Sunrise of Westtown

Is Sunrise of Westtown licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services?

Yes. Sunrise of Westtown at 1045 Wilmington Pike, West Chester, PA 19382 holds an active Pennsylvania DHS license as a Personal Care Home, license number 144940, for up to 110 residents. The DHS Provider Directory lists its status as Licensed with a full license as of October 24, 2026.

Most licensed assisted living in Pennsylvania is a Personal Care Home under Chapter 2600 — 47 of the 50 licensed homes in Chester County are PCHs. Many communities that market themselves as “assisted living” hold this license; the label that matters legally is the one on the DHS certificate.

Pennsylvania licenses are renewed yearly after an inspection. Sunrise of Westtown's current Certificate of Compliance runs from January 1, 2026 to January 1, 2027.

Verify it yourself: search license 144940 or the home's name in the DHS Human Services Provider Directory, then open “Inspection Summary” and “Certificate”.

What did the latest DHS inspection of Sunrise of Westtown find?

DHS's most recent posted Licensing Inspection Summary for Sunrise of Westtown, from its on-site review on 12/09/2025, cites 4 violations in licensing, postings and administration; resident rights and complaint handling; and medication storage and administration.

The summary's cover letter says DHS determined the home's plan of correction was fully implemented. Every Pennsylvania home must post its latest inspection summary in a conspicuous place, so you can also ask to see it on a tour.

Earlier summaries on the DHS site: August 20, 2025 — 8 violations; February 13, 2025 — 1 violation; February 21, 2024 — 2 violations.

DHS posted 9 inspection summaries for Sunrise of Westtown since January 2023; the median for a licensed home in Chester County is 8. More summaries usually mean more visits — yearly renewals plus complaint or follow-up inspections — so read the reports, not just the count.

Read the full inspection summary (PDF) →

Does Sunrise of Westtown have a secured memory care unit?

Yes. Sunrise of Westtown's DHS certificate approves a Secure Dementia Care Unit with capacity for 25 residents — about 23% of its 110 licensed beds. Pennsylvania regulates these units under 55 Pa. Code §§2600.231–239 rather than through a separate memory care license.

27 of the 50 licensed homes in Chester County have a secured dementia or special care unit, with a median of 26 beds; Sunrise of Westtown's 25-bed unit is close to the county norm.

Admission to a secured unit requires a written assessment showing the resident needs that level of protection, and the home must give families a disclosure of the unit's services, staffing and costs. Ask for that disclosure in writing.

Where is Sunrise of Westtown located in West Chester?

Sunrise of Westtown is at 1045 Wilmington Pike, West Chester, PA 19382, in Chester County. Hospitals families in West Chester commonly use include Chester County Hospital (Penn Medicine) and Paoli Hospital.

West Chester is the Chester County seat, with a walkable downtown and Chester County Hospital in the borough.

7 other licensed homes are listed in West Chester, the largest being The Hickman, Wellington Court at Hershey's Mill, Arbor Terrace Willistown, Barclay Friends, Merrill Gardens at West Chester, Bellingham at West Chester.

Veterans and surviving spouses can use the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia and may qualify for VA Aid & Attendance toward personal care home costs.

How does Sunrise of Westtown compare with other assisted living in Chester County?

With 110 licensed beds, Sunrise of Westtown is larger than most among the 50 DHS-licensed homes in Chester County (number 11 by capacity); the county median is 82.5 beds.

Across the county, 27 homes have a secured dementia or special care unit, 3 hold the Assisted Living Residence license, and 15 are nonprofit-operated.

Closest in size among Chester County homes, from the same DHS records:

How much does Sunrise of Westtown cost per month?

Pennsylvania does not publish prices for individual homes, so ask Sunrise of Westtown for its written fee schedule and resident contract. This site's 2026 research puts typical Greater Philadelphia assisted living at $4,800–$6,900/mo, with secured dementia care usually in the $6,200–$8,600/mo range.

Personal care homes in the five counties range from small row-home operations to large campus buildings, and pricing follows: ask whether the rate is all-inclusive or base rent plus care levels, and what triggers a level change.

Medicare does not pay for personal care home or assisted living rent. Community HealthChoices (Pennsylvania's Medicaid long-term-care program) does not cover room and board, and some homes accept residents whose income is SSI plus the state supplement for personal care home residents — see our SSI supplement guide. VA Aid & Attendance and long-term care insurance can also help.

What should you ask when touring Sunrise of Westtown?

Start with the areas DHS already cited at Sunrise of Westtown — licensing, postings and administration, resident rights and complaint handling, medication storage and administration — and ask what changed after the inspection; then cover overnight staffing, the full fee schedule and move-out triggers.

• Where are the current license, inspection summary and the state regulations posted, and who keeps them current?
• How are resident grievances logged, and how fast does the administrator respond in writing?
• Who passes medications, what training do they have, and how are errors reported to families?
• How long have the administrator and the head of resident care been in their roles?
• Is a nurse on site every day, and who covers nights and weekends?
• What happens if a resident runs out of private funds?
• Can we visit at mealtime and in the evening without an appointment?
• Do you accept residents whose income is SSI plus Pennsylvania's personal care home supplement?

Visit twice — once at a meal — and read the resident contract before paying anything. If problems come up later, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman can help, and DHS takes complaints at 1-877-401-8835.

How does moving into Sunrise of Westtown work?

Before anyone moves into Sunrise of Westtown, Pennsylvania rules require a preadmission screening, a recent medical evaluation and a signed resident contract.

• Resident contract. Chapter 2600 requires a written contract listing the fee for each service, refund rules and the notice the home must give before a discharge or rate change. Take it home before signing.
• Assessment and support plan. The home assesses each new resident and writes a support plan within the first 30 days, then updates it at least yearly and whenever needs change.
• Secured unit admission. Placement in Sunrise of Westtown's 25-bed Secure Dementia Care Unit requires a written assessment that the secured setting is needed; ask what would move a resident between the general and secured areas.
• Medications. Ask who administers medications, how they are trained, and whether your parent may self-administer.
• Payment. Rent and care are mostly private pay; ask about deposits, community fees and how a hospital stay affects billing.

If Sunrise of Westtown has no opening, ask to join its waitlist and keep touring — availability at larger Greater Philadelphia homes changes month to month.

Frequently asked questions