Home Care in Palmyra, PA

Why Palmyra families call us

Palmyra families usually call us after a hospital stay or when a parent living alone starts to slip, and they often find that the town sits between two counties' worth of services. Palmyra is in Lebanon County, but for many residents daily life points west: the Hershey Medical Center is next door in Derry Township, many adult children work in Hershey or Harrisburg, and US 422 runs straight through town toward both. That makes Palmyra an easy place for us to reach from Harrisburg, and it means families here have real choices about where care and appointments happen. What they usually ask for is help on weekday mornings and evenings, a caregiver who can drive along to appointments, and someone checking in on a widowed parent. See living alone after losing a spouse.

Homes and settings in Palmyra and the Londonderry townships

In the borough, many older adults live in brick and frame houses and twins along and off Main Street (US 422), where a front porch and close neighbors are part of daily life and the bedrooms are usually upstairs. Outside the borough, in North and South Londonderry townships, Campbelltown, Lawn and Timber Hills, homes are more often ranch houses, newer developments and farm properties, where a parent who stops driving can quickly become isolated. The Palmyra area also has continuing-care and retirement communities, and residents in independent living sometimes want outside help with bathing, meals or company; check the community's rules first, then call us.

A caregiver's work changes with the setting. In a borough twin it is often stair safety, bathing and a first-floor routine after a fall. In the townships it is meals, light housekeeping, conversation and getting to appointments and the pharmacy. We plan around your parent's actual house and day. Read about companion care.

Hospitals and coming home

Palmyra residents are usually treated at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, a few miles west, or at WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon, about ten miles east. Veterans may also use the Lebanon VA Medical Center. When your parent is discharged, a caregiver can meet them at home, help them settle, prepare a meal, give medication reminders from the discharge instructions and stay into the night if needed. Later in the week that becomes bathing help, meals and company at follow-up appointments. Skilled nursing and therapy come from the home health agency the physician orders, and we work alongside it. We are independent and not affiliated with Penn State Health, WellSpan Health or the VA. See coming home from Hershey Medical Center and coming home from WellSpan Good Samaritan.

How care starts in Palmyra

1. Call (717) 695-2704. A care coordinator listens and asks what a normal day looks like.
2. In-home consultation. Palmyra is a straight drive from our office on US 322 and US 422, so this is usually within one to two business days.
3. Written care plan covering the tasks, schedule and your parent's preferences.
4. Caregiver match. We serve Palmyra from our Harrisburg office and, when possible, match a caregiver who lives nearby in Lebanon or eastern Dauphin County so travel is short. When schedules allow, we introduce the caregiver before the first shift.
5. Regular check-ins and on-call support for active clients.

Paying for home care in Palmyra

Palmyra families use private pay, long-term care insurance, VA benefits and public programs, and the county programs that apply are Lebanon County's. Medicare does not pay for ongoing non-medical home care.

• OPTIONS. Residents 60 and older apply through the Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging at (717) 273-9262, even if their doctors are in Hershey. There is no income limit; some people contribute on a sliding scale tied to income. See the OPTIONS program.
• VA benefits. Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits can help eligible veterans and surviving spouses. See VA benefits for home care.
• Long-term care insurance. We provide the care plan, daily notes and itemized invoices carriers ask for.
• Community HealthChoices, the OBRA waiver and Act 150. We are an enrolled provider; your parent can choose any willing and qualified provider.

Read how to pay for home care in Pennsylvania or request a consultation.

Neighborhoods and nearby towns we cover

• North Londonderry Township
• South Londonderry Township
• Campbelltown
• Lawn
• Timber Hills
• Annville
• Cleona
• Hershey
• Hummelstown
• Mount Gretna
• Lebanon