Home Care In Lebanon, PA

MOUNT LEBANON, Pa. — Employees at the Bravo restaurant in Mount Lebanon’s Galleria Mall say they found out abruptly that the location is permanently closed.

Genevieve McClain is still in disbelief after what unfolded Tuesday, when her manager messaged employees about an impromptu meeting.

“We just got bought out in January, so maybe they just want to come, and they’re going around to the different restaurants. There’s five Bravo’s in the Pittsburgh area, so we were like, ‘OK,’” McClain said.

Because McClain has another job, she wasn’t able to be at Tuesday’s meeting but quickly found out what it was about.

“And then I got a message from my manager about 10:30 yesterday morning, maybe a little later, and she was just like, ‘Effective immediately, we’re closed,’” McClain said.

McClain has worked at the Mount Lebanon location for nine years, and says the restaurant was consistently told it was a market leader, so she doesn’t know what prompted the closure.

“Shocking, I think that’s the best word. A little unnerving, because now what?” McClain said.

She says the nearly 30 employees at the Mount Lebanon location have been given the option to work at one of the four other locations in the Pittsburgh region that remain open.

“The one girl I talked to was like, ‘I might look into Robinson because she lives close to there,’” McClain said. “That’s probably what I’ll look into, but I don’t know what availability there is for us, and they have their own staff to worry about as well.”

Channel 11 reached out to Bravo and the Galleria for comment and specifics on why the Mount Lebanon Bravo is closed but did not hear back in time.

Detours planned for later next week on westbound and eastbound Route 322

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that nighttime detours in place this week are scheduled to continue next week at a resurfacing project on Route 72 (Quentin Road) and Route 322 in North Cornwall and West Cornwall townships, and Cornwall Borough, Lebanon County. The detours will be in place for drainage work on southbound Route 72.

Weather permitting, southbound Route 72 will be closed the night of Sunday, August 23, through Tuesday night, August 25, from the Route 322 East split to Spring Hill Lane which is the entrance to the Spring Hill Acres development. Closures will be in place nightly from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM. No detours will be in place Friday and Saturday nights.

A detour will be in place for southbound Route 72 using Route 117, Pinch Road and Cider Press Road. Westbound Route 322 traffic to southbound Route 72 should continue west to Route 117, then use the southbound Route 72 detour.

Starting on Wednesday night (Aug. 26) the contractor will close the westbound Route 322 ramp for milling and paving. A detour will be in place using Route 501 and Route 419.

On Thursday night (Aug. 27) they will close the eastbound Route 322 ramp from the Route 72 split to the ramp from northbound Route 72 to eastbound Route 322. A detour will be in place using Route 419 and Route 501.

Alternating closures on westbound and eastbound Route 322 will continue the following Sunday and Monday nights (Aug. 30-31).

All closures will be in place between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM.

The work is weather permitting and may be rescheduled due to inclement weather.

This project consists of base replacement, milling, guiderail updates, drainage replacements, sign and overhead signing replacement, pavement marking updates, and other miscellaneous construction on Route 72 from the Lancaster County line in West Earl Township, to Rocherty Road in North Cornwall Township, Lebanon County, and also on Route 322 from just north and south of the section of Route 322 that runs concurrently with Route 72 as a four-lane divided highway.

Most of the work will be at night, but some day work may be during the day. There will be single lane restrictions, as well as overnight detours for ramps and roadway sections within the project limits. Updated press releases will be issued prior to the implementation of any detours.

Pennsy Supply Company, Inc., of Harrisburg is the contractor on the $7,009,000 project. All work is expected to be completed by December 3, 2026.

Travelers can check conditions on major roads by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,200 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.

Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.pa.gov/DOTprojects. Subscribe to PennDOT news and find transportation results in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York counties at www.pa.gov/DOTdistrict8.

Find PennDOT news on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT: Dave Thompson, [email protected] or 717-418-5018

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Please refer to the project location and detour maps below:

Robert, who had a doctorate in dental medicine, is not someone people would expect to be in need of the Lebanon Rescue Mission's services, according to Executive Director Susan Blouch. But in 2013, he slipped on some icy steps and received urgent medical care.

"He sustained fractures in his skull and in his back, and was in a coma for six months," she told community and government leaders at Lebanon City Hall on Sept. 10.

His journey to the mission included a closed dental practice, along with using alcohol as a coping mechanism to handle the pain of his injuries. But Blough described Robert as one of the "kindest, caring, and most respectful men" she has known.

But while the 70-year-old was able to eventually secure housing and support services, his story is one that community leaders are seeing far more frequently in Lebanon County. The supply is not meeting the demand.

"The greatest need for our senior guests is structured housing with heavy support services," Blough said. "What our seniors need is so much more than meals in beds."

The increase of the county's senior homelessness population over the last few years was the subject of the 5th Let’s Talk Housing event hosted by the Community Health Council of Lebanon County on Sept. 10. Officials said that the reasons for this increase vary, and can include personal crisis, need for structured housing and support services, evictions, poor credit, or the effects of losing a spouse.

"Senior homelessness is not something that we can discredit," said Caitlin Lockard, Lebanon County Housing Development Director. "It is something that will increase because the number of seniors in our county is increasing, and the number of seniors on a fixed income is increasing while the rates of everything else is increasing."

The 2020-24 American Community Survey estimated that 12,935, or 43%, of county residents were 75 years old or older, with officials saying the number likely increased in 2026. The survey showed more than 4,097 renter occupied households were headed by somebody 65 years old or older, with 2,234 in this age group living below the federal poverty limit.

Lockard said these figures suggest many seniors are living on "extremely tight budgets," and a growing number of the Lebanon County community will soon face difficult housing decisions.

"It's really this layered problem that is almost a domino effect in itself," she said after the forum. "So I wanted people today to understand that when we're talking about senior housing, it's not going to be a quick fix and we need to understand all of the layers to be able to change it long term."

The Lebanon County Coalition to End Homelessness Housing Needs Assessment, originally introduced in 2023, projected a 10.4% growth in households headed by someone over the age of 65 between 2022 to 2027.

Rescue mission concerns

From Sept. 7, 2025, to the beginning of Sept. 2026, there have been more than 252 unique guests at the Lebanon Rescue Mission, with Blough saying 104 were seniors. More than 41% of those individuals were over the age of 55, while 18% were over 65. More than 34% of seniors were first-time homeless, and 28% were homeless for more than 12 months.

"We have seniors that are coming to us from their car, from storage sheds, from sheds in the back of someone's yard, and they've been staying in motels," Blough said.

Blough added that 17 years ago, the average stay at the rescue mission was 30 days. While 42% of residents are still staying in that time frame in 2026, more than 26% stayed longer than 100 days at the mission.

Serving seniors have changed everything about the Lebanon Rescue Mission, according to Blough. Guests are staying longer and they are bringing a much bigger basket of challenges.

"We're operating 90% to 100% capacity on a consistent basis," Blough said. "This requires us to be at full staff, and requires longer staffing hours."

Along with increasing resident stays, the mission has addressed food services issues to meet the dietary needs of their elderly population. Mission staff has had to become more aware of the signs of early onset dementia and mental health needs.

All of these rising needs is increasing expenses at the mission by 4%, with Blough saying the projected costs for 2026 is $2.9 million. The Lebanon Rescue Mission is funded through donations, grants, contracts, events and program income, but it does not receive city, state or federal funding.

"Our model of care costs about $748 per person, per month," Blough said. "The HUD model of care says it costs between $2,500 to $3,000 per person, per month."

On March 13, The Lebanon Rescue Mission broke ground on its Agape Safe Haven expansion project. The $8.5 million expansion will include 103 beds, a new clinic, classrooms, staff offices and space for emergency stays.

The new facility will include 40 rooms and bring the mission’s total capacity to 185 beds for men, women, children and seniors between the two buildings. The targeted completion date is for the end of April 2027.

But Blough said that everyone who stays at the Lebanon Rescue Mission, while sheltered and getting support services, is still homeless.

"We're not an assisted living facility," she said. "We cannot keep our seniors till the end-of-life care. There has to be a next step beyond the Lebanon Rescue Mission."

Senior Living

The Housing Needs Assessment identified 25 facilities in Lebanon County with a combined 2,161 beds for licensed senior care. The assessment at the time listed 305 vacancies in independent living, assisted/personal care and nursing care.

"A reported vacancy does not necessarily mean a bed or a unit is available to a person in need," Lockard said. "In addition, providers in our area are reporting a two-and-a half-year wait list of many of the services seniors need."

Officials said that listed vacancies may still be unavailable to seniors for a multitude of reasons, including staffing, level of care, payment source, cost, eligibility or a facility transition.

"Our housing needs study showed that we have low supply, affordability pressures, missing housing types, and constrained movements for residents between housing types," Lockard said. "Our 2026 data update shows the market is still incredibly tight. For seniors, these market conditions mean that there are fewer choices before a crisis, and less ability to absorb rising costs on a fixed income."

A 2024 AARP survey found that 1 in 5 adults over 50 nationally had no retirement savings and 3 in 5 were worried they wouldn’t have enough retirement savings to support themselves.

The Housing Collaborative reported in August that more than 13,807 Lebanon County households spend more than 30% of their total income on housing, including seniors. A survey of 38 multi-family rentals in May and June 2026 revealed that the market is operating at an extremely high occupancy rate of 99.6%.

"Senior housing is not just an issue listed in a housing study," Lockard said. "It's a concrete way that the countywide shortage shows up in people's lives."

Patricia Stine, senior property manager for the Lebanon County Housing Authority, said the authority has a 2,329-waiting list for public housing units of all ages, including a 1,188 wait list for 1-bedroom units. But she recommends those that may need public should not wait to sign up at lebanoncountyhousing.com.

"Get your name on that waiting list," she said.

Lockard said that those in attendance provided suggestions and ideas that the coalition plans to address at their 6th Let’s Talk Housing event on Jan.

"We have to look at creative ways to solve this problem, and that might not be the traditional way people are thinking," she said.

Residents looking for more information about the Lebanon County Community Action Partnership can call the organization at 717-273-0328. More information about the Lebanon County Housing Collaborative can be found at communityhealthcouncil.com/lebanon-county-housing-collaborative.

Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at [email protected] or on X at @DAMattToth.

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The Lebanon County Choral Society will begin their season with two open rehearsals for both their youth and adult choruses. Open rehearsals welcome any interested singer to rehearse with the choir for an evening with no obligation to join. Singers in ninth grade through adult are invited to sing with the Adult Chorus, while those in third through eighth grades are welcome in the Youth Chorus.

Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 22 S. 6th St., Lebanon. The Adult Chorus will begin rehearsals on September 14, while the Youth Chorus will begin on September 21. The youth rehearse from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., while the adults meet from 7:30 to 9:15 p.m. Modest dues are payable at the third rehearsal, and waivers are available for financial hardship. Neither group requires an audition, although experience in choral singing and the ability to read music are helpful for Adult Chorus members.

“I am very excited to get started with rehearsals,” said artistic director and conductor of the Adult Chorus Sean Hackett. “This season we’ll be preparing music on the theme ‘The Peaceable Kingdom,’ including the masterwork by Randall Thompson as well as the Rutter Gloria. Our membership grew quite a bit last year, so we hope to keep that momentum going.”

The choral society recently announced the hiring of a new director for their youth chorus; Gretchen Patti was a long-term substitute in this role last season and has been hired as the director going forward.

Patti is a board-certified music therapist and a Fellow in the Association for Music and Imagery. She graduated from Elizabethtown College with a BS in Music Therapy and St. Joseph’s University with an MS in Healthcare Administration. She earned her fellowship in AMI from the Creative Arts Institute.

Patti’s experience includes directing the children’s choir director for Advent Lutheran Church, West Lawn, PA. She was the Director of Music Therapy at Bethany Children’s Home for 27 years, where she conducted the choir, select choir, and bell choir. She developed the Alpha and Omega Kids, a traveling group that included song, liturgical dance, and puppetry, and wrote and directed the annual musical show for Bethany’s Anniversary Day celebrations.

Singers interested in attending the open rehearsals for either group are asked to register via the organization’s website, www.LCCSmusic.org, to ensure that adequate sheet music is available for all participants.

Founded in 1889, the Lebanon County Choral Society has a long tradition of bringing quality choral music to the Lebanon area. In the past decades they have expanded their mission to include a Youth Chorus, a free music day camp, and a young conductors’ program, all while continuing and enhancing the legacy of excellent choral performances by the Adult Chorus, the foundation of the organization. While centered in Lebanon County, the group includes singers from as far east as Robesonia and as far west as Palmyra and Hershey.

The Lebanon County Choral Society is composed of local singers and musicians. We are people who share a common desire to bring the joy of great music to the community. We seek to nurture an appreciation of challenging choral music by preparing public performances that combine accessibility with high artistic standards.

Learn more about Lebanon County Choral Society