71 Independent Living near Facilities Mercer, PA. Page 3

Independent Living

An Independent Living Community provides residents the ability to continue to live active lives while ensuring their basic needs are being fulfilled. Seniors can live their lives as they desire while their meals are cooked by a professionall chef, housekeeping and laundry duties are handled by staff, and recreational activities are scheduled and organized. Along with their daily needs being met, residents can enjoy the opportunity to live among peers, in a community with others of similar age groups and interests. Within the individual units, residents have access to a private living space and a full kitchen, and can even live with a partner if they choose. While policies vary between locations, a number of residences allow pets as well. Nursing and health care services can always be arranged for with private care providers as desired. There are an assortment of expenditures and advantages to balance when determining an independent living community. It is important to learn if these amenities are covered in the care plan: move-in fee, transportation, cable TV, field trips, initial assessment fee, private phone, utilities, and internet access. The benefits associated with independent living include game/TV room, fitness center & swimming pool, restaurant-style dining hall, beauty salon & barber shop, security guards, healthcare center, golf course, and transportation.

Cost of Living

Cost of living is a motivating factor in choosing which destination is best for your loved one’s needs. The rent burden for Mercer is about 15.1% of the average person’s monthly income. Monthly, the median rent in Mercer is around $848 and the median value for a home for Mercer costs around $109,587.

Demographics and Values

In terms of education, 25.7% have a college degree, 10.3% have a graduate degree, and 32.5% have a high-school diploma. Mercer has a population density of 641 people per square mile. Racially, the population of Mercer is 1.5% Native American, 0.0% other or not specified, 96.3% white, 0.2% Asian, 1.9% mixed race, 0.0% Hispanic, 0.0% black, and 0.0% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian. In Mercer, 15.6% have some form of disability, 7.9% consider themselves widows, 13.8% live in poverty, and 8.9% do not have health insurance. In Mercer, 12.4% of the population are veterans of the United States armed forces. Based on gender, 53.7% are female and 46.3% are male. The median age of Mercer is 41 years old.

State Information

An overview of Pennsylvania

Residents of Pennsylvania enjoy its natural beauty which ranks 38th in the United States. In terms of personal well-being, Pennsylvania ranks 21st in healthcare and 41st in quality of life compared to other states. Out of a national average of 100, Pennsylvania has a cost of living index rating of 99, a grocery index rating of 107, and a housing index rating of 101. In total, Pennsylvania has 201 general hospitals and 273 health centers that provide care for 12,823,695 citizens. The top three hospitals in the state are considered to be Reading Hospital, Lancaster General Hospital, and And Main Line Hospital Bryn Mawr Campus.

Social demographics of the state

In Pennsylvania, 32% of the population is over the age of 55. The median age in the state is 41. In terms of religious values, 34% of Pennsylvania’s population regularly attend some form of service and there are in total 15,359 different congregations. The top three non-Christian denominations in the state are Jewish-<1%, Muslim-<1%, and Buddhist-<1%, with the most common Christian denominations consisting of Evangelical Protestant-19%, Mainline Protestant-23%, and Historically Black Protestant-5%. In Pennsylvania there are 535 masonic lodges. The state of Pennsylvania ranks 29th in the country for diversity, and the state is considered LGBTQ friendly. In the last presidential election 47% of Pennsylvania residents voted Democrat and 48% voted Republican.

State-wide weather information

The most precipitation occurs in July with an average of 6.38 inches of precipitation a month. On average, the state receives 3.64 inches of precipitation a month. The average air quality index rating in Pennsylvania is 39.9 AQI. The highest seasonal air quality index rating occurs in the month of May with a rating of 49.0 AQI. The average temperature in the summer rises to around 69F. Over the summer months the average high temperature peaks at around 89F during the month of July. The average low summer temperature is around 47F in the month of June. During the winter, the average temperature in Pennsylvania drops to around 29F. The average high winter temperature is around 45F in the month of December. The average low temperature during the winter drops to around 11F in the month of January. The average humidity across the state is 70%. Humidity levels tend to reach their peak in the month of January at around 75%. While residents of Pennsylvania mostly enjoy pleasant conditions, it’s important to be aware of inclement weather as well, which in Pennsylvania can include floods, tornadoes, and and hurricanes.

Wildlife to be found in Pennsylvania

The state of Pennsylvania has a diverse array of plant and animal life. Local plant life can consist of mountain laurel (the state flower), poplar, sassafras, and dotted hawthorn. While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the mink, the red and gray foxes, the elk, or the river otter. The state animal of Pennsylvania is the the white-tailed deer.