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Assisted Living in Delaware

Overview of assisted living in Delaware

Assisted living in Delaware provides residential community living combined with services designed to support the needs of adults 55+ who may require help with personal care tasks, mobility, and health monitoring. The median cost of assisted living is about $5,800 per month in Delaware, which comes out to about $69,600 per year, according to A Place for Mom’s internal data.

In Delaware, assisted living is a more affordable senior living option than memory care or nursing homes. And while it’s more expensive than independent living communities, assisted living offers personal care to residents.

Despite Delaware’s small size, it offers a large variety of outdoor and historical attractions. With its proximity to major Eastern cities such as Philadelphia and Washington D.C., assisted living residents in Delaware enjoy access to vibrant communities and opportunities for an active lifestyle.

Top-rated Assisted Living facilities in Delaware

7
7 Photos available

Milford Place

500 S DuPont Blvd, Milford, DE 19963
9.6
Review Score
48 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
normagi - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

Milford Place is wonderful. They treated my Mother in Law almost like family. They were caring and conscientious with her care. The facility is clean and well maintained. The staff is friendly and the...

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13
13 Photos available

Lorelton

2200 West 4th Street, Wilmington, DE 19805
9.5
Review Score
123 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Lisa B - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

I am so happy that I was able to find a place like the Lorelton. Caring staff and so much to do. One of the features I love the best is they provide transportation to my parent's doctor appointments. This...

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15
15 Photos available
11
11 Floor plans available

Foulk Living

1212 Foulk Rd, Wilmington, DE 19803
9.4
Review Score
36 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

The staff are super friendly and always positively greet the resident and their family. I haven't encountered a person who hasn't had a smile on their face. They seem to get along with one another very well....

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Top-rated Assisted Living facilities in Wilmington

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13
13 Photos available

Lorelton

2200 West 4th Street, Wilmington, DE 19805
9.5
Review Score
123 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Lisa B - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

I am so happy that I was able to find a place like the Lorelton. Caring staff and so much to do. One of the features I love the best is they provide transportation to my parent's doctor appointments. This...

Get Pricing
7
7 Photos available
8
8 Floor plans available

Traditions of Cross Keys

3152 Glassboro Cross Keys Rd, Glassboro, NJ 08028
9.9
Review Score
61 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

The director [name removed] was always available to speak to me about any concerns. [name removed] was also always willing to help me understand the billing etc. The staff helped me handle my sister's LTC...

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20
20 Photos available
14
14 Floor plans available

Merrill Gardens at West Chester

1201 Ward Ave, West Chester, PA 19380
9.7
Review Score
49 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

I would give Merrill Gardens at West Chester 5's across the board. I felt it is a good value for the level of care and attention given. The facilities are lovely and clean. There are fancier places but this...

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Top-rated Assisted Living facilities in Newark

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10
10 Photos available
5
5 Floor plans available

Somerford House & Place of Newark

501 South Harmony Road, Newark, DE 19713
8.6
Review Score
52 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

Observations shared with the director...Aides not having mom wash her hands after using the bathroom. Aides not promptly responding when called. Staffing shortages during meal times. I would recommend and...

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20
20 Photos available
14
14 Floor plans available

Merrill Gardens at West Chester

1201 Ward Ave, West Chester, PA 19380
9.7
Review Score
49 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

I would give Merrill Gardens at West Chester 5's across the board. I felt it is a good value for the level of care and attention given. The facilities are lovely and clean. There are fancier places but this...

Get Pricing
12
12 Photos available
5
5 Floor plans available

Merrill Gardens at Glen Mills

52 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, PA 19342
9.6
Review Score
31 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I live or lived in this community

The staff is very welcoming and friendly. They are willing to help you with anything you need. Rooms sizes are adequate. Amenities offered are great.

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Top-rated Assisted Living facilities in Middletown

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10
10 Photos available

Meadowcrest at Middletown

820 Middletown Odessa Rd, Middletown, DE 19709
8.0
Review Score
2 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Steven - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

Meadowcrest exceeded expectations in every way. Our experience was fantastic. The facility is new and the staff are always courteous and helpful. They treated Dad like family. We picked Meadowcrest because...

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13
13 Photos available

Lorelton

2200 West 4th Street, Wilmington, DE 19805
9.5
Review Score
123 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Lisa B - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

I am so happy that I was able to find a place like the Lorelton. Caring staff and so much to do. One of the features I love the best is they provide transportation to my parent's doctor appointments. This...

Get Pricing
10
10 Photos available
1
1 Floor plans available

Brookdale Dover

150 Saulsbury Road, Dover, DE 19904
9.4
Review Score
44 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Linda M - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

Mom enjoys her “stay” at Brookdale and tells me how nice everyone is . She enjoys putting puzzles together with her friend and playing bingo. Whenever I am there for mealtime the food always looks and...

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Top-rated Assisted Living facilities in Millsboro

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7
7 Photos available

Milford Place

500 S DuPont Blvd, Milford, DE 19963
9.6
Review Score
48 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
normagi - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

Milford Place is wonderful. They treated my Mother in Law almost like family. They were caring and conscientious with her care. The facility is clean and well maintained. The staff is friendly and the...

Get Pricing
13
13 Photos available

Lakeside Assisted Living At Mallard Landing

1109 S Schumaker Dr, Salisbury, MD 21804
8.7
Review Score
28 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Clay - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

I would a friend that, they their loved one would be happy there. Lakeside was dad's choice over the other facilities we toured. My brothers and I agreed as well. Dad likes his room and the staff. Lakeside...

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10
10 Photos available
11
11 Floor plans available

Commonwealth Senior Living at Salisbury

611 Tressler Drive, Salisbury, MD 21801
8.3
Review Score
15 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Teresa - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

My loved one is a resident at Commonwealth Senior Living at Salisbury. Some of the staff are warm and friendly, others are not. It is hard to connect with them. It doesn't seem like they have enough or the...

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Cost of assisted living in Delaware

Delaware’s median assisted living prices range from about $4,500 to $8,700 per month, which is around $1,200 higher than the national median, according to A Place for Mom’s internal data. This monthly cost range is based on what referred families actually paid at our partnering Delaware assisted living facilities. However, these costs are comparable to the median prices of assisted living at our partner communities in the larger region. For example, in Philadelphia, the average price of a one-bedroom unit in an assisted living community is $6,000 and in Washington D.C., it’s close to $8,000 each month.[01]

The cost of assisted living fluctuates based on a number of factors including location, services and amenities, and the specific care needs of an individual. Communities located in areas with a high cost of living tend to be more expensive. Luxury amenities, specialized services, and programming such as physical therapy or on-site educational classes can elevate monthly costs.

Room and board at assisted living communities is typically paid for out of pocket. However, Medicare, Medicaid, or veteran’s benefits and private insurance policies may help seniors offset the care costs associated with assisted living.

Compare costs of Delaware vs. the national average

Average monthly costs

Delaware

$5,593/mo

US National average

$4,518/mo

Compare costs of assisted living vs. nearby states

Average monthly costs

Delaware

$5,593/mo

Maryland

$5,074/mo

New Jersey

$6,924/mo

Pennsylvania

$4,233/mo

Compare costs of assisted living in Delaware vs. nearby cities

Average monthly costs

Delaware

$5,593/mo

Millsboro, DE

$5,449/mo

Compare costs of assisted living vs. other senior care types in Delaware

Average monthly costs

Let our care assessment guide you

Our free tool provides options, advice, and next steps based on your unique situation.

Paying for assisted living in Delaware

There are numerous ways to pay for assisted living in Delaware. It’s common for families to blend a variety of payment methods to pay for assisted living. Keep in mind that early planning often provides a wider range of payment options. The following section has information on several resources including private pay, public and private insurance, and veteran’s benefits. For an overview, visit our complete guide to paying for long-term care.

Private pay is the use of personal funds to pay for assisted living costs. Examples of personal funds include money from a savings account, pension payments, investments, or retirement accounts. Most families use a combination of personal funds to pay for assisted living. The options below are the most common among the seniors and families we refer to assisted living.

Assisted living requirements and regulations in Delaware

Assisted living facilities in Delaware are required to be licensed by the state’s Division of Health Care Quality (DHCQ). The division conducts annual inspections of facilities and also responds to complaints by conducting investigations as necessary. The division’s mission is to protect Delaware citizens in long term-care health settings by enforcing compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.

Inspections create a system of accountability for assisted living facilities and aim to ensure they adhere to regulations that address the following categories.[02]

  • General requirements
  • Waivers to provide temporary services not normally required
  • Medication management
  • Specialized care for memory impairment
  • Infection control
  • Resident contracts
  • Health and needs assessments
  • Required services
  • Services agreements
  • Resident rights
  • Quality assurance
  • Staffing
  • Physical environment
  • Emergency preparedness
  • Record keeping and reporting

The division’s detailed assisted living facility regulations along with a list of currently licensed assisted living facilities in Delaware are available on its website.

The Division of Health Care Quality’s website also has completed annual inspection and complaint investigation reports, which they call surveys, for families to review before choosing an assisted living facility. Be aware that many of the facility surveys on the site are not current. It is unclear however if the data has not been updated or if the inspections have not been performed.

Let our care assessment guide you

Our free tool provides options, advice, and next steps based on your unique situation.

Accessing assisted living records in Delaware

We developed a system to rate each state on how easy – or difficult – it is to find important assisted living records and reports, and compiled tips to help you in your search.

States with the most transparent records allow you to look up important information about each assisted living facility online, including inspections, complaints, survey results, violations, capacity, and whether the facility accepts Medicaid.

Access to Delaware assisted living records: Moderate

Public access to assisted living records and reports for the state of Delaware is moderate. Key findings that informed this rating include:[04]

  • Delaware has inspections and violations information online but not all information is up to date.  
  • Delaware conducts inspections of communities on at least an annual basis.

How to look up Delaware assisted living licenses and records

  • Visit Delaware’s Licensed and Certified Long Term Care Facilities to verify a community is licensed.
  • Visit the Survey Reports site for inspections results. For recent inspections, contact the Delaware Division of Long Term Care Residents Protection.
  • Contact the Aging and Disability Resource Center for questions or additional information about providers.

How we arrived at our Delaware rating

We developed a standard methodology for state data collection and evaluation, and based our rating primarily on the objective, state-specific accessibility criteria outlined in these questions:

  1. Are licensed assisted living communities listed online in any form? Yes
  2. If Yes to #1, is the information updated frequently? No
  3. If Yes to #1, is the list of licensed communities searchable? No
  4. Does the state post inspections, complaints, survey results, or violations online? Yes
  5. If Yes to #4, is the information updated frequently? [within 90 days] No or N/A
  6. If Yes to #2 and #4, is the enforcement information included in the same place as licensed communities? No or N/A
  7. If Yes to #4 and No to #6, are violations / inspections searchable at all? Yes or N/A
  8. Is information about special licensing for care shown? No or N/A
  9. Capacity shown? Yes
  10. Payment types shown, [e.g. Medicaid, private pay]? No
  11. Administrator / Contact name shown? No
  12. State may fine facility? Yes
  13. Frequency of inspections? Every 12 months
  14. Website includes pricing of facility? No

References

  1. A Place for Mom. (2022). A Place for Mom proprietary data.

  2. State of Delaware. (2022, July 12). 3225 Assisted Living Facilities. Division of Health Care Quality.

  3. Delaware Health and Social Services. Delaware Quality Management Strategy Delaware.gov.

  4. Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. Licensing and certification section. Delaware.gov.

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical, legal or financial advice or create a professional relationship between A Place for Mom and the reader. Always seek the advice of your health care provider, attorney or financial advisor with respect to any particular matter, and do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of anything you have read on this site. Links to third-party websites are only for the convenience of the reader; A Place for Mom does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites.