Blue Bell Place

Is Blue Bell Place licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services?

Yes. Blue Bell Place at 777 Dekalb Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422 holds an active Pennsylvania DHS license as a Personal Care Home, license number 132800, for up to 99 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 — 64 of the 75 licensed homes in Montgomery 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. Blue Bell Place's current Certificate of Compliance runs from September 11, 2026 to September 11, 2027.

Verify it yourself: search license 132800 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 Blue Bell Place find?

DHS's most recent posted Licensing Inspection Summary for Blue Bell Place, from its on-site review on 07/16/2026, cites 7 violations in licensing, postings and administration; building condition and sanitation; nutrition; assessments, support plans and services; and 1 other area.

The summary's cover letter dated September 8, 2026 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: May 4, 2026 — 15 violations; October 30, 2025 — 10 violations; July 7, 2025 — 8 violations.

DHS posted 15 inspection summaries for Blue Bell Place since January 2023; the median for a licensed home in Montgomery 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 Blue Bell Place have a secured memory care unit?

Yes. Blue Bell Place's DHS certificate approves a Secure Dementia Care Unit with capacity for 30 residents — about 30% of its 99 licensed beds. Pennsylvania regulates these units under 55 Pa. Code §§2600.231–239 rather than through a separate memory care license.

48 of the 75 licensed homes in Montgomery County have a secured dementia or special care unit, with a median of 30 beds; Blue Bell Place's 30-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.

The latest inspection summary includes a citation under the dementia-unit rules — ask the staff what was cited and what changed.

Where is Blue Bell Place located in Blue Bell?

Blue Bell Place is at 777 Dekalb Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, in Montgomery County. Hospitals families in Blue Bell commonly use include Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, Chestnut Hill Hospital and Jefferson Abington Hospital.

Blue Bell is part of Whitpain Township in central Montgomery County, along DeKalb Pike north of Norristown.

2 other licensed homes are listed in Blue Bell: Morningside House of Blue Bell, Oakbridge Terrace at Normandy Farms Estates.

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 Blue Bell Place compare with other assisted living in Montgomery County?

With 99 licensed beds, Blue Bell Place is larger than most among the 75 DHS-licensed homes in Montgomery County (number 28 by capacity); the county median is 82 beds.

Across the county, 48 homes have a secured dementia or special care unit, 11 hold the Assisted Living Residence license, and 28 are nonprofit-operated; 1 currently hold a provisional license.

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

How much does Blue Bell Place cost per month?

Pennsylvania does not publish prices for individual homes, so ask Blue Bell Place 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 Blue Bell Place?

Start with the areas DHS already cited at Blue Bell Place — licensing, postings and administration, building condition and sanitation, nutrition — 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?
• Who walks the building for maintenance and cleanliness, and how often?
• How do you notice and respond to weight loss?
• How often is my parent's support plan updated, and can family attend that meeting?
• 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?

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 Blue Bell Place work?

Moving into Blue Bell Place starts with a preadmission screening and a medical evaluation, then a written assessment the home uses to build your parent's support plan.

• 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 Blue Bell Place's 30-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 Blue Bell Place has no opening, ask to join its waitlist and keep touring — availability at larger Greater Philadelphia homes changes month to month.

Frequently asked questions