The Residence at Bala Cynwyd

Is The Residence at Bala Cynwyd licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services?

Yes. The Residence at Bala Cynwyd at 251 Rock Hill Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 holds an active Pennsylvania DHS license as a Personal Care Home, license number 149790, for up to 86 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. The Residence at Bala Cynwyd's current Certificate of Compliance runs from February 24, 2026 to February 24, 2027.

Verify it yourself: search license 149790 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 The Residence at Bala Cynwyd find?

DHS's most recent posted Licensing Inspection Summary for The Residence at Bala Cynwyd, from its on-site review on 05/14/2026, cites 3 violations in licensing, postings and administration; and medication storage and administration.

The summary's cover letter dated June 24, 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: November 24, 2025 — 11 violations; October 2, 2025 — 2 violations; July 30, 2025 — 5 violations.

DHS posted 10 inspection summaries for The Residence at Bala Cynwyd 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 The Residence at Bala Cynwyd have a secured memory care unit?

Yes. The Residence at Bala Cynwyd's DHS certificate approves a Secure Dementia Care Unit with capacity for 26 residents — about 30% of its 86 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; The Residence at Bala Cynwyd's 26-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.

Where is The Residence at Bala Cynwyd located in Bala Cynwyd?

The Residence at Bala Cynwyd is at 251 Rock Hill Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004, in Montgomery County. Hospitals families in Bala Cynwyd commonly use include Lankenau Medical Center (Wynnewood) and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

Bala Cynwyd sits just across City Avenue from Philadelphia, in Lower Merion Township.

2 other licensed homes are listed in Bala Cynwyd: The Hearth at Drexel, Symphony Square at Bala Cynwyd.

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 The Residence at Bala Cynwyd compare with other assisted living in Montgomery County?

With 86 licensed beds, The Residence at Bala Cynwyd is about typical in size among the 75 DHS-licensed homes in Montgomery County (number 34 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 The Residence at Bala Cynwyd cost per month?

Pennsylvania does not publish prices for individual homes, so ask The Residence at Bala Cynwyd 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 The Residence at Bala Cynwyd?

Start with the areas DHS already cited at The Residence at Bala Cynwyd — licensing, postings and administration, medication storage and administration — 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 passes medications, what training do they have, and how are errors reported to families?
• 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?
• 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?

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 The Residence at Bala Cynwyd work?

Before anyone moves into The Residence at Bala Cynwyd, 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 The Residence at Bala Cynwyd's 26-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 The Residence at Bala Cynwyd has no opening, ask to join its waitlist and keep touring — availability at larger Greater Philadelphia homes changes month to month.

Frequently asked questions