Personal care home vs. assisted living residence in Pennsylvania

Last verified: October 2026

What is the difference between a personal care home and an assisted living residence in Pennsylvania?

A personal care home (PCH) is licensed by the Department of Human Services under 55 Pa. Code Chapter 2600 to provide shelter, meals, supervision and help with personal care; an assisted living residence (ALR) is licensed under Chapter 2800 and can serve people with higher care needs who still do not need 24-hour nursing, in private units built so residents can age in place.

Both are inspected by DHS at least annually and neither is a nursing home. The practical differences show up in the building and the staffing: an ALR must give each resident a private living unit with a bathroom and kitchen capacity, and must have a licensed nurse in the building or on call, while a PCH may use shared bedrooms and needs no licensed nurse at all.

Sources: 55 Pa. Code Ch. 2600; 55 Pa. Code Ch. 2800; PA DHS.

Why are there so few assisted living residences around Pittsburgh?

Of the 231 homes DHS licenses in the seven Pittsburgh-area counties, 217 are personal care homes and only 14 are assisted living residences, because converting to Chapter 2800 means meeting private-unit size, kitchen and nursing requirements that many older buildings were never designed for.

Statewide the pattern is the same: DHS reported 1,068 personal care home licenses and 67 assisted living residence licenses in its 2023 data. When a Pittsburgh family says “assisted living,” they are usually touring a personal care home.

Can a personal care home call itself assisted living in Pennsylvania?

No. Under 55 Pa. Code 2800.11(d), no person or organization may use the term “assisted living” in any name or written material unless it holds a Chapter 2800 license, and a corporate parent may not use the term to market an unlicensed program.

That is why many large Pittsburgh-area communities describe themselves as “personal care” or “senior living.” If a brochure says assisted living, check the DHS directory: the license category there settles it.

How big must an assisted living unit be in Pennsylvania?

A single-resident ALR unit in a building newly constructed after January 18, 2011 must have at least 225 square feet (300 if two residents share), excluding bathroom and closets; facilities that existed before that date need 160 square feet (210 shared).

New construction must also give each unit a food-storage cabinet, a small bar sink with hot and cold water, and outlets for a microwave and small refrigerator, and the residence must offer the resident a cooking appliance or refrigerator if wanted (55 Pa. Code 2800.101). Converted buildings may instead provide a shared resident kitchen with a sink, stovetop and prep area.

Can one building hold both a personal care home and an assisted living residence?

Yes. A licensed personal care home collocated with an ALR in a distinct part of the same building can apply for a dual license, but under 2800.11(g) it may not segregate residents or move them between the two licensed parts based on how they pay.

Dual licensure is one reason the same campus name can appear twice on the DHS roster. Ask which license your parent's room falls under, because the resident rights, contract terms and staffing rules follow the license, not the brand.

Personal care home vs. assisted living residence: what each license is and is not