Simpson House

Is Simpson House licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services?

Yes. Simpson House at Belmont Avenue & Monument Road, Philadelphia, PA 19131 holds an active Pennsylvania DHS license as a Personal Care Home, license number 189210, for up to 84 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 — 44 of the 44 licensed homes in Philadelphia 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. Simpson House's current Certificate of Compliance runs from June 14, 2026 to June 14, 2027.

Verify it yourself: search license 189210 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 Simpson House find?

DHS's most recent posted Licensing Inspection Summary for Simpson House, from its on-site review on 12/29/2025, cites 4 violations in resident health screening and medical evaluations; and medication storage and administration.

The summary's cover letter dated April 1, 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: October 2, 2025 — 13 violations; August 28, 2025 — 3 violations; December 7, 2023 — 18 violations.

DHS posted 5 inspection summaries for Simpson House since January 2023; the median for a licensed home in Philadelphia County is 6. 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 Simpson House have a secured memory care unit?

Yes. Simpson House's DHS certificate approves a Secure Dementia Care Unit with capacity for 10 residents — about 12% of its 84 licensed beds. Pennsylvania regulates these units under 55 Pa. Code §§2600.231–239 rather than through a separate memory care license.

6 of the 44 licensed homes in Philadelphia County have a secured dementia or special care unit, with a median of 27.5 beds; Simpson House's 10-bed unit is smaller than most, which some families prefer.

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 Simpson House located in Wynnefield, Philadelphia?

Simpson House is at Belmont Avenue & Monument Road, Philadelphia, PA 19131, in Philadelphia County. Hospitals families in Wynnefield, Philadelphia commonly use include Lankenau Medical Center (Wynnewood) and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

Wynnefield borders Fairmount Park's west side and City Avenue, a few minutes from Bala Cynwyd and the Main Line.

38 other licensed homes are listed in Philadelphia, the largest being Philadelphia Protestant Home, Deer Meadows Residences, Paul's Run, Atria Center City, The Lafayette, The Terrace at Chestnut Hill.

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 Simpson House compare with other assisted living in Philadelphia County?

With 84 licensed beds, Simpson House is larger than most among the 44 DHS-licensed homes in Philadelphia County (number 9 by capacity); the county median is 25 beds.

Across the county, 6 homes have a secured dementia or special care unit, 0 hold the Assisted Living Residence license, and 15 are nonprofit-operated; 2 currently hold a provisional license.

Simpson House is nonprofit-operated (licensee: SIMPSON HOUSE INC). Many nonprofit homes in the region sit on continuing care retirement community campuses, where independent living and skilled nursing share the grounds — ask whether this one does.

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

How much does Simpson House cost per month?

Pennsylvania does not publish prices for individual homes, so ask Simpson House 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 Simpson House?

Start with the areas DHS already cited at Simpson House — resident health screening and medical evaluations, medication storage and administration — and ask what changed after the inspection; then cover overnight staffing, the full fee schedule and move-out triggers.

• How do you track each resident's annual medical evaluation and follow-up appointments?
• Who passes medications, what training do they have, and how are errors reported to families?
• 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?
• How do you handle a hospital discharge back to the home?
• What is the full monthly fee for my parent's care level, and what would trigger an increase?
• Which care needs would require a move to a nursing home?

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 Simpson House work?

Before anyone moves into Simpson House, 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 Simpson House's 10-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 Simpson House has no opening, ask to join its waitlist and keep touring — availability at larger Greater Philadelphia homes changes month to month.

Frequently asked questions