Questions to Ask When Touring Assisted Living or a Board and Care Home
A tour is your best chance to see how a home really runs. The most useful questions cover licensing, who is on duty, how care is given, daily life, food, and exactly what the monthly cost includes.
Print this list or keep it on your phone, and take notes at each home so you can compare.
Before you go
Look up the license
Check the home's license and inspection record on the state's site first, so you can ask about anything you find. Our guide shows how to check a California care home's license.
Write down your parent's needs
List medications, mobility, memory, diet, sleep habits and anything they need help with. It keeps the conversation focused on your parent.
Staffing
How many caregivers are on duty during the day, and at night?
Ask whether night staff are awake and how quickly they respond to a call.
What training do caregivers have?
Ask specifically about dementia care, first aid and medication handling.
How long have the caregivers worked here?
Low turnover means your parent sees familiar faces.
Care
How is the care plan made and updated?
Ask who is involved, how often it's reviewed and how the family is kept informed.
How are medications given and tracked?
Ask who gives them, how doses are recorded and how refills are handled.
What happens in an emergency or a fall?
Ask about the plan, who calls the family and which hospital is used.
What if needs increase?
Ask what care the home can provide as things change, including dementia and hospice, and what would require a move.
Daily life and food
What does a typical day look like?
Ask about wake-up and bedtimes, activities, outdoor time and quiet time.
Can we see a menu, or stay for a meal?
Ask how special diets are handled and whether snacks are available any time.
What are the visiting rules?
Ask about hours, bringing pets or grandchildren, and taking your parent out for the day.
Cost and contract
What exactly is included in the monthly rate?
Ask what costs extra, such as incontinence supplies, transportation or a higher level of care.
How and when do rates change?
Ask how much notice you'll get and what triggers a change in care level.
Can we take the admission agreement home to read?
A good home will welcome the request. Read the notice and refund terms carefully.
Trust what you see
Notice whether it's clean and smells fresh, whether residents look cared for, and how caregivers speak to them. Visit more than once, at a different time of day.
Visit Era Life Home
Bring this list with you. Schedule a private tour of our six-resident home in Upland, or read our FAQ first.
A Home, Not a Facility
Era Life Home is a small residential care home — not a large institution. That means fewer residents, more personalized attention, and a living environment that truly feels like home. Our caregivers know each resident by name, by preference, and by heart.
