Tours are designed to make a good impression. A consistent list helps you compare communities fairly. If you can, visit twice, once at a mealtime and once in the evening.
Staffing, especially at night
- How many staff members are on duty overnight, and what are their roles?
- Is a nurse on site, on call, or neither, at night and on weekends?
- How quickly do staff typically respond to a call button?
- How much staff turnover have you had in the past year?
Care assessments
- Who does the move-in assessment, and what does it cover?
- How often are residents reassessed, and what triggers a reassessment?
- How are families told when care needs, and the price, change?
Fees and pricing
- What does the base monthly rate include? Can I have it in writing?
- How are care level fees set, and what is the price of each level?
- Are medication management and incontinence care extra?
- Is there a community or move-in fee? Is any of it refundable?
- How much have rates gone up each year recently, and with how much notice?
Move-out rules
- What notice is required to move out, and what is charged during that time?
- Under what circumstances would you ask a resident to leave?
- If needs increase, can my parent stay with added help, or must they move?
Medication handling
- Who gives medications, and what training do they have?
- How are missed doses or errors recorded and reported to families?
- Do you work with a specific pharmacy, or can we use our own?
Activities and meals
- May I see this month's activity calendar? Are activities happening as listed?
- Can we join a meal? How are special diets handled?
- Are snacks and drinks available between meals?
What to observe in hallways and dining rooms
- Do residents look clean, dressed, and engaged, or mostly alone in rooms?
- Do staff greet residents by name and speak to them respectfully?
- Are hallways clean, well lit, and free of strong odors?
- Is the dining room calm and social, and is help offered to those who need it?
- Do call lights or alarms go unanswered for long?
After the tour
Ask for the residency agreement and fee schedule to read at home before deciding. For budgeting, see senior living cost ranges.