How to choose a care home: 25 questions to ask on your visit

License and inspections

Start here. A friendly tour means little if the paperwork isn't right.

1. Is your license active, and what is your licensed capacity? (Check it yourself on the state's facility search.)
2. Have you had any citations in the last few years, and what did you change afterward?
3. Do you have a hospice waiver, and are you set up for dementia care if we need it later?
4. Who is the licensed administrator, and how often are they here?

Staffing

The caregivers are the home. Ask about nights and weekends, not just the afternoon of your visit.

5. How many caregivers are on duty during the day, and how many overnight?
6. Are night staff awake all night?
7. How long have your caregivers worked here?
8. What dementia and first-aid training do caregivers have?
9. Who gives medications, and how do you keep track of every dose?

Care

Make sure the home can meet needs today and as they change.

10. What care needs can you meet, and which would mean my loved one has to move?
11. How do you handle a fall, or a trip to the emergency room?
12. Which doctors, pharmacies, home health and hospice agencies do you work with?
13. How do you keep families updated?

Daily life

Picture an ordinary Tuesday.

14. May we see a menu, and can you handle special diets?
15. What does a typical day look like? Are there activities or outings?
16. Can residents bring their own furniture, keep a pet, or have visitors any time?
17. Who else lives here? Will my loved one have people to talk to?

Costs and contract

Ask for everything in writing before anyone signs.

18. What exactly is included in the monthly rate, and what costs extra?
19. Do you charge more as care needs increase? How is that decided?
20. How often have your rates gone up? (California requires 90 days' written notice before an increase.)
21. Is there a deposit or move-in fee, and is any of it refundable?
22. What is the notice period if we need to move out?
23. May we take a copy of the admission agreement home to read first?

Your gut feeling

Some of the best information isn't on any form.

24. Does it smell clean, and do residents look cared for and comfortable?
25. Did staff greet residents by name while you were there?

Red flags

• Pressure to sign or pay a deposit the same day
• Vague answers about night staffing or who gives medications
• A license that isn't active, or recent serious citations they won't discuss
• A room and board home offering to "help a little" with care. That requires a license.