Memory care in Chester County
State inspection records and citation history for every licensed facility — built from primary CDSS data.
Last updated May 2026
Of the 28 licensed memory care facilities indexed in Chester County, 28 (100%) have a Type-A or Type-B deficiency in their state record from the past 24 months.
Source: CA CDSS Community Care Licensing · Refreshed 2026-05-24 · Type-A = immediate health/safety risk; Type-B = lesser violation
Licensed PCH / ALR memory care facilities indexed in Chester County County
Total PA DHS citations on record across all Chester County facilities
↑ avg 78 per facilitySevere findings (PA DHS severity ≥ 3) on record
↑ avg 5.3 per facilityImmediate-jeopardy findings on record
Highest-performing facilities by state inspection record.
Fieldstone at Chester Springs
Chester Springs
Brandywine Living at Upper Providence
Phoenixville
Daylesford Crossing
Paoli
Brightview Devon
Wayne
Merrill Gardens at West Chester
West Chester
Hemsley House of Paoli
Malvern
Brandywine Living at Longwood
Kennett Square
Lakeview at Tel Hai Personal Care
Honey Brook
Most-cited on record · Chester County County · PA DHS OLTL
- 1.Woodbridge Place20 severe
- 2.The Devon Senior Living15 severe
- 3.Spring Mill Senior Living11 severe
- 4.Morningside House of Exton11 severe
- 5.St. Martha Villa for Independent & Retirement Living8 severe
Chester County — every licensed facility ranked by inspection record.
Memory care · 50+ beds
(27)Community-style facilities (purpose-built buildings, common in regional chains).
5 seriousArbor Terrace Willistown
5 serious citations on fileWest Chester · 104 beds · ALF · Memory care
Bellingham at West Chester
2 serious citations on fileWest Chester · 80 beds · ALF · Memory care
3 seriousBrandywine Living at Longwood
3 serious citations on fileKennett Square · 92 beds · ALF · Memory care
Brandywine Living at Upper Providence
1 serious citation on filePhoenixville · 132 beds · ALF · Memory care
2 seriousLakeview at Tel Hai Personal Care
2 serious citations on fileHoney Brook · 100 beds · ALF · Memory care
3 seriousMerrill Gardens at West Chester
3 serious citations on fileWest Chester · 94 beds · ALF · Memory care
11 seriousMorningside House of Exton
11 serious citations on fileExton · 106 beds · ALF · Memory care
11 seriousSpring Mill Senior Living
11 serious citations on filePhoenixville · 98 beds · ALF · Memory care
8 seriousSt. Martha Villa for Independent & Retirement Living
8 serious citations on fileDowningtown · 135 beds · ALF · Memory care
Memory care · 7–49 beds
(1)Small to medium freestanding RCFEs with a memory-care program.
About Chester County
Chester County is a high-income suburban market west of Philadelphia along the Main Line, with 26 PA DHS-indexed facilities across 14 communities — from Wayne, Paoli, and Devon along Route 30 to West Chester, Exton, and Downingtown further west. The county has a high concentration of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) that include memory care units within larger campus settings, alongside standalone PCH and ALR memory care buildings.
Read more ↓
PA DHS OLTL inspects Chester County facilities under 55 Pa Code Ch 2600 and Ch 2800. Read the full inspection history on each profile: facilities embedded in CCRCs sometimes have different citation patterns than standalone memory care buildings — CCRC operators often have larger compliance teams but also more complex staffing structures that DHS surveys scrutinize for care plan coordination failures.
The Main Line corridor — Wayne, Paoli, Devon — has the county's highest concentration of facilities, with strong access to Penn Medicine affiliates. West Chester, the county seat, anchors a growing mid-county cluster near Chester County Hospital and I-202. The Exton-Downingtown corridor has seen new development and offers alternatives for families commuting from Lancaster or Coatesville. Kennett Square and West Grove serve the southern county and tend toward smaller-footprint PCHs.
Pennsylvania PACE organizations and LIFE programs have limited reach in Chester County outside the Philadelphia suburban corridor. Families considering PA MA funding should clarify waiver availability early — a facility's private-pay rate does not indicate MA participation, and Chester County's higher-income market means some operators have limited MA participation by design. Confirm payer mix directly with each facility's admissions staff during your first conversation.
The public record behind every profile.
About memory care in Chester County.
How much does memory care cost across Chester County?
Memory care across Chester County typically runs $4,000–$8,500/month for a licensed Personal Care Home or Assisted Living Residence with a DHS Special Care designation. Rates vary by room type, care level, and operator.
What makes a facility "memory care" in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania licenses memory care through DHS OLTL as Personal Care Homes (55 Pa Code Ch 2600) or Assisted Living Residences (Ch 2800). Facilities indexed here hold a DHS-recognized Special Care or Secure Dementia Care Unit designation — or an Assisted Living — Special Care license type. These are government-recorded designations, not marketing claims. License type appears on every StarlynnCare profile.
What's the difference between memory care and a nursing home in Pennsylvania?
PA DHS-licensed PCHs and ALRs provide residential personal care and dementia programming. Nursing homes (Skilled Nursing Facilities) are regulated by PA DOH and CMS, provide 24-hour licensed nursing, and operate under a separate inspection framework. If your family member needs continuous skilled nursing, wound care, or IV therapy, a nursing facility may be more appropriate.
How many Chester County facilities have a serious deficiency on file?
Of the 28 licensed memory care facilities indexed in Chester County, 28 (100%) carry a documented severe finding (PA DHS severity ≥ 3) or Immediate Jeopardy in the indexed inspection record. Specific findings appear on each profile with inspection date and source link. StarlynnCare sources all deficiency data directly from state regulator records — no facility-side surveys or paid submissions are used. See the methodology for how deficiency classes are mapped across states.
How does StarlynnCare rank memory care facilities in Chester County?
StarlynnCare does not assign a single letter grade. Instead, each profile shows four independent signals derived from state inspection records: deficiency severity (Type-A vs. Type-B in California, equivalent classes in other states), repeat citation rate, inspection frequency relative to peers, and trajectory over time. Facilities with too few inspections on record show a "limited history" notice rather than a misleading score. All underlying data is sourced from mandatory public records — CDSS for California, HHSC LTCR for Texas, DHS for Oregon, and equivalent agencies for other states. Full methodology is at starlynncare.com/methodology.
What should I look for on a memory care tour in Chester County?
What predicts safety usually isn't what admissions directors highlight. From clinician and family interviews, the most under-asked items: staff-to-resident ratio at night and on weekends, skin-check and wound-prevention protocol, medication management and error reporting, shower frequency, and how the facility handles behavioral escalation. We publish a free 37-question tour checklist you can print.
Where can I find inspection reports for memory care facilities in Chester County?
Every facility profile on StarlynnCare links directly to its state inspection records — the same documents regulators use to evaluate compliance. For California facilities, reports come from the CDSS Community Care Licensing portal; for Texas, from HHSC LTCR; for Oregon, DHS Long-Term Care Licensing; for Washington, DSHS. On each facility profile, navigate to the "Inspection record" section to see full verbatim citations with dates and regulatory citations. You can also access the underlying raw data (open dataset).
What are the ratings for memory care facilities in Chester County?
StarlynnCare uses state inspection data — not self-reported surveys or paid placements — to evaluate facilities. Each profile surfaces four signals: citation severity (e.g. Type-A vs. Type-B in California), citation frequency relative to peers, repeat-finding rate, and inspection recency. Facilities with too few inspections receive a "limited history" label rather than a misleading composite score. You can sort the list of Chester County facilities by inspection record using the "By record" sort toggle to see the cleanest inspection histories first. No referral commissions influence how facilities appear.
Does Pennsylvania Medicaid cover memory care in Chester County?
Pennsylvania Medicaid (Medical Assistance) does not pay room and board in a PCH or ALR. MA can fund personal care services through HealthChoices managed care organizations for eligible residents, but not the daily base rate. Nursing homes certified for Medicaid do accept MA for clinical care and room and board. Each StarlynnCare profile notes payment acceptance where documented. Contact your county Area Agency on Aging for options in Chester County.