The Senior Living Tour Checklist: 25 Questions to Ask
A tour is a sales presentation, and a good one is persuasive. The way to see past it is to arrive with questions written down and to notice what you were not shown. Here is the list we give families.
Before you go
- Read the state inspection report. Every licensed community has one, and the serious findings are rarely mentioned on a tour.
- Visit at a mealtime, or just after. The dining room tells you more than the show apartment.
- Bring your parent if you can. Their reaction in the first five minutes is data.
Care and staff
- What is the staff-to-resident ratio by day and by night?
- How long has the executive director been here? The head of nursing?
- What is your staff turnover in the last year?
- Is a nurse on site around the clock, or on call?
- How do you assess care needs, and how often do you reassess?
- What would cause you to ask a resident to move out?
Daily life
- Can I see last month’s activity calendar?
- How many residents actually attend?
- Can residents eat when they like, or at fixed times?
- Is there transport to appointments, and is there a charge?
- Are pets allowed?
- Can a resident keep their own doctor?
The building
- Does it smell clean, without smelling of cleaning products?
- Are residents in the common areas, or in their rooms with the doors shut?
- How are staff speaking to residents when they think nobody is listening?
- Where is the nearest hospital, and which one do you use?
Money
- What is in the base rate, exactly?
- What are the care tiers and what does each cost?
- How much did rates rise in each of the last three years?
- Is there a community fee, and is it refundable?
- Do you accept Medicaid, now or after a period of private pay?
- What is the notice period, and what happens if a resident dies mid-month?
Ask for the answers in writing. A community that is proud of its answers will be glad to give them.
