These are the best and worst nursing homes in central Pennsylvania, US News claims
Finding a care home that meets expectations and provides quality treatment for your loved ones can be challenging. But where can you find the best nursing homes in central Pennsylvania?
Nearly 2.5 million Pennsylvanians are at least 65 years old, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, and many of the commonwealth’s oldest residents require specialized care at nursing homes and other long-term facilities. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) list roughly 300 nursing homes online, and many received high praise in a recent batch of ratings and rankings through U.S. News and World Report.
From key rankings and ratings to a look at the report’s methodology, here’s what you need to know about U.S. News’ latest report on nursing homes.
How does U.S. News rank and rate nursing homes?
When evaluating nursing homes and other related facilities, U.S. News is largely focusing on nurse staffing, patient outcomes and the steps facilities take to avoid harm and improve patient health through routine practices. The outlet evaluated nearly 15,000 facilities across the country and rated most of them in separate categories for short-term rehabilitation and long-term care.
All Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes included within the July 2024 CMS nursing home provider census were included in U.S. News’ search, the outlet’s methodology reports says. Nursing homes included in this process were not required to apply or provide data or materials to U.S. News.
To receive ratings for short-term rehabilitation, long-term care and overall quality, nursing homes were required to have received reimbursement from CMS in July and offer sufficient data to evaluate quality.
U.S. News based short-term rehabilitation ratings on at least nine measures of quality, including nursing staffing, patient outcomes (such as falls with major injury or emergency room visits), facility deficiencies and more. Long-term care, meanwhile, was measured using eight measures of quality ranging from vaccination rates and nurse staffing to changes in ownership and staff retention.
While evaluating nursing homes across the country, U.S. News used data sourced from the CMS Nursing Homes Data Archive and data on antipsychotic use from the Long-Term Community Care Coalition, among other sources. A full list of sources and time intervals is available in the report’s full methodology breakdown.
Where are the best nursing homes in central Pennsylvania?
U.S. News examined 12 nursing homes within roughly 25 miles of State College in its latest report. Of those facilities, seven received at least an average rating for short-term rehabilitation and long-term care.
No facility performed better within that group than Valley View Haven, part of the Valley View Retirement Community in Belleville in Mifflin County. According to U.S. News’ report, this facility received high-performing grades for short-term rehabilitation and long-term care. Though it is not located within a hospital, this facility offers more than 160 beds for its patients and operates as an incorporated nonprofit.
Juniper Village at Brookline Rehabilitation and Skilled Care, located in State College, received a high-performing grade for its short-term rehabilitation services, but an average grade for long-term care. This facility, considered medium-sized with 116 beds, operates with a for-profit model, according to the report.
The following seven facilities received average grades for short-term rehabilitation services and long-term care, according to U.S. News’ report:
- The Village at Penn State in State College
- Foxdale Village in State College
- Windy Hill Village of Presbyterian Homes in Philipsburg
- William Penn Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Lewistown
- Greenwood Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Lewistown
- Embassy of Huntingdon Park in Huntingdon
- Cedarwood Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Tyrone
Centre Care Rehabilitation and Wellness Services, located in Bellefonte, received a below-average short-term rehabilitation grade, but an average grade for long-term care services. Westminster Woods at Huntingdon received the same overall scores.
Embassy of Hearthside in State College received the worst overall scores of these 12 facilities thanks to below-average grades for short-term rehabilitation services and long-term care. This for-profit facility, considered large with 157 beds, ranked below state and national averages in a number of categories, including staff retention, use of antipsychotic drugs and the proportion of residents able to return home after rehabilitation.
The 12 facilities U.S. News examined within 25 miles of State College did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this year’s grades by email or phone.
These are the top nursing homes in Pennsylvania
Forty-five nursing homes across Pennsylvania received high-performing grades for short-term rehabilitation and long-term care, according to U.S. News’ report. They are sorted below in alphabetical order:
- Barclay Friends in West Chester
- Beaumont at Bryn Mawr in Bryn Mawr
- Health Care Center at White Horse Village in Newtown Square
- Highlands at Wyomissing in Wyomissing
- Homeland Center in Harrisburg
- Homewood at Martinsburg in Martinsburg
- Inglis House in Philadelphia
- Kendal at Longwood at Kennett Square in Kennett Square
- Landis Homes in Lititz
- Little Flower Manor in Darby
- Mahoning Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation in Lehighton
- Manchester Commons of Presbyterian Seniorcare in Erie
- Maple Farm in Akron
- Masonic Village at Elizabethtown in Elizabethtown
- Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill in Lafayette Hill
- Meadowood — Worcester Township in Lansdale
- Meadows Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Dallas
- Messiah Lifeways at Messiah Village in Mechanicsburg
- Misericordia Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in York
- Mongtomery Subacute and Respiratory Center in Plymouth Meeting
- Moravian Hall Square Health and Wellness Center in Nazareth
- Moravian Manor in Lititz
- Moravian Village of Bethlehem in Bethlehem
- Oxford Health Center in Oxford
- Paul’s Run in Philadelphia
- Pennswood Village in Newtown
- Peter Becker Community in Harleysville
- Phoebe Richland Health Care Center in Richlandtown
- Quadrangle in Haverford
- Rydal Park of Philadelphia in Rydal
- St. Joseph Manor Skilled Nursing — Meadowbrook in Meadowbrook
- St. Luke’s Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Coaldale
- The Community at Rockhill in Sellersville
- The Cross Keys Village — Brethren Home Community in New Oxford
- The Health Center at the Hill at Whitemarsh in Lafayette Hill
- Trillium Place in Lancaster
- United Zion Retirement Community in Lititz
- Valley View Haven in Belleville
- Waverly Heights in Gladwyne
- Wesley Enhanced Living Main Line Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing in Media
- William Hood Dunwoody Care Center in Newtown Square
- WillowBrooke Court at Southampton in Southampton
- WillowBrooke Court Skilled Care Center at Brittany in Lansdale
- WillowBrooke Court Skilled Care Center at Lima Estates in Lima
- WillowBrooke Court Skilled Care Center at Normandy Farms Estates in Blue Bell
%202.JPG)