Home Care in Lancaster County, PA

Why Lancaster County families call us

Lancaster County has about 558,000 residents, and nearly 20 percent are 65 or older, more than 109,000 people. It is also a county where staying at home is a deeply held value. Many of the families we work with have lived in the same farmhouse, borough row home, or Manheim Township split-level for forty years and have no intention of leaving. Our job is to make that possible safely, for as long as it makes sense.

Geography shapes how we deliver care here. Lancaster city and Manheim Township are dense enough that we can offer shorter visits and quick backup. The northern boroughs (Lititz, Ephrata, Manheim, Denver, Akron) and the western corridor (Elizabethtown, Mount Joy, Columbia, Marietta) each have their own local caregivers. The southern and eastern townships are more rural; there, we recommend consistent, longer shifts so the same caregiver becomes a known and trusted face.

How care starts in Lancaster County

1. Call (717) 695-2704 or use the contact form. Let us know the borough or township.
2. in-home consultation. We visit, meet the person who will receive care, review the home for safety, and talk about routines and preferences.
3. A written care plan outlining the schedule and support before care begins.
4. Caregiver introduction and match on care needs, personality, schedule, language and location.
5. Ongoing check-ins and an after-hours on-call line for active clients.

Care situations we see most often in Lancaster County

• A widow or widower in Lititz or Ephrata who is managing, but whose children have noticed missed medications, an emptier refrigerator, or a recent fall.
• A spouse in Elizabethtown or Mount Joy providing round-the-clock dementia care who needs scheduled respite to keep going.
• Families coordinating a discharge from Penn Medicine Lancaster General, Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center, WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital or UPMC Lititz.
• Residents of the county’s many retirement communities who want private, one-to-one help in their own apartment before considering a move to personal care.
• Adult children in other states with a parent in Columbia, Quarryville or Willow Street who need daily eyes and ears and a regular report.

Lancaster County’s hospitals

The county is served by Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital (the region’s Level I trauma center), Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center in East Hempfield Township, WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital, and UPMC Lititz. When a discharge planner tells a family that someone needs to be home, we are one of the calls they can make. We are non-medical; our caregivers provide the practical, day-to-day support that lets the medical plan work at home.

Communities we serve in Lancaster County

Our caregivers cover Lancaster and the surrounding boroughs and townships, including:

• Lancaster
• Lititz
• Ephrata
• Elizabethtown
• Manheim
• Columbia
• Mount Joy
• Millersville
• Willow Street
• Strasburg
• Quarryville
• New Holland
• Denver
• Akron
• Landisville
• Leola

Looking for a specific town? See our city pages for Lancaster.

Coming home from the hospital in Lancaster County

Many families call us the day a discharge planner says "someone needs to be home with them." We regularly support clients returning from Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital, Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center, WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital, UPMC Lititz. Tell us the expected discharge date and we will try to have a caregiver ready for the first day home, help with the transition (getting settled, meals, medication reminders per the discharge instructions, and follow-up appointment logistics), and coordinate with any home health nurses or therapists the physician has ordered. We provide non-medical support; skilled services come from the home health agency your doctor chooses.

Paying for home care in Lancaster County

• Long-term care insurance. We provide the care plan, daily notes, and itemized invoices most carriers require. How LTC insurance claims work.
• VA benefits. Aid and Attendance and Housebound pension add-ons can support care at home for eligible veterans and surviving spouses.
• OPTIONS program (age 60+). Contact the Lancaster County Office of Aging at (717) 299-7979 or online.
• Medicaid and state programs. Community HealthChoices (CHC) waiver, OBRA waiver, and the Act 150 Program. We are an enrolled provider; you have the right to choose any willing and qualified provider, so you can ask your service coordinator for It's Your Home Care by name.

Read the full guide: How to pay for home care in Pennsylvania.

Local resources for Lancaster County families

• Lancaster County Office of Aging · (717) 299-7979 — OPTIONS intake for residents 60+, Caregiver Support Program, in-home services, protective services and the long-term care ombudsman.
• PA Link to Aging and Disability Resources · 1-800-753-8827 — Statewide help line for aging and disability services.
• Independent Enrollment Broker (Community HealthChoices) · 1-877-550-4227 — Begins Medicaid waiver eligibility for personal assistance services.
• Pennsylvania Department of Health home care complaint line · 1-866-826-3644 — State hotline for concerns about any licensed home care agency.