SpiriTrust Lutheran® Life Plan Communities have once again earned a spot on U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Senior Living ratings list for consumers.
Now in its third year, U.S. News’ Best Senior Living ratings evaluated more than 3,500 senior living communities in the U.S. on several criteria, including resident and family members’ satisfaction with safety, care, community management and staff, value and other services and amenities.
“Best Senior Living reflects U.S. News’ commitment to helping families navigate the important and complex decision of researching and choosing a senior living community through trusted, data-backed community ratings,” said Sumita Singh, general manager of Health at U.S. News. “We are proud to recognize those communities that stand out as ‘Best’ by providing exceptional care and satisfaction, as directly expressed by residents and family members of residents who live and thrive in these communities.”
To be recognized as one of the 2024 U.S. News Best Senior Living communities, individual locations had to earn a specific final weighted score tabulated in the independent methodology developed by the U.S. News health data analytics team.
All six SpiriTrust Lutheran communities earned the “Best” status by achieving the highest possible rating. Below is a listing of the specific recognition each community received.
- The Village at Gettysburg
Best Independent Living
Best Assisted Living*
Best Continuing Care Retirement Community - The Village at Kelly Drive (York, PA)
Best Independent Living
Best Assisted Living* - The Village at Luther Ridge (Chambersburg, PA)
Best Independent Living
Best Assisted Living*
Best Continuing Care Retirement Community - The Village at Shrewsbury
Best Assisted Living* - The Village at Sprenkle Drive (York, PA)
Best Independent Living
Best Assisted Living*
Best Continuing Care Retirement Community - The Village at Utz Terrace (Hanover, PA)
Best Assisted Living*
“The entire SpiriTrust Lutheran team is honored to receive this recognition from U.S. News & World Report,” said Melissa Frownfelter, interim President and CEO and COO at SpiriTrust. “We recognize that residents and their families place great importance on the quality of care, services, and lifestyle they will experience in a senior living community. Our team members are passionate about the work they do and they take pride in building upon our tradition of excellence, which is why this distinction is so meaningful. It’s truly a testament of not only their hard work and dedication, but also of the trust they’ve earned from residents and families alike.”
About U.S. News & World Report: U.S. News & World Report is the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, conducts these ratings to assist seniors and their families with researching and choosing the best senior living community for their specific needs.
*Understanding the difference between Assisted Living and Personal Care.
Within the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Senior Living ratings, “Assisted Living” is used to represent both assisted living and personal care licensures. While The Village at Sprenkle Drive truly offers Assisted Living, The Village at Utz Terrace and The Village at Luther Ridge offer Personal Care.
Prior to 2011, assisted living and personal care were essentially synonymous, interchangeable terms. Some communities called themselves assisting living, but if asked to show their provider license, they would have presented a Personal Care Home certificate. Their offerings would have included support with personal care, meals, housekeeping and transportation. Unfortunately, under the Personal Care licensure, care services were limited to maintaining general health. If an individual required a higher level of nursing care, they would have needed to transition to skilled care, and the cost might have exceeded 2-3x more than personal care.
Today, assisted living and personal care are licensed differently in Pennsylvania. The differentiation first started in 2007 when PA Senate Bill 704 was signed, and then enacted in January 2011 by the Intra-Governmental Council on Long-Term Care. This bill established an assisted living licensure (as a separate form of long-term care in the state of PA). Essentially, assisted living was created to bridge the gap between personal care and skilled nursing so that residents could age in place for a longer period of time before needing to move into a nursing facility, as well as lower the cost care for residents needing advanced care, but not yet skilled care.