What to ask on a nursing home tour
Key takeaways
- Bring the home's page from this site and ask about anything that stands out.
- Ask what no dataset covers: the daily rate, open beds for your coverage, and who answers when you call with a concern.
- Visit at a mealtime, and again on a weekend if you can.
Public data tells you what to ask about, and the tour gives you the answers. Bring the home's page from this site, ask about anything that stands out, then ask the questions below that no dataset covers.
Start from the home's own record
- Staffing. If weekend hours are lower than the overall figure, ask who covers Saturdays and Sundays and whether a registered nurse is on site overnight.
- Turnover. If turnover is above the state average, ask how often the same aides would care for your relative.
- Inspections. Pick the most serious recent citation and ask what changed afterward.
- Fines. If CMS lists a fine, ask what it was for and how the home responded.
Ask what the data does not cover
- What is the daily private-pay rate, and what does it include?
- Is a bed open for my coverage now? If not, how long is the wait?
- How many residents does one aide look after on the day shift and at night?
- Who do I call with a concern, and how quickly will I hear back?
- How are families told about falls, medication changes or a hospital transfer?
Look for yourself
- Visit at a mealtime, and again on a weekend if you can.
- Notice whether call lights are answered and whether residents are up, dressed and occupied.
- Ask to see the most recent state inspection report. Homes are required to make it available.
Find a home's record from the home page, or read how much nurse staffing is enough and how to read CMS star ratings.