Assisted living tour checklist and questions

A tour is your best chance to see what daily life is really like. It is also surprisingly easy to be charmed by a bright lobby and a friendly marketing director and leave without the answers you came for. This checklist keeps you focused on what matters for the person moving.

Print one copy for each place you visit and fill it in as you go. Comparing notes that evening, while the details are still fresh, is far easier than trying to remember which place had the shaded courtyard.

Before you go

A little preparation means you spend the tour looking, not asking for basic facts.

• Ask for the total monthly cost for your loved one’s needs, including care fees, in writing
• Ask what the one-time move-in fee is, and whether any of it is refundable
• Look up the license and inspection history on AZ Care Check, the Arizona Department of Health Services website
• Book the visit around a meal time if you can, or ask to see a week’s menu
• Bring your loved one if possible, and a short list of their must-haves

Look and listen

Watch how the place works when no one is performing for you. Arrive a few minutes early and notice what happens around you.

• Do residents look clean, dressed and engaged, or mostly sitting in front of a television?
• Do staff speak to residents by name, kindly and without rushing?
• Does the building smell clean?
• Are calls for help answered quickly?
• Is the outdoor space shaded and usable during an Arizona summer?
• Would they enjoy the people they would be sharing meals with?

Ask about care

This is where the real differences between places show up. Ask the person who manages care, not just the person giving the tour.

• How do you assess new residents, and how often do you reassess?
• Who is awake and on duty overnight, and how many residents are they caring for?
• Can you manage my loved one’s specific needs, such as insulin, oxygen, a two-person transfer or incontinence care?
• How are medications handled, and who gives them?
• What happens if my loved one falls, or has a medical emergency at night?
• Is there a nurse on staff, and when are they here?

Ask about memory care, if it applies

If the person moving is living with dementia, or may be soon, add these.

• Is the community licensed for directed care?
• What dementia training do caregivers have, and how often is it refreshed?
• How do staff respond when a resident is agitated, refuses care or tries to leave?
• What does a typical day look like, and are activities designed for people with memory loss?

Ask about the money and the contract

The contract is where surprises hide. Ask for a copy to read at home.

• What exactly is included in the monthly price, and what costs extra?
• What were the annual increases over the past few years?
• How much notice is needed to move out, and how is the final month billed?
• Under what circumstances would you ask a resident to leave?
• Do you accept ALTCS or long-term care insurance, and how do you handle the paperwork?

Good to know: If an answer is vague, ask for it in writing. A good community is used to detailed questions and won’t mind. Hesitation about putting something in writing tells you something too.

After the visit

Before you drive away, take five minutes to note your impressions.

• What did your loved one say or react to?
• What did you like most, and what worried you?
• What questions are still unanswered?
• Could you picture them here on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon?

Common questions

How many places should we tour?

Two or three is usually enough once you have narrowed the list. More than that and the visits start to blur together.

Should we visit unannounced?

A scheduled tour gets you time with the right person. A second, shorter visit at a different time of day, such as a meal time or early evening, shows you more of ordinary life.

Should my loved one come on the tour?

If they are able, yes, at least for the final choice. Notice how they react and what they ask about.

What should we get in writing?

The total monthly cost for their needs, what is included, how care levels and rate increases work, and the move-in and move-out terms in the contract.

How we can help

We set up tours of assisted living communities and care homes anywhere in the Valley around your schedule, send you the key facts about each place ahead of time, and can come along to ask the harder questions. Afterward, we help you compare your notes side by side. Ask us to arrange your tours.