What PCA is

The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) is the Area Agency on Aging for Philadelphia. It serves as the main entry point for older adults and their families to find local services. PCA operates from its headquarters at the Wallace Building, located at 642 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130.

If you need to contact PCA, you can use their main phone lines or submit an online Request Assistance Form through their website.

What PCA can help with

PCA organizes its services into four main groups: Community & Connection, Help in the Home, Protection & Advocacy, and Caregiver Support. Read our Philadelphia senior resource guide for an overview of city programs, or see the table below for specific PCA services.

Help in the Home

PCA coordinates home-delivered meals for older adults and people with disabilities who cannot cook or shop and have no one to help prepare meals. These meals provide one-third of the recommended daily allowance for older adults and are moderately low in fat and sodium. PCA offers frozen meals delivered once a week, hot meals delivered Monday through Friday, and shelf-stable emergency meals for severe weather. Kosher meals are available upon request.

PCA also offers the Senior Housing Assistance Repair Program (SHARP). This program helps Philadelphia homeowners age 60 and older with minor repairs and modifications. To qualify, your home must be structurally sound with working utilities, including central heat. The program is free if your income is at or below 200% of the poverty level, and cost-sharing may be available if your income is higher. SHARP covers repairs like fixing doors and locks, installing smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms, repairing leaky faucets, and fixing wooden basement steps. They can also install modifications like grab bars, tub benches, hand-held showers, railings, and intercoms.

Community and Connection

PCA helps fund 28 senior community centers and satellite meal sites across the city. Any Philadelphia resident age 60 and older can eat a lunchtime meal at these centers from Monday through Friday. Donations are requested but not required, and medical or kosher meal plans are available at specific centers. The centers offer recreation activities like billiards, cards, and trips to shopping or shows. They also host health promotion programs, including exercise equipment, group fitness, and evidence-based workshops on balance, strength, and chronic disease self-management.

PCA connects older adults to transportation options. These include the SEPTA Key Senior Fare Card and the CCT Connect Shared Ride Program, which offers reduced-fare door-to-door trips for older adults.

Protection and Advocacy

PCA runs Older Adult Protective Services for Philadelphia. You can report suspected elder abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation 24 hours a day by calling 215-765-9040. Anyone can make a report, and reports can be anonymous. If someone is in imminent danger, call 911 immediately. Under Pennsylvania law, employees and administrators of home health care agencies are required to immediately report suspected abuse to the Area Agency on Aging. PCA also provides insurance counseling through PA MEDI to help you understand Medicare and prescription programs like PACE.

Caregiver Support

PCA administers the PA Caregiver Support Program in Philadelphia. This program offers education, planning help, and financial reimbursement for caregiving expenses. Primary caregivers age 18 and older who care for someone 60 and older with functional deficits can apply. It also covers caregivers of any age helping someone with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder. There is also a category for older relative caregivers age 55 and older who are raising a child.

The caregiver and care receiver do not need to be related or live together, but both must be Pennsylvania residents. A care manager will assess your needs and create a care plan. Eligibility also considers household income and the care receiver’s needs. The program reimburses approved expenses such as caregiving supplies, personal care, respite services and adult day care, up to a monthly cap that was raised to $600 in 2021 and depends on your reimbursement percentage. This program provides reimbursement for expenses, not wages for the caregiver. PCA also connects families to adult day care centers. These are non-residential facilities licensed by the PA Department of Aging that provide personal care, therapeutic activities, and meals during the day, giving family caregivers a break.

Need in-home care for a loved one? As a home care agency in Philadelphia, New Century Home Care can help. Call 215-974-0000 or fill out our online form and select “I am a client”.

How to request services

PCA uses a standard process for most of its in-home services. The exact steps differ based on the type of service and the specific eligibility requirements.

1. Request services: Contact the PCA Helpline at 215-765-9040 or fill out the Request Assistance Form on the PCA website.
2. Assessment: A PCA staff member evaluates your needs and determines if you meet the program’s rules.
3. Enrollment: If you qualify, PCA enrolls you in the appropriate service.
4. Service delivery: You begin receiving the approved help, such as home-delivered meals or home modifications.

PCA and Medicaid home care

If you need long-term Personal Assistance Services at home, you may apply for the Medicaid Community HealthChoices (CHC) waiver. PCA plays a specific role in this process for Philadelphia residents.

When you apply for the CHC waiver, you first contact the Independent Enrollment Broker (IEB) at 1-877-550-4227. After the IEB’s first visit, a second in-person visit follows within 10 business days: an assessor from PCA completes the Functional Eligibility Determination (FED).

The PCA assessor evaluates your cognition and your ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), such as dressing, bathing, and toileting. They determine if you are Nursing Facility Clinically Eligible (NFCE) based on your needs over the last three days. For example, you might meet the Group 1 criteria if you need hands-on help with three or more ADLs, are bed bound, or are frequently incontinent. You might meet the Group 2 criteria if you have at least three items from a specific list, such as needing hands-on help with two ADLs, having mild to severe cognitive impairment, displaying behavioral symptoms like wandering, or using a wheelchair. The FED does not count help with meal preparation, shopping, or housekeeping.

Once PCA completes the FED and you are approved for the waiver, your CHC plan service coordinator will create your person-centered service plan. The service coordinator, not the PCA assessor, decides how many hours of home care you receive.

You can then choose a licensed agency to provide your care. Relatives can be hired as paid caregivers through the CHC waiver. Family members can be paid, but the waiver will not pay services furnished by the participant’s spouse, legal guardian, representative payee, or power of attorney. Read our guide on how to apply for the CHC waiver for more details.

When PCA isn’t the right door

While PCA handles functional assessments and local aging programs, it does not process financial applications for Medicaid, SNAP, or LIHEAP.

The Philadelphia County Assistance Office (CAO) reviews your income, resources, and the five-year look-back period for the CHC waiver. The Philadelphia CAO headquarters is located at 801 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Philadelphia has several district offices, and the one that serves you depends on where you live. You can reach the CAO at 215-560-7226 to find your local office. You can apply for benefits online through COMPASS, by calling 1-866-550-4355, in person, or by paper application.

PCA only serves residents of Philadelphia. If you live in the surrounding suburbs, you must contact your own county’s Area Agency on Aging for assessments and caregiver support. Our service area includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. You can connect with those county aging offices by calling the statewide PA Link to Aging and Disability Resources at 1-800-753-8827.

Ready to start home care services? Call New Century Home Care at 215-974-0000 or submit our contact form by choosing “I am a client”.