The 25 questions Print this page 25 questions in five groups · tap one to check it off on your phone.
Care & Staffing
✓ How many residents live here, and how many staff are on right now? Ask for today's number, not the brochure's. ✓ Who is awake overnight, and are they awake or on call? There is a difference, and it matters at 3am. ✓ How long has the longest-serving caregiver been here? Turnover is the single best predictor of care. ✓ Who gives medications, and what happens if a dose is missed? Ask to see the log. ✓ Will the same people care for my parent most days? Familiar faces do more than any program. ✓ Who do I call at night with a question, and who actually answers? A name is a better answer than a number.
Daily Life
✓ Who cooks the food, and where? Ask to see the kitchen. Ask what's for dinner. ✓ Can I eat a meal here before we decide? A yes tells you a lot. ✓ What happens if my mother doesn't want to join an activity? Listen for "we offer," not "we require." ✓ What time does she have to get up? In a good home, mostly when she wants. ✓ Can she bring her own furniture, her chair, her quilt? Rooms should look like people, not units. ✓ How do you know how she takes her coffee? An odd question that separates every place you'll tour. ✓ What do the afternoons actually sound like? Then stop talking and listen for yourself.
Safety
✓ What is your license, and can I see the state's last inspection? Public record. A good home hands it over. ✓ What do you do after a fall, that day and the week after? Ask about the last one. ✓ If she has to go to the hospital, how does that work and who goes with her? Ask what the home does, and what falls to family. ✓ What can't you handle here? Every honest home has a list. ✓ How do you handle wandering, if that starts? Ask specifically, not generally.
Money
✓ What is the monthly rate, and what is not included? Get the second half in writing. ✓ How often do rates rise, and by how much, historically? Ask for the last three years. ✓ What happens if her care needs increase? Ask whether the price or the plan changes first. ✓ Is there a deposit, community fee, or entrance fee? Ask which ones are refundable. ✓ What if she runs out of money in four years? Ask what has happened to other families here.
Gut Checks
✓ What does it smell like when you first walk in? Trust this one. ✓ Do the residents look at you, or past you? You'll know within a minute.
