Before you go
- Go at a mealtime if you can — food, staffing, and how residents are treated all show at lunch. Late morning on a weekday is the classic choice; an unannounced second visit on a weekend tells you even more.
- Read the home’s page here first — rating, staffing, inspection findings, ownership. The best tour questions start with “I read that…”
- Bring the care list — the specific things your loved one needs (therapy, wound care, memory support, dialysis transport). A beautiful lobby is irrelevant if the care list doesn’t match.
What to notice (your senses are data)
- Smell — brief odors happen in every nursing home; a persistent smell throughout the building is a staffing signal.
- Sound — call lights going unanswered, TVs blaring at residents who aren’t watching, or a calm, conversational hum?
- Faces — do staff greet residents by name? Do residents look engaged, or lined up in hallways? Are family members around?
- The dining room — is help offered graciously to those who need it? Does the food look like something you’d eat?
- Staff with each other — teams that are curt with each other are rarely gentle with residents when doors close.
Questions that get real answers
- “How long have your director of nursing and administrator been here?” — turnover at the top is the single most telling operational answer.
- “How many residents does each aide care for on a day shift? On nights?”
- “Who would be my person to call when something worries me — and what happens after I call?”
- “How do you handle a resident who won’t eat, or keeps trying to get up alone?” — listen for patience vs. annoyance.
- “I read your last inspection found [X]. What changed since?” — a good administrator answers this directly.
- “Can we see the room type my mother would actually get?” — model rooms are marketing; ask for the real one.
The printable tour checklist
Print this page (or save it to your phone) and mark each item on the spot. Comparing two homes? Use one copy per home.
At the door
- Greeted promptly; building secure but welcoming
- No persistent odor; hallways clear of parked residents
- Common areas actually in use — not just staged
Care & staffing
- Aide-to-resident ratio stated plainly for day AND night shifts
- Director of nursing tenure over two years
- Call lights answered while you watched
- Staff knew residents by name
- Can handle every item on your care list (ask one by one)
Daily life
- Meal looked appetizing; help with eating was unhurried
- Activity happening during your visit (not just a posted calendar)
- Outdoor space residents can actually reach
- Roommate policy and room-change process explained
- Visiting hours work for your family’s schedule
Business & paperwork
- Daily rate and extras provided in writing
- Medicaid accepted / transition policy explained (if relevant)
- Admission agreement offered to take home and read
- Your point of contact named, with a direct number