An assisted living tour checklist you can actually use.

Before the visit

Write down the preferred location, budget range, important routines, and non-negotiable needs. Tell the provider about material assistance requirements through the appropriate private intake process. Ask whether any need should be assessed before scheduling a tour.

The room and the daily route

• Is the proposed room the actual room available, or an example?
• Which bathroom and spaces are private or shared?
• Can the resident use the route to dining, activities, and outdoor space with their current equipment and assistance?
• How are visitors, pets, smoking preferences, dietary needs, language, and cultural or religious preferences handled?

Care and staffing

• What does the assessment say about the person's daily help, and who provides it?
• How are transfers and mobility assisted, including any equipment or two-person needs?
• Who is on duty and awake overnight, and how are unscheduled calls handled?
• How are bathing, toileting, continence care, and personal supplies handled and priced?
• Which needs would the provider be unable to support?

Medication and outside clinical services

• What medication assistance is provided and what requires another professional?
• If injections, insulin, wound care, oxygen, or other clinical services are needed, who provides them and under what arrangement?
• How are orders, medication changes, pharmacy deliveries, and outside visits coordinated?
• Who is contacted when the person's condition changes?

Cognition, routine, and communication

• How would staff support the person's particular cognitive or behavioral needs?
• What does a typical day look like, and how can the resident choose activities or quiet time?
• How are family updates provided, and who is the regular contact?
• What would prompt reassessment or a discussion about another setting?

The written price

• What is the monthly total after the proposed assessment?
• Which services and supplies are excluded?
• What deposits, move-in fees, additional-person charges, and transportation costs apply?
• What can change the price, and what notice and agreement terms apply?
• What happens if an expected insurance payment or public benefit is delayed or not approved?

Licensing and follow-up

• Does the official record match the operator and address?
• Which inspection or complaint findings need explanation, and what corrective steps are documented?
• Who should answer any unresolved question before admission?
• What are the emergency, evacuation, backup, and family-notification arrangements for this resident?

Compare after the visit

Use three columns: Confirmed, Still to verify, and Does not meet our needs. Keep the actual quote and assessment separate from a brochure or verbal generalization. Do not convert this checklist into an automatic safety score.