Questions to Ask When Touring a Nursing Home
Ratings and inspection data get you a shortlist. A tour is where you find out what the numbers can't tell you.
By the time you're touring a facility in person, you've likely already narrowed your options using star ratings, inspection history, and staffing data — all things this directory shows for every listing. A tour is where you check what those numbers can't capture: how the place actually feels, how staff interact with residents when they're not being watched, and whether the specific care your family member needs is really available.
About staffing, in practice
- What's the typical staff-to-resident ratio on this specific unit, during the day and overnight?
- How much of the nursing staff is agency or temporary versus regularly scheduled, permanent staff?
- How long has the director of nursing been in that role?
About the specific care needed
- Does staff here regularly care for residents with this specific condition or care need?
- What does a typical day of physical, occupational, or speech therapy look like, and how is progress tracked and communicated to family?
- How are medical changes — a fall, a fever, a medication reaction — communicated to family, and how quickly?
About daily life
- Can I see a room similar to the one my family member would have, not just a model room?
- What does a typical day's activity schedule actually look like this week, not just on paper?
- What are visiting hours and policies, and can family join for a meal?
About cost and paperwork, before you need to ask under pressure
- What payer types are accepted, and what happens if a resident's payer status changes mid-stay?
- What's included in the daily or monthly rate, and what's billed separately?
- What's the discharge or transfer process if a higher level of care becomes necessary?
If you're touring more than one facility, use this directory's comparison tool to line up the CMS data side by side first — it makes the in-person visit faster because you'll already know which specific gaps you're there to check.