The Best Memory Care Communities in Lancaster County, PA

Lancaster County is in the heart of Amish country, with the Red Rose City of Lancaster as its county seat and a population of about 54,300. An estimated 17.5 percent of its residents are age 65 and older and 12.1 percent of those are seniors living with Alzheimer's disease.

The Office of Long-Term Living licenses and regulates Alzheimer's Special Care Units, as they're called in Pennsylvania. These facilities are required to have specially trained staff members and robust security protocols in place, such as cameras, guards, and self-locking doors. Three SCUs are in Lancaster City, and three others are located in surrounding communities.

• In Pennsylvania, Social Security benefits, pensions and retirement account funds are tax exempt for people aged 60 years or older. Along with low state sales taxes, seniors and families on a fixed income may find that their memory care budgets stretch further in Lancaster County.
• The American Lung Association gives Lancaster County grades of "D" for ozone and "F" for particle pollution. Seniors who are living with dementia and respiratory ailments may want to consider the harmful effects of poor air quality.
• Based on a scale where the median U.S. cost of living is 100, Lancaster is just over five points higher than average at 105.4.  Grocery costs are at the median, and housing is only six points greater at 106. Healthcare is 22 points higher than the national average and 15 points more than the state average of 107. Memory care at a Lancaster County SCU should not cost families more than any other "average" county.
• Lancaster County's climate is temperate with mild summer highs of 84 degrees Fahrenheit and winter lows of 22. Snowfall is within two points of the norm, and rainfall is just a few inches more annually. Lancaster County averages 198 sunny days per year, which is something seniors who enjoy spending time in nature may appreciate.

Memory Care costs in Lancaster County start around $5,826 per month on average, while the nationwide average cost of memory care is $5,694 per month.

It’s important to note that memory care rates in Lancaster County and the surrounding suburbs can vary widely based on factors such as location, the level of care needed, apartment size and the types of amenities offered at each community.

Learn more about these programs, plus who’s eligible, on our Memory Care in Pennsylvania page.

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.

Lancaster County-area memory care communities must adhere to the comprehensive set of state laws and regulations that all memory care communities in Pennsylvania are required to follow. Visit our Memory Care in Pennsylvania page for more information about these laws.