WellSpan has been a longstanding partner to Alliance for Low-income Personal Care Home Advancement (ALPHA). This initiative garners local and state support for low-income personal care homes (PCHs) across the state.
ALPHA's mission is to keep these small PCHs for low-income individuals open and operating, so that older Pennsylvanians and individuals with physical disabilities can age with the dignity, respect and security they deserve.
Since 2008, half of Pennsylvania's PCHs have closed, and COVID-19 has further devastated these facilities. Many PCH residents have lived in their facility for at least 15 years and have nowhere else to live.
In 2021 and 2022, ALPHA's advocacy at the local and state levels helped in securing a $20 million annual increase for PCH residents, increasing the rate by $7.50 to $45.80 per day per resident. This directed $1,330,425 in funding to the 25 PCHs of Adams, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. ALPHA credits this success to expanding its advocacy base by 220 supporters, an increase of 488 percent.