The 5 Best Memory Care Facilities in Chambersburg, PA for 2024

A full 67 million people in the United States over the age of 65 live with dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Of the 22,354 people who live in Chambersburg, PA, 18.4% are of the senior population. In 2016, total deaths related to Alzheimer’s made up 7.3% of fatalities, compared to 5.5% of deaths accounted for by the Centers for Disease Control in 2020. Despite this positive trend, Alzheimer’s remains the eighth leading cause of death in Pennsylvania. Families and caregivers who worry about their loved one’s safety with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other cognitive memory disorders, look to memory care as a way to extend their family member’s quality of life through compassionate on-site care.

Memory care facilities provide services that are often impossible for families to duplicate. Communities are equipped with 24-hour security and staff who specialize in dementia care. Residents also receive access to on-site specialists who administer advanced therapies that slow the progression of disease and improve residents’ well-being. This guide examines what living in Chambersburg is like for seniors, includes cost comparisons for different types of senior care and lists helpful free and low-cost resources to ease the financial burden for seniors and their families.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services oversees the licensing and monitoring of the state’s health facilities. According to state regulations, nursing homes are inspected annually. They are unannounced and measure the degree residents feel at home, staff/resident communication, adherence to regulations, nutritious meals, overall quality of life and other crucial metrics. Inspection reports are searchable at the department’s website.

• There are four major hospitals within 25 miles of Chambersburg. The nearest one, Wellspan Chambersburg Hospital, provides a full range of medical services, including award-winning heart and stroke care and a wound care center. The Wellspan Waynesboro Hospital location, located 14 miles away, also offers comprehensive care and boasts consistently high patient satisfaction ratings. 
• Summers in Chambersburg can be warm, especially July, which sees highs around 85 degrees and elevated humidity. Winters also include six months of snowfall, with February averaging a full 9.6 inches. Still, despite humid summers and winter snowfall, residents enjoy the seasonal weather and give Chambersburg an 8.8/10 for comfort.
• Property crime is higher than the national average in Chambersburg. On a 100 point scale, Chambersburg scored a 48.3 compared to the U.S. national median score of 35.4. Violent crime, on the other hand, is lower than the national average, with Chambersburg measuring 18 on the same scale — 4.8% less than other U.S. cities. 
• Health access is more limited and health costs are higher than average in Chambersburg. The city has fewer physicians, with 138 doctors per 100,000 people, as compared to the U.S. average of 210 per capita. On a 100 point scale, with 100 indicating the standard, Chambersburg scored 131.4. Higher health costs, though, are offset a bit by Chambersburg’s lower cost of living. 
• Chambersburg’s overall cost of living is lower than many U.S. cities with an 87.6 out of 100 rating. Major expenses like utilities and groceries fall below national trends. The median home price in Chambersburg is a significant cost-of-living bright spot, with many homes well below the national rates at $242,600 compared to $338,100.
• Retirees love Pennsylvania for its very friendly tax laws, as retirement income, pensions for residents 60 and older and social security income are not taxable. Pennsylvania also gives residents the lowest flat tax rate in the U.S. at just 3.07. 

Note: Residential memory care is usually offered in assisted living facilities, and in general, memory care rates tend to be 20-30% higher than assisted living rates. No national database currently tracks memory care costs in the United States, so we’ve estimated the monthly memory care costs listed below by adding 25% to the rates listed in Genworth’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey.

Memory care costs in this area average $6,029 monthly, which is more than $600 compared to the national average of $5,625.

Memory care in Chambersburg costs roughly $903 more per month as compared to Pennsylvania’s monthly average costs of $5,125. Cost of care varies widely throughout the state, with comparable prices in Harrisburg, significantly higher rates in Philadelphia at $7,106 and costs that are cut nearly half in the city of Scranton.

Memory care is not the only type of long-term care available to seniors with cognitive impairments. On the low end, families can access adult health care for significantly less at $1,517 a month. For independent seniors, assisted living facilities provide savings compared to memory care with monthly rates averaging around $4,823. In-home and home health care rates are slightly higher than assisted living, with costs averaging $4,957 per month. On the high end, fees for a semiprivate room in a skilled nursing facility are much higher at $11,133 every month. 

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for memory care, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance memory care costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance memory care, visit our Memory Care in Pennsylvania page.