Selecting the right senior care facility for yourself or a loved one is a large task. You’re making a decision that will impact where you live, the care you get, and the money you need to spend. With the right approach, you can make the process as simple as possible and feel confident that you’re making the right decision. We put together the best tips and a few insights from professional senior living advisors to help you tour senior living communities like a pro.

Stay organized with a notebook

It might feel formal, unfriendly, or cumbersome to tour a facility with a notepad and pen, but your future self will thank you. Staying organized with your research notes will help you remember all the details correctly, and it’ll also help you better compare the communities that you tour.

Consider the fact that a facility is one of at least a few that you will tour. Each has its unique set of staff members, activities, benefits, and drawbacks. For example, laundry services might be included in the base cost at one facility but cost $10 per load at another. Caregivers might put away the clean clothing afterward at one of the facilities you visited, but which one was it? Don’t try to remember every detail yourself. Jotting down notes while you tour will allow you to remember it all.

Taking notes will also help you compare facilities more closely. Making notes about those laundry services at the first community will prompt you to gather laundry service details at the next facility, allowing you to compare features directly.

Talk with appropriate facility directors

Initially, you might meet with the community’s sales director or a sales representative. You can also ask to speak with directors of other facility departments. Paul Doyle, owner of Oasis Senior Advisors Fairfield-Westchester, suggests thinking of your loved one’s current issues and then asking to chat with the director whose department will help your loved one with those issues. “If we’re looking at memory care, I like our family to speak with the memory care director or the director of nursing if there are medical concerns,” Doyle said. 

Pro tip: “Use declarations of your concerns rather than questions,” Doyle said. If you state your concern rather than ask a question about it, you’ll allow the director to demonstrate empathy for you and your loved one while also giving insight into how the procedures and culture of the facility might address those concerns.

• Instead of saying, “Do residents socialize with each other?” try, “This seems like such a great community, I’m just so worried about how my mom will fit in.”  
• If you don’t know whether your loved one’s needs can be met, try something like, “This seems like such a great community, but my mom needs so much attention I worry that she needs a nursing home.” Let the facility representative talk about the service packages they offer. Notice how they address your personal worry for your loved one’s safety.
• Money is finite for most older adults. If that’s a concern for you, tell the facility representative: “This seems like such a great community, I’m just so worried that my mom will outlive her financial resources.” You’re not the first person who has said this nor will you be the last. Let them talk with you about the options they offer to residents and how they address those scenarios.

Pay attention to and ask about the senior care facility staff

Pay attention to how the staff conducts themselves. How do they interact with one another? With you? With the residents? Doyle said that can go a long way toward understanding the culture of the facility as a workplace.

Though you’re looking at a facility for residency and not employment, know that the workplace culture of a facility is related to residents’ well-being and outcomes. While even the best communities have some staff turnover, the longevity of staff can impact resident happiness and care.

Lauren O’Desky, Regional Director at Oasis Senior Advisors, wrote in an article on what to look for in a care facility, “Longevity will aid in establishing vital relationships between caregiver and care recipient, regardless of the care recipients’ ability to participate. Longevity nurtures consistency, which ensures better care and better outcomes.”

You can simply ask to find out the longevity of the staff. “How long do staff members typically work for the facility?” You can also ask about the chef, maintenance employees, and any other on-site professionals, like occupational and physical therapists. 

Pro tip: O’Desky also suggests asking about employee details like the ones below:

• What is the caregiver-to-patient ratio? This helps you understand how many other residents the caregivers must also look after while helping your loved one. A really moderate number helps you know that the employee will have appropriate time to give to your loved one and that the facility operators avoid employee burnout and turnover from spreading their staff too thin.
• What initial training do you provide to staff? This helps you learn the specialized training and knowledge that the staff members have from the start, ensuring they’re equipped with the skills to care for your loved one. It also gives insight into the investment that the facility operators make in their employees.

Take note of the senior care facility residents

Residents live at senior care facilities to get assistance with activities of daily living, among other things. These activities include bathing, dressing, feeding, toileting, transferring, and walking around. If a resident has trouble bathing on their own, they should get help. The same applies to getting dressed.

Residents should be dressed appropriately every day. In most cases, a nursing home resident does not need to wear a hospital gown. Pay attention to the residents you see during your tour. They should be well groomed and dressed appropriately in clean clothing.

You can also take note of what the residents are doing during your tour. Facilities have daily activity schedules, and though residents aren’t required to participate, many do. They may also be sitting in common areas with other residents, like activity rooms, outdoor courtyards, and other places. Unless it’s early morning or late evening, you should see residents out and about.

Make at least two visits at different times of day

Touring a facility one time gives you a snapshot of the community. If you return to visit again, you’re bound to see something new. Try visiting at different times during the day and week if possible. You may catch afternoon activities one day and weekend events the next time. Visiting during lunch or dinnertime will allow you to at least see the food and menu. The facility representative may also invite you to enjoy a meal there to see if you like the food.

You’ll need to decide whether to visit announced or unannounced. Some believe that it’s a good idea to pop in unannounced to see what the facility is really like while others prefer to schedule a time to visit. On one hand, making an unannounced visit will let you see the facility as is, but the facility representative may be unavailable to tour with you if they don’t know you’re coming.

Whether you decide to visit announced or not, narrow down the facilities you’re considering and visit each one at least twice. You’ll get to know the staff members and even some of the residents and will become more familiar and comfortable with the community.

Work with a local senior living advisor

A senior living advisor is a professional who knows everything there is to know about senior care, facilities, funding options, and how an older adult can get the care they need. When you work with a local senior living advisor, it’s likely that they are familiar with the facilities you’re considering. They can offer practical insights about each one and even accompany you on a tour.

It’s also helpful to have an objective third party to talk through issues. Financial and care decisions can stir up emotions among family members, siblings, and others involved in the decision-making process. A senior living advisor can contribute a voice of reason with professional expertise and ultimately ensure a smoother process. 

We know the process is tough. You’re making a choice that sets the tone for the next chapter of your or your loved one’s life. With these tips, you’re empowering yourself with the wisdom and knowledge of a professional so you can be confident that you’re on the path to making the best choice. If you need to look for a community and either don’t know how to get started or would like the support of a professional, find the local Oasis Senior Advisor in your area.