Questions to Ask During a Tour

A brochure and a website only tell part of the story — the tour is where you find out what daily life actually looks like. Go beyond the model unit and ask to see a resident's real room, walk through at mealtime, and if possible, visit twice: once on a scheduled tour and once unannounced.

On staffing, ask for the actual staff-to-resident ratio during the day and overnight, not just business hours, and ask how the community handles call-outs and turnover. Ask what training staff receive for the specific care level you need — memory care staffing and training requirements are very different from standard assisted living.

On pricing, ask for a full breakdown: base rate, care-level add-ons, community fee, and what happens to the rate if your loved one's care needs increase. Ask how often rates have increased in the past three years and by how much, since this is a better predictor of future costs than the current sticker price.

On day-to-day life, ask about the activities calendar for a typical week (not just a highlight reel), what happens if a resident needs a hospital stay, and what the discharge or transfer policy looks like if care needs eventually exceed what the community can provide. Finally, talk to current residents and family members if you can — their unscripted answers are often the most useful data point of the whole visit.