The Facility Tour Checklist
25 questions that surface what star ratings can't. Ask them casually, watch how people answer, and write down what you notice, you'll forget by the third tour.
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Facility: Date/time of tour: Monthly quote: $
Tour tip: go at 11:30am. You'll see lunch (eat it), midday staffing (count), and residents at their most active. A second unannounced drop-by on a weekend evening tells you the rest.
Staffing: the strongest quality signal
Staffing predicts quality better than anything else you can observe on a tour.
1How many caregivers are on the floor right now, for how many residents? (Count for yourself too.)Answer / what I saw:
2What's your staff turnover been like in the past year, and how long has the director been here?Answer:
3Who is here overnight: how many staff, and is a nurse in the building or on call?Answer:
4Do the same caregivers work with the same residents consistently, or does assignment rotate?Answer:
5Watch one staff–resident interaction. Do they know the resident's name? Do they crouch to eye level?What I saw:
Safety & care
6What happens, step by step, when a resident falls?Answer:
7How do you handle medications: who administers, and what's the double-check?Answer:
8What would make you ask a resident to leave (discharge criteria)? What needs can't you handle?Answer:
9When were you last inspected by the state, and can I see the report? (Hesitation is the answer.)Answer:
10How do you communicate with family: routine updates, and when something goes wrong?Answer:
Dignity & daily life
Smell the hallways, look at the bulletin board dates, watch residents' faces. Buildings tell the truth.
11What does a typical Tuesday look like for a resident like my parent?Answer:
12Can residents wake, eat, and bathe on their own schedule, or the facility's?Answer:
13Is the activity calendar real? (Pick today's 2pm activity and go look.)What I saw:
14How do you handle a resident who declines to participate, bathe, or take meds: what's the approach?Answer:
15Do residents look engaged, groomed, and comfortable, or parked in front of a TV?What I saw:
Food
16Eat the meal being served today. Would you eat it three times a day?Your take:
17How do you handle dietary restrictions and strong preferences?Answer:
18What happens if a resident misses a meal or won't eat: who notices, and when?Answer:
19Are snacks and drinks available between meals, without asking?Answer:
20Is dining assisted with patience? (Watch whether anyone is being rushed.)What I saw:
Contracts & costs
Ask these of the business office, not the tour guide, and get every answer in writing.
21Exactly what is included in the base rate, and what costs extra? (Ask for the full fee schedule.)Answer:
22What triggers a rate increase: care level changes, annual raises, or both? What were the last two years' increases?Answer:
23What's the deposit, and what's refundable if we leave in the first 90 days?Answer:
24What happens if money runs out: do you accept Medicaid after a private-pay period?Answer:
25Can I take the contract home before signing anything? (The only acceptable answer is yes.)Answer: