nursing home may soon be the only type of facility that can accommodate them.

If your loved one has dementia or behavioral concerns a memory care facility might be better suited to your needs.

If you prefer a very small, home-like environment a group home may be a better option.

Do you want a place with a garden? A place that allows pets?

Do you need a place that supports a certain diet, language, culture, or religious tradition?

Review recommendations for assisted living facilities in your area at your Olera dashboard.

 for a list of assisted living facilities in your area.

Ask your doctor, health care provider, family, or friends for recommendations.

Call the facilities to get some basic information.

What are the costs and what’s included? Are there level of care charges? What services are available for additional charges? What happens if a resident runs out of money? Will they accept Medicaid?

What type of care can they support? What would cause the resident to have to leave the facility?

Ask about any non-negotiable deal-breakers you may have.

Arrange to tour several of your favorite facilities.

 to prompt you on questions to ask and details to look for during your tour.

Be sure your ultimate choice is a place your loved one feels comfortable living in and calling home.

How Do I Find an Assisted Living Facility?

Assisted Living by State

Dive into the world of assisted living with our all-inclusive guide, covering essential information on services, costs, benefits, and how to choose the right facility. Equip yourself with insights to make a well-informed decision for your loved one's care and comfort.

Discover Assisted Living for Seniors: A Comprehensive Guide

Assisted Living

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Lancaster

Lancaster, PA, is a historic city known for its rich Amish heritage and picturesque rural surroundings. Located in southeastern Pennsylvania, Lancaster offers a blend of urban and rural living with a vibrant arts scene, diverse dining options, and numerous cultural attractions. The city is well-regarded for its community-oriented atmosphere and strong local economy, making it an attractive place for residents seeking a blend of tradition and modernity.

The average cost of assisted living in Lancaster, PA, typically ranges from $3,500 to $4,500 per month. Prices can vary based on the level of care required, the type of facility, and additional services offered.

The average household income in Lancaster, PA, is approximately $63,000 per year. This figure reflects a moderate income level relative to both state and national averages.

Ranking of Lancaster among Top Cities in Pennsylvania

Lancaster is ranked as one of the top mid-sized cities in Pennsylvania, known for its high quality of life, affordability, and strong sense of community. It often ranks favorably in various livability and quality of life metrics compared to other cities in the state.

Top Assisted Living Providers/Facilities in Lancaster, PA:

Lancaster, PA, is a historic city known for its rich Amish heritage and picturesque rural surroundings. Located in southeastern Pennsylvania, Lancaster offers a blend of urban and rural living with...

Looking for affordable Assisted Living in Lancaster? Check out the best Assisted Living facilities in Lancaster. Click to compare facility prices and services.

Best Assisted Living in Lancaster, PA: Price Comparison

Best Assisted Living near me in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania offers a variety of options for assisted living for elder loved ones. The state is home to many facilities that provide high-quality care and support. According to recent data, the cost of assisted living in Pennsylvania is slightly above the national average, with an average cost of $3,750 per month. However, it is important to note that the cost of care can vary depending on the location and specific services required.

Pennsylvania is also known for its affordable cost of living, with a median household income that is slightly below the national average. This makes Pennsylvania an attractive option for those looking for affordable senior care.

Some of the most popular cities for assisted living in Pennsylvania include Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg. These cities offer a variety of options for elder care, with many different facilities and services to choose from.

Overall, Pennsylvania is a great choice for elder care, with a variety of options and affordable costs. Families looking for senior care for an elder loved one should consider Pennsylvania as a top choice.

Explore the world of assisted living in Pennsylvania, highlighting services, costs, regulations, and important factors when choosing the perfect facility for your loved one. Our concise guide equips you with essential knowledge for making well-informed decisions in the Keystone State.

Assisted Living in Pennsylvania: A Comprehensive Overview & Guide - Olera

Finding care in the Keystone State

Assisted Living in Pennsylvania

Senior Communities

Memory Care

Nursing Home

Rose City Rehabilitation Center

Smokey Pines Retirement Center

Most American families eventually face tough decisions about how to care for their parents, spouses, and themselves as they grow older. Vivian is the caregiver for her husband, who is currently in a rehabilitation center for daily physical therapy to get stronger after a recent hospitalization. She has been kind enough to share her caregiving journey in our 

, which is an effort from our group to recognize the struggles many family caregivers face, like: 

Should she continue caring for her husband at home or move him into a facility after rehab?

In her interview with us, Vivian shared, “At the end of this month, we’re going to have to make a decision whether he should come back home with full-time [home] care, hiring healthcare people, or to put him in an assisted living place where he would get the medical care he needs, but where he would be away from me. Of course, I would go and visit him, but it will be heart-wrenching not to have him live at home where he belongs, really—with me.”

Vivian’s words highlight the emotional heart of a tough decision millions of family caregivers grapple with daily. Using her story as our guide, here’s what family caregivers can consider about the decision of arranging in-home care versus placement at an assisted living facility or nursing home, updated with information for caregiving in 2025.

Home Care vs. Assisted Living

When deciding on in-home care or facility-based care, it is important to first understand your loved one’s current care needs and anticipate what support needs they might require in the future. This way, you can prepare emotionally and financially. Care needs are typically categorized as:

 Essential tasks like bathing, dressing, toileting, feeding, and transferring.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs):

 Complex tasks like medication reminders and management, cooking, transportation, and finances.

 Require licensed (“skilled”) healthcare professionals to handle treatments such as wound care, injections, catheter management, physical therapy, medication administration, and chronic condition management.

Decision-Making Framework: Home Care vs. Assisted Living vs. Nursing Home

These considerations can be a lot to take in. To help orient a family caregiver like Vivian to the options of home- versus facility-based assistance, we can review each factor in the table below carefully and consider care needs and care options together. A family caregiver in Vivan’s situation can check the column that best aligns with their experience. If most factors align clearly with one column, this indicates the type of care setting that might best suit an individual’s care needs.

Assessing Care Needs: ADLs, IADLs, and Medical Needs

Vivian’s husband now needs extensive daily support, medical supervision due to ongoing health issues, and supervision to prevent falls and injuries. Vivian herself has reached significant stress and fatigue, indicating potential for caregiver burnout. Their financial resources could dwindle quickly due to mounting home care costs if this route is chosen. Using this framework, Vivian’s scenario aligns strongly with assisted living or possibly skilled nursing home care, indicating that it may be wise to explore both options to find a situation that is most sustainable for both her husband and herself.

Applying this framework to Vivian’s story

Vivian’s experience reminds us there's no single right answer—only informed, compassionate decisions. We do know that it's most important to prioritize safety, dignity, caregiver health, and realistic finances, and we offer our decision-making framework as a resource to help orient families on what to think about.

Vivian concluded, “These are the only two options, and I’m still struggling to decide—to get to a point where, yeah, that makes more sense or the other one makes more sense. I just don’t know.”

It is clear that decisions about in-home or facility-based care are not easy, but decisions must be made in most families, and it's important to be informed on the options and have a decision-making framework. Our Aging in America campaign team is committed to providing real-life stories and extracting lessons like these that may help support caregivers with insights, resources, and recognition. It's our goal to provide high-quality information on the state of caregiving in our era as often as we can. Join Olera’s Aging in America campaign at 

 to connect, find resources, and share your own story. We can navigate aging in America together with compassion, wisdom, and humanity.

Conclusion: Lessons from Vivian

 is a MD and co-founder of Olera.care. He writes about dementia, Alzheimer's, and other age-related conditions. He is a Texas A&M MD/MBA alum. Olera specializes in merging clinical practice with innovative solutions for the aging population.

Author Bio

Discover Vivian’s heartfelt journey as she faces the emotional decision between home care and assisted living for her husband. This guide uses her real-life story to help family caregivers assess care needs.

Best Assisted Living near me in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Rose City Rehabilitation Center

Smokey Pines Retirement Center

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Important things to know about Assisted Living

Home Care vs. Assisted Living: A Brief Guide to Long-Term Care Decisions