Allentown Senior AdvisorBy Allentown Senior Advisor Care Team · September 11, 2026
29 Lehigh Valley homes have a secured dementia or special care unit on their DHS certificate, with 1,122 unit places. 7 are entirely or almost entirely dementia units; the rest are units inside larger homes. No public source publishes memory care prices.
What counts as memory care in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania does not license 'memory care' as a phrase. It licenses the secured unit: a secured dementia care unit inside a personal care home, or a special care unit inside an assisted living residence. Only homes with that approval on their DHS certificate may lock residents with dementia in.
That gives families a clean test. If a building advertises memory care, its certificate should list the unit and its capacity. If it does not, the building can still care for residents with mild dementia on open floors, but it cannot secure them.
Where the units are
From DHS's provider directory on November 6, 2026, here is where the 29 units sit:
| Area | Homes with a unit | Unit places |
|---|---|---|
| Allentown | 9 | 331 |
| Easton | 4 | 216 |
| Bethlehem | 4 | 166 |
| Saucon Valley, Coopersburg & Limeport | 2 | 136 |
| Whitehall & Northern Lehigh | 3 | 84 |
| Elsewhere in Carbon County | 3 | 82 |
| Emmaus, Macungie & Trexlertown | 3 | 82 |
| Nazareth, Northampton & Bath | 1 | 25 |
Allentown and its western suburbs have the largest concentration, followed by Bethlehem and the Saucon Valley. Carbon County has a few, which matters because families there otherwise drive to Allentown or Bethlehem.
The largest units
Unit size varies from a single wing of a dozen or so places to buildings that are entirely dementia care. The five largest by licensed unit capacity are Saucon Valley Manor in Hellertown (100 of 201 places); Arden Courts (Old Orchard) in Easton (64 of 65 places); Meadows Living Center at Country Meadows of Bethlehem in Bethlehem (64 of 64 places); Country Meadows of Allentown in Allentown (60 of 118 places); The Birches of Lehigh Valley in Easton (57 of 130 places).
Size is not quality. A small unit with a stable team can be calmer than a large one; a large one may offer more activities and outdoor space. Visit at different times of day.
Who can be admitted
Admission to a secured unit requires a medical evaluation within 60 days before admission documenting the dementia diagnosis and the need for a secured setting, plus a written cognitive screening. The home must consult the family or designated person.
Those rules exist to protect people from being locked in for convenience. They also mean a move can stall if the doctor's paperwork is vague, so ask for a clear written statement early.
What the staff must know
Direct care staff on a secured unit need six hours of dementia-specific training every year on top of the 12 annual hours every personal care home worker completes. Pennsylvania does not set a separate staff ratio for the unit, so ask each home how many staff are on the unit by shift, especially at night.
Consistent assignment matters more than almost anything for people with dementia. Ask whether the unit has its own team or whether staff rotate in from other floors.
Touring a dementia unit
Visit in the late afternoon, when restlessness often peaks, as well as in the morning. Watch whether staff redirect residents patiently, whether residents are engaged or simply seated in front of a television, and whether the outdoor area is actually used. Ask how the unit handles a resident who becomes agitated at night, and how often the home calls families or sends residents to the emergency room.
Ask what happens if needs progress beyond what the unit can handle, such as two-person transfers or feeding assistance, and whether the home has a relationship with a hospice or a nursing home for that stage.
When a nursing home is the better dementia setting
Late-stage dementia often brings medical needs that a personal care home cannot meet: frequent falls with injury, swallowing problems, pressure sores or complex medications. Nursing homes care for many residents with dementia under their Department of Health license, and Medical Assistance pays for nursing home care for those who qualify.
Several Lehigh Valley nursing homes operate units focused on dementia. Their CMS ratings, staffing and inspection results are on our nursing home pages.
What it costs, and who pays
No primary source publishes a memory care price for Pennsylvania or the Lehigh Valley. CareScout does not survey it as a category. Expect a premium over the same home's regular floor and ask for both rates in writing.
Community HealthChoices does not pay room and board on a dementia unit. VA Aid and Attendance and long-term care insurance are the main outside sources. Families who expect to need Medical Assistance should plan for a nursing home that accepts it.
Frequently asked questions
How many memory care units are in the Lehigh Valley?
29 homes have a secured dementia or special care unit on their DHS certificate, with 1,122 unit places.
Can a personal care home without a unit care for someone with dementia?
Yes, if the person is not at risk of leaving unsafely; it cannot lock the person in.
What paperwork is needed to move into a dementia unit?
A medical evaluation documenting the diagnosis and the need for a secured unit, and a cognitive preadmission screening.
Does Medicare pay for memory care?
No. Medicare does not pay room, board or personal care in any personal care home or dementia unit.
Do nursing homes have memory care?
Many nursing homes care for residents with dementia, and some have dedicated units, under their Department of Health license.
