Simpson Meadows

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

Yes. Simpson Meadows at 101 Plaza Drive, Downingtown, PA 19335 holds an active Pennsylvania DHS license as an Assisted Living Residence, license number 141180, for up to 81 residents. The DHS Provider Directory lists its status as Licensed with a full license as of October 24, 2026.

The Assisted Living Residence license (Chapter 2800, created by Act 56 of 2007) is the less common of Pennsylvania's two categories: only 3 of the 50 licensed homes in Chester County hold it. An ALR must offer private living units with a kitchen area and bathroom and can provide more health-related services, so residents can age in place longer than in a typical personal care home.

Pennsylvania licenses are renewed yearly after an inspection. Simpson Meadows's current Certificate of Compliance runs from March 1, 2026 to March 1, 2027.

Verify it yourself: search license 141180 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 Meadows find?

DHS's most recent posted Licensing Inspection Summary for Simpson Meadows, from its on-site review on 08/24/2026, 08/25/2026, cites 6 violations in food service and kitchen safety; physical-site safety; 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: March 26, 2026 — 9 violations; September 11, 2025 — 1 violation; August 4, 2025 — 8 violations.

DHS posted 12 inspection summaries for Simpson Meadows 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 Simpson Meadows have a secured memory care unit?

Yes. Simpson Meadows's DHS certificate approves a Special Care Unit with capacity for 18 residents — about 22% of its 81 licensed beds. Pennsylvania regulates these units under 55 Pa. Code §§2800.231–239 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; Simpson Meadows's 18-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 Meadows located in Downingtown?

Simpson Meadows is at 101 Plaza Drive, Downingtown, PA 19335, in Chester County. Hospitals families in Downingtown commonly use include Chester County Hospital (Penn Medicine) and Paoli Hospital.

Downingtown is a central Chester County borough on Route 30 and the Paoli/Thorndale line.

1 other licensed home is listed in Downingtown: St. Martha Villa for Independent & Retirement Living.

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 Meadows compare with other assisted living in Chester County?

With 81 licensed beds, Simpson Meadows is about typical in size among the 50 DHS-licensed homes in Chester County (number 26 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.

Simpson Meadows is nonprofit-operated (licensee: SIMPSON MEADOWS). 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 Chester County homes, from the same DHS records:

How much does Simpson Meadows cost per month?

Pennsylvania does not publish prices for individual homes, so ask Simpson Meadows 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.

Assisted Living Residences usually price above personal care homes because of the private-unit and service requirements of Chapter 2800; ask whether care is billed as levels, points or à la carte.

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 Meadows?

Start with the areas DHS already cited at Simpson Meadows — food service and kitchen safety, physical-site safety, medication storage and administration — and ask what changed after the inspection; then cover overnight staffing, the full fee schedule and move-out triggers.

• Who checks food dating and storage, and how are special diets tracked?
• How are hazards like hot-water temperatures and stairways checked?
• Who passes medications, what training do they have, and how are errors reported to families?
• Which care needs would require a move to a nursing home?
• 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 Simpson Meadows work?

Moving into Simpson Meadows 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 2800 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 Meadows's 18-bed Special 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.

Most moves take two to four weeks once a room is available; a hospital discharge can compress that to days, which is when a second set of eyes on the contract helps most.

Frequently asked questions