For Upper Darby families weighing ccrcs, here's the 2026 picture — local costs, Pennsylvania licensing, and the questions that matter most before you tour.
The local picture in Upper Darby
Upper Darby is a large, densely populated Delaware County township bordering West Philadelphia, with a broad, comparatively affordable mix of personal care homes and assisted living around the 69th Street Terminal and Drexel Hill.
Upper Darby sits in Delaware County. Nearby hospitals include Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, Lankenau Medical Center, which matters for discharge planning and for staying close to a parent's doctors. Families here commonly focus on areas such as 69th Street Terminal, Drexel Hill-adjacent, Highland Park-adjacent. Upper Darby pricing runs toward the lower half of the metro range.
Paying for ccrcs in Upper Darby
In the Upper Darby market, ccrcs typically runs $3,200 to $6,800 a month plus a significant entrance fee. Upper Darby pricing runs toward the lower half of the metro range. Most families combine sources over time: private savings and Social Security first, then long-term-care insurance if it's in place, VA Aid & Attendance for eligible veterans and surviving spouses, and Pennsylvania's Community HealthChoices (CHC), which can cover care services (not room and board) for those who meet the income and asset tests.
Verify any community's license and inspection record on the appropriate PA DHS or PA DOH facility search before you commit — these are the statewide databases that cover every provider in Delaware County.
CCRCs: what you're actually buying
A Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) spans independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing on one campus, so a resident can age in place as needs change.
The assisted living portion is licensed as a Personal Care Home or Assisted Living Residence by DHS, and the skilled-nursing portion is DOH-licensed under 28 Pa. Code Chapter 211, with CCRC contracts governed by Pennsylvania insurance and consumer-contract law. A typical monthly range is $3,200 to $6,800 a month plus a significant entrance fee.
The details that matter most rarely show up in the brochure:
- the entrance-fee refund terms in the contract
- the financial health of the operator and its reserves
- guaranteed access to higher levels of care and at what price
Your next step
You don't have to sort this out alone. Call a free Philly Senior Advisor advisor at (855) 768-7212, or request a call back, and we'll match you to one to three vetted options.
