Start with the person’s priorities
Write a short description of a typical day: where help is needed, what the person enjoys, and which routines matter. Include communication preferences, mobility, meals, privacy, and contact with friends or family. If the level of care needed is unclear, ask the person’s health care provider. The National Institute on Aging’s choosing guide recommends beginning with needs and preferences.
Turn broad concerns into specific questions. Instead of “Will Dad be comfortable?” try “He likes breakfast early and a quiet afternoon. How would that work here?” Leave space beside each priority for the home’s answer.
If you are still weighing a smaller residential care home against a larger community, our guide on how to compare a residential care home and an assisted living community walks through the differences to look for.
Ask how support works throughout the day
Describe the assistance needed, then ask for an explanation of how staff would provide it:
- Who assesses needs before a move, and how is the agreed support recorded?
- Who would help with dressing, bathing, toileting, meals, or moving between a bed and chair?
- How does a resident request help, including from a bathroom or outdoor area?
- Which staff are present during the day, evening, overnight, and on weekends?
- What relevant training do caregivers receive, and how long have key staff worked here?
- How are absences covered, and who is the contact when an issue remains unresolved?
- What assistance with medication is available, and which tasks require an outside professional?
Ask for a walkthrough of a relevant situation: “If someone needs bathroom assistance while another resident is being helped, what happens?” This makes an answer about staffing more concrete than a total headcount.
In California, small board-and-care homes and larger assisted living settings can share the Residential Care Facility for the Elderly, or RCFE, license category. RCFEs provide non-medical care and supervision; they are distinct from nursing homes. The California Department of Aging explains these settings. Confirm the actual services at each home instead of inferring them from its name or size.
Get a feel for everyday life
Notice whether staff address residents respectfully. Ask residents who want to talk what they enjoy and what they would change. Respect their privacy and their choice not to participate. California’s residential-care consumer guide, pages 6–7, includes these observations in its visit guidance.
Walk the routes the person would use: bedroom to bathroom, dining space, and outside seating. Ask to see the room actually being considered. Discuss food preferences, visitors, language, religious practice, and time alone. An activity calendar gives you questions to ask: which options would this person choose, and what support would help them participate?
Compare small residential homes and larger communities using those same priorities. Neither a busy calendar nor a quiet household answers the question of personal fit by itself.
Get the costs and changing-needs policy in writing
Request an itemized quote for the proposed room and assessed needs. Ask which services are included, separately priced, or still awaiting assessment. California guidance notes that additional care charges may depend on assessed needs; it does not establish the price of a particular home. See the Department of Aging’s RCFE services overview. To understand how a survey benchmark differs from a real quote, see what assisted living prices include and what to ask about separately.
Ask about move-in fees, deposits, refunds, transportation, supplies, and how future price changes are communicated.
Then ask: “What changes in needs could require services you cannot provide, and how would you discuss that with us?” Request the admission agreement and an explanation of reassessment, notice, and move-out terms. California’s consumer guide, page 7, advises reviewing the agreement and additional charges. Ask the home to explain any unclear term in writing.
Check the license and available records
For a California home, use CDSS Facility Search, select the relevant facility category, and match the address and license information to the home you visited. Review the dated reports and ask about findings and follow-up.
CDSS says its public search contains five years of facility information. That window is useful for reviewing recent history, but it is not a complete lifetime record. Contact the regional office listed with the facility for more information, including citation details. CDSS also advises visiting in person and asking the home for its current licensing information. CDSS facility-search guidance.
Outside California, use the relevant state licensing agency. A search result cannot tell you whether a room is open or whether the home can meet this person’s needs today.
Take notes during your visit
Use a separate copy for each home. Record the home and address, visit date, room discussed, quote date, and staff contact. Keep an unanswered question marked “unknown” until someone answers it.
Notes are not saved or sent. Print or save a PDF before refreshing or leaving this page. Use a separate copy for each home.
What to keep track of
Afterward, ask the older adult what felt comfortable and what concerned them. Compare those impressions with the answers. Circle any unmet priority or unresolved care or cost question, and agree who will obtain a written answer and when. Revisit those items before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
Can a small residential home use the same checklist as a larger community?
Yes. Use the same needs, staffing, daily-life, cost, and records questions. Adapt the walkthrough to the setting: ask how each home would support the person’s preferred routine, regardless of building size.
Does a license establish that a home is right for my relative?
No. Review the license alongside current services, records, and visits. CDSS expressly advises families not to rely on its online information alone. A home still needs to explain how it would meet your relative’s needs. CDSS guidance.
What should I ask about overnight staffing?
Ask who is physically present, who is awake or on call, how residents request help, and how simultaneous requests are handled. Describe the assistance your relative needs overnight and request a specific explanation of the arrangements.
What if the tour price differs from the written quote?
Ask the home to reconcile the difference line by line. Check the room, assessed assistance, recurring extras, and one-time charges. Request a corrected quote if something is wrong; keep unresolved amounts marked unknown in your comparison.
Should we visit again at a different time?
Yes, when possible. A second visit can let you observe a different shift, activity, or meal. The National Institute on Aging recommends varying the visit time. Respect residents’ privacy and the home’s visitor procedures, and use the visit to follow up on specific unanswered questions.