Best Assisted Living in Pennsylvania

Located on a 34-acre property 6 miles from Erie’s city center, Saint Mary’s at Asbury Ridge is a 164-bed nonprofit Continuing Care Retirement Community in Erie, Pennsylvania, operated by Bridget Barber. The community spans the full senior living continuum, including independent living, residential and personal care, skilled nursing, respite care, and home care. Alzheimer’s and memory care are offered as a dedicated program track alongside the broader continuum. The facility accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay.

CMS rates the facility 5 stars overall, with all four sub-ratings above the Pennsylvania average. The Health Inspection score is 42% above the state benchmark, the single strongest contributor to the overall score. Nurse staffing averages 4 hours and 58 minutes per resident per day, ranking 43rd among 203 Pennsylvania skilled nursing facilities and exceeding the state average of 4 hours and 35 minutes, which may matter for residents who require frequent or complex assistance.

Occupancy is 59%, below Pennsylvania’s 78.7% average, which typically indicates current availability without a waitlist. Amenities include outdoor courtyards, a chapel, an exercise room, a casual café, and an on-site hair salon.

The facility serves older adults and families seeking a full continuum of care under one nonprofit sponsor, particularly those transitioning from rehabilitation or post-acute stays into longer-term skilled nursing or memory care on a campus-style campus in Erie.

Overview of The Inne at Riddle Village

The Inne at Riddle Village is an 86-bed skilled nursing community in Media, Pennsylvania, operated by the nonprofit Riddle Village Inc. as the licensed nursing care component of the Riddle Village continuing care retirement campus in Delaware County. The facility provides skilled nursing care, personal care, rehabilitation, memory care, and respite services. It accepts Medicare and private pay, but not Medicaid.

CMS awards it a 5-star overall rating, with Staffing as a primary driver. Nurse staffing averages 5 hours and 21 minutes per resident per day, ranking 25th among 203 Pennsylvania skilled nursing facilities and roughly 17% above the state average of 4 hours and 35 minutes, a meaningful figure for residents with higher acuity needs.

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services licensing inspections over the past four years average 7.5 deficiencies per year, roughly 60% above the state average of 4.7. Recurring issues involved staff training documentation, medication management, and emergency procedure filings. No fines, Immediate Jeopardy findings, or substantiated complaint investigations appear in the available reports. Plans of correction were accepted and implemented across all cited inspections.

The facility’s occupancy sits at 63%, well below Pennsylvania’s 78.7% average, indicating current bed availability across the nursing component of the campus.

The Inne serves residents seeking skilled nursing or post-acute rehabilitation in a private-pay, campus-style CCRC setting, where above-average staffing levels support higher-acuity care.

Overview of The Meadows at Shannondell

The Meadows at Shannondell is a skilled nursing and memory care community in Audubon, Pennsylvania, operating as part of the Shannondell continuing care retirement campus. Privately owned by Shannondell Inc., the 171-bed facility accepts Medicare and private pay and serves a resident population that skews heavily toward short-term post-acute care, with an average length of stay of 18 days.

CMS gives the facility a 5-star overall rating, with Health Inspection, Staffing, and Quality Measures all performing above Pennsylvania averages. State inspection records since 2021 present a more mixed picture. Inspectors conducted 16 inspections compared with the Pennsylvania average of 11. The facility recorded 63 total citations, which aligns with state averages overall, though its citation rate per inspection of 3.9 performs about 32% better than Pennsylvania’s average of 5.7.

The April 2024 renewal inspection was an outlier, identifying 36 deficiencies across staffing shortfalls, medication management, sanitation, and direct resident care failures, including documented neglect; a June 2023 complaint investigation substantiated neglect and abuse, and staff were terminated. No fines or license enforcement actions appear in the available reports.

On-site physical, occupational, and speech therapy supports the facility’s rehabilitation orientation. A 34-bed secured dementia unit provides dedicated memory care capacity, with 33 of those beds occupied at the most recent inspection.

The campus also offers an on-site dental office, on-site podiatry, and psychiatry and cardiology services, a clinical depth that goes beyond most community-based skilled nursing facilities. An outdoor garden courtyard and all-private rooms or suites round out the residential environment.

The facility’s occupancy rate is 84%, modestly above the Pennsylvania average of 78.7%, with the payer mix split approximately 52% Medicare and 48% private pay.

The Meadows at Shannondell suits short-term Medicare rehabilitation patients and private-pay post-acute stays, with a 34-bed secured dementia unit available for residents in need of structured memory care on the Shannondell campus.

Paramount Senior Living at Chambersburg Road provides personal care, assisted living, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, skilled nursing, rehabilitation services, and respite care in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania. Paramount Senior Living at Fayetteville LLC operates the 100-bed personal care home, which also includes a 24-bed secured dementia unit on site.

The facility holds a 3-star overall CMS rating. Inspection performance is a concern: across four inspections from 2022 through 2024, the facility averaged 9.8 deficiencies per year, which is 109% above Pennsylvania’s average of 4.7.

The most recent renewal inspection in September 2024 identified 19 deficiencies, including medication administration errors, unsecured medications and resident records, gaps in CPR-certified staff coverage, and incomplete fire safety documentation. No fines or enforcement actions appear in the available reports, and plans of correction were accepted and verified as implemented following each inspection cycle.

Nurse staffing averages 3 hours and 44 minutes per resident per day, ranking 157th out of 203 Pennsylvania homes, roughly 26% below the state average. The facility provides 24-hour staffing. Occupancy is at 45%, well below Pennsylvania’s average of 78.7%, suggesting current availability across care levels.

The 24-bed secured dementia unit positions the community for residents in moderate to advanced stages of Alzheimer’s or dementia who require a structured, contained environment. The broader personal care and assisted living capacity serves older adults in Adams County who need daily support with activities of daily living.

Located in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, Wyncote Care Center is a 45-bed nonprofit nursing home offering skilled nursing, personal care, short-term rehabilitation, memory care, and respite services. Wyncote Care LLC operates the community that serves residents in a faith-rooted residential setting just outside Philadelphia.

CMS gives the facility a 4-star overall rating, with Health Inspection, Quality Measures, and overall performance all slightly above Pennsylvania averages. Staffing is a clear strength: total adjusted nursing hours run 5 hours and 16 minutes per resident per day, ranking the facility 25th out of 203 Pennsylvania skilled nursing facilities, well above the state norm. Nurse aide staffing averages 13% above the state average.

The most recent inspection on February 24, 2025, cited 11 deficiencies, a rate 134% above Pennsylvania’s annual average of 4.7. The findings were environmental and administrative in nature: lighting, food storage, fire drill documentation, and access to records. Plans of correction were accepted and fully implemented by April 18, 2025. No complaint investigations appear in the record.

The facility’s occupancy rate is 27%, well below the Pennsylvania average of 78.7%, signaling current availability across room types.

The community offers on-site spiritual and emotional support programming, salon and spa services, and enriching activities alongside its rehabilitation and memory care capabilities.

Wyncote Care Center fits residents seeking short- or long-term skilled nursing care in a small, high-staffing community with immediate availability, in Montgomery County near Philadelphia.

Overview of Wesbury United Methodist Community

Serving Crawford County for more than a century, Wesbury United Methodist Community offers a full continuum spanning personal care, long-term care, respite care, rehabilitation, memory support, and in-home care in Meadville, Pennsylvania. The nonprofit 110-bed continuing care retirement community is operated under the Wesbury United Methodist organization.

Wesbury holds a 4-star CMS overall rating, with its Health Inspection and Quality Measures sub-ratings both above Pennsylvania averages.

Across seven state licensing inspections since 2021, the facility recorded 7.6 deficiencies per year, which is 62% above the Pennsylvania average of 4.7. Recurring themes include staff training documentation, medication management, and safety compliance. Plans of correction were accepted and implemented after each renewal cycle.

A substantiated complaint in April 2023 involved resident abuse through forced medication administration and a failure to report the incident in a timely manner; the facility suspended and terminated the responsible staff member. No fines or license actions appear in the available reports.

Wesbury accepts Medicare and Medicaid and provides 24-hour staffing. Total nurse staffing averages 4 hours and 15 minutes per resident per day, close to the Pennsylvania average.

Residents stay an average of 170 days, and a Newsweek Top 15 ranking among Pennsylvania nursing homes reflects its positioning as a long-term care destination. The facility’s occupancy rate is 49%, well below the state average of 78.7%, indicating availability across care levels.

The community fits residents seeking a nonprofit, faith-affiliated continuing care setting in Meadville, with memory support and a campus structured for aging in place across multiple levels of need.

Horizons Personal Care provides assisted living-level personal care, memory care, and respite stays in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Operated by The Villa Crest LLC, the 56-bed personal care home is located on Frankstown Road in Cambria County and provides 24/7 on-site nursing services.

Across four inspections since February 2023, Horizons recorded 12 total deficiencies, a rate of approximately 4 per year, roughly 15% below the Pennsylvania average of 4.7. The most recent visit, a complaint investigation in April 2025, found no deficiencies, and the complaint was not substantiated. Earlier citations covered quality management documentation, fire drill records, smoking area safeguards, medication management, and staff background checks. All were resolved with accepted plans of correction, with no fines or enforcement actions.

Occupancy is 86%, above the Pennsylvania average of 78.7%, suggesting consistent demand. At inspections, between 8 and 10 residents were enrolled in hospice, a notable share of the census that reflects the facility’s capacity for higher-acuity and end-of-life care.

Services include assistance with activities of daily living, meal preparation, salon and beauty services, religious programming, and crafts and entertainment. The facility features scenic courtyards and accepts Medicare and private pay.

Horizons Personal Care serves residents seeking personal care, with memory care or respite options in Johnstown, and supports residents through hospice enrollment within the community.

Overview of Sherwood Oaks

Sherwood Oaks provides independent living, personal care, memory care, and skilled nursing within a continuing care retirement community in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh Lifetime Care Community operates a nonprofit 77-bed community that also includes a 30-bed secured dementia care unit on the same property.

CMS rates Sherwood Oaks at 5 stars overall, with nurse hours averaging 6 hours 9 minutes per resident per day, roughly one-third above the Pennsylvania average, ranking it 11th among 203 state nursing facilities. That staffing depth supports the full care continuum on site.

Across nine inspections since September 2021, the facility recorded 27 deficiencies, about 15% above the Pennsylvania average of 4.7 per year. Earlier citations involved operational issues: food storage, medication labeling, and sanitation.

A December 2024 follow-up inspection was more serious: eight deficiencies stemming from a substantiated resident abuse incident in which a staff member kicked a resident and locked them in a bathroom. The facility responded with staff suspension and termination, corrective education, and ongoing monitoring. The subsequent January 2025 complaint inspection found no deficiencies.

Campus amenities include an art studio, a woodworking shop, a 7,000-volume library, and a fitness center, which is oriented toward independent and personal care residents with active daily routines. The secured dementia care unit includes a dedicated courtyard and structured programming for residents in memory care.

The facility’s current occupancy rate is 39%, well below the Pennsylvania average, reflecting immediate availability across care levels.

Sherwood Oaks fits older adults seeking a nonprofit continuing care campus with strong staffing depth and a full range of care levels, including families whose needs may progress from independent living through skilled nursing or memory care over time.

Overview of Lutheran Home at Kane/residential Care Center

Serving McKean County residents in Kane, Pennsylvania, Lutheran Home at Kane/residential Care Center is a 33-bed nonprofit Continuing Care Retirement Community managed by the Lutheran social ministry organization under administrator Charlotte Floravit. The facility provides assisted living and skilled nursing care, with memory care, respite care, and palliative care available on-site, and accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay.

CMS rates the community at 5 stars overall, about 29.9% above the Pennsylvania average, driven by strong inspection and staffing sub-ratings. Quality Measures is the outlier, which performs 47.4% below the state average on clinical indicators such as hospital readmissions and fall rates. Families should weigh that gap against the otherwise clean regulatory record.

Across six inspections and complaint investigations over the review period, the facility recorded 27 total citations, 57% below Pennsylvania’s average of 63. The most recent inspection, in September 2024, found no deficiencies. A January 2023 complaint involving inappropriate resident-on-resident behavior was substantiated; protective services were notified, and the facility implemented corrective actions. No fines or license actions appear in the record.

Services include physical, occupational, and speech therapy, an emergency call system, and 24-hour staffing. A dedicated palliative care program rounds out the clinical offering for residents with serious or advanced illness.

The facility is well-suited to residents seeking a nonprofit, mission-driven community in rural northwestern Pennsylvania, particularly those with long-term skilled nursing needs, memory care requirements, or families who prioritize a clean inspection record and a continuum-of-care structure in a small, residential setting.

Longwood at Oakmont Personal Care Center is a 49-bed personal care and assisted living community in Verona, Pennsylvania, operated by Presbyterian Seniorcare, a nonprofit registered in PA. Services confirmed include respite care and memory care. The community accepts Medicare and private pay, but not Medicaid.

CMS rates the community 4 stars overall, 3.9% above the Pennsylvania average. Staffing is the standout driver of that rating: adjusted nurse staffing averages 5 hours and 28 minutes per resident per day, ranking 21st out of 203 Pennsylvania facilities and roughly 22.9% above the state average. The Health Inspection sub-rating pulls in the opposite direction at 43.2% below the state average, which is the primary weight on the CMS composite. Quality Measures are 31.6% above the state average.

Across five parsed inspections from May 2021 through May 2024, the facility recorded 21 total deficiencies, averaging about 5.3 per year, 13% above the state average of 4.7. The inspection record has no fines, Immediate Jeopardy findings, or license actions. The deficiency profile across those years features documentation gaps, medication management issues, fire drill and emergency preparedness lapses, and a cluster of equipment and transport-vehicle items; all plans of correction were accepted and implemented.

The most recent inspection, a May 2024 complaint investigation, identified a single deficiency involving an incomplete significant-change assessment. The facility later completed corrective actions. The 2023 renewal was the most-cited visit, with 9 deficiencies.

The facility’s occupancy rate is 41%, ranking 475th among 511 Pennsylvania facilities and well below the state average of 78.7%, indicating substantial availability.

Amenities include a swimming pool, putting green, and multiple dining venues spread across more than 60 rolling acres.

Longwood at Oakmont Personal Care Center may be a good fit for residents seeking assisted living or personal care in a larger, residential-style setting with stronger staffing support and extensive amenities.