Guides for Pennsylvania families
Longer, plain-English guides to paying for care, choosing an agency and knowing when a parent needs more help. See all guides.
How to Pay for Home Care in Pennsylvania: Private Pay, Insurance, VA Benefits, OPTIONS, and Medicaid Waivers (2026)
Every way Pennsylvania families pay for non-medical home care in 2026: private pay, long-term care insurance, VA Aid and Attendance, the OPTIONS program, the Caregiver Support Program, Community HealthChoices, OBRA and Act 150, plus the federal tax deduction. Who qualifies, what each pays, and how to start.
Signs an aging parent needs help at home, and what to do next
What to look for in the kitchen, bathroom, mail and medicine cabinet, and gentle next steps that keep your parent in charge.
Home care vs. home health care: what each one does for your family
Home care vs. home health care in plain words: who comes to the house, what Medicare pays for, and how the two teams share the weeks after a hospital stay.
Questions to ask a home care agency: a checklist for Pennsylvania families
A family checklist for calling home care agencies in Pennsylvania: license, caregivers, backup, staying in touch, paying for care and your rights.
When does someone with dementia need 24-hour care at home?
The safety signs, night-time patterns and caregiver limits that point to round-the-clock dementia care at home, and the steps in between.
Home care questions, answered
Friendly, plain answers to the questions families ask most: starting care, what caregivers do, schedules, paying for care and where we serve.