The Best Memory Care Communities in Lehigh County, PA

Lehigh County's population is 366,494 people, including more than 62,000 residents who are age 65 and older. Using figures from statewide Medicare enrollment, an estimated 14.1 percent of Pennsylvanians live with Alzheimer's disease, and they may benefit from treatment at an Alzheimer's Special Care Unit (SCU), as they're called in Pennsylvania and the rest of Lehigh County.

The Office of Long-Term Living SCUs licenses and regulates the SCUs. There are 11 SCUs in the county of Lehigh with six in the city of Allentown and the other five in surrounding communities.

• Residents in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who are age 60 and above receive tax-free retirement income, including pensions, retirement accounts, and Social Security benefits. The low sales tax may also result in extra money for memory care for seniors living in Lehigh County.
  
• Lehigh County's climate is very near the nation's average with 48 inches of rain, 30 inches of snow and 204 sunny days as compared to 39, 26, and 205, respectively. January lows bottom out at 20 degrees and rise to 84 in July.  Sperling's Comfort Index gives the county a rank of 48, which is six points lower than the national average. The temperate weather allows seniors to have supervised outside activity during much of the year.
  
• The violent crime rate in Lehigh County is 30 percent above the U.S. average of 31.1 at 40.3, and the property crime rate is almost equal to the national norm of 38.1 at 38.2. SCUs are required to have robust protocols in place for resident safety, which should bring peace of mind to families who worry about the care their loved ones are receiving.
  
• Lehigh County is home to world-class medical facilities, including those specializing in brain health and dementia care, such as Lehigh Valley Hospital and Saint Luke's University Hospital Bethlehem, in the event of medical emergencies or illness.

Memory Care costs in Lehigh County start around $5,740 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 Lehigh 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.

Lehigh 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.