37 questions to ask on a memory care tour
Use this list on your phone or print it. Checkboxes are for your notes — not a scorecard against staff humanity. The questions translate across state regulators (CDSS, HHSC, DSHS, OR DHS, MN MDH) — the underlying safety questions are the same.
Letter from Star
A note from Star
I sat where you sit — reading brochures that promise “homelike care” while my mind scanned for the details regulators actually cite: egress controls, medication storage, whether night staff can hear a fall.
This checklist distills the questions that reveal whether a building can truly hold your person safely as cognition changes. If an answer feels defensive, slow down. If documentation does not match the lobby flowers, trust the record.
Regulator names differ by state — California writes Type A and Type B citations through CDSS; Texas through HHSC; Oregon through DHS; Washington through DSHS; Minnesota through MDH — but the underlying safety questions for a tour are the same.
— Rebecca Lynn Starkey, BSN, RN, PHN · California RN License 95100373
Before you book
- 1.What is the facility license number, and is dementia or memory care specifically authorized under that license (secured unit, dementia endorsement, or specialty certification)?
- 2.Can you email the full resident agreement, house rules, and fee schedule before we tour?
- 3.How do you structure base rent vs. level-of-care fees — what was the average monthly increase last year for residents like mine?
- 4.What staff positions are on-site overnight, and what is the typical awake staffing ratio by shift?
- 5.When was your last routine state inspection, and were there any serious deficiencies, citations, or substantiated complaints in the last 24 months?
- 6.How do you manage elopement risk — delayed egress, perimeter checks, wearable alerts?
- 7.What is your policy on antipsychotic and other psychotropic medications, including gradual dose reduction (GDR) reviews?
- 8.Do you accept Medicaid, your state's HCBS waiver, or other public payer programs — and is there a waitlist?
- 9.What hospice agencies have privileges here, and how do handoffs work after hours?
- 10.Can we tour on a weekend evening to see staffing reality, not the weekday showcase?
- 11.What items can families bring (furniture, locks, cameras) and what is prohibited?
- 12.Who signs transfer agreements if hospitalization occurs — and what are the daily hold fees?
During the tour
- 13.Show me the secured perimeter from the inside — how does a resident exit to the garden safely?
- 14.Where do residents eat — small cohorts or one large dining room — and how long is breakfast service?
- 15.May we observe medication administration (without violating HIPAA) or speak with the med aide supervisor?
- 16.How do you cue residents who refuse meals or fluids — what is documented in the care plan?
- 17.What happens when a resident has a fall — who assesses, who notifies family, and within what timeframe?
- 18.How do you staff for behavioral expressions during bathing or transfers?
- 19.What dementia-specific training do caregivers receive, how many hours, and how often is it refreshed?
- 20.Who writes care plans and how quickly are they updated after hospital discharge?
- 21.How do you prevent medication errors with look-alike/sound-alike drugs?
- 22.What is the protocol for suspected abuse or neglect — internal escalation and external state/county reporting?
- 23.Can we speak with a family council member or recent move-in family (with privacy respected)?
- 24.How do you prevent urinary tract infections and skin breakdown in immobile residents?
- 25.What is your nurse coverage — hours on-site vs. telehealth — and who takes physician orders?
- 26.How do you manage diabetes or anticoagulation in memory care — partner pharmacies, labs, transport?
- 27.What personal care supplies are included vs. billed separately (briefs, lotions, specialty nutrition)?
- 28.How do you document refusal behaviors — and when do you call 911 vs. manage in place?
- 29.What happens if my loved one outpaces staffing — discharge criteria and notice periods?
- 30.How do you coordinate dental, vision, and psychiatry when residents cannot self-advocate?
- 31.May we see a blank incident report template (redacted) to understand transparency?
- 32.What wellness metrics do families receive monthly — weight, falls, infections?
After you leave
- 33.Request references from three families whose loved ones had needs similar to ours.
- 34.Ask for the administrator's direct line — does anyone answer after 8 p.m.?
- 35.Re-read the inspection narrative on StarlynnCare: does it match what we were told today?
- 36.Compare this quote line-by-line with the second finalist property — where are the hidden stacks?
- 37.Sleep on it — guilt is not a discharge plan. Re-tour if answers shifted under mild pressure.
Source: State assisted-living and memory-care regulators (CDSS, HHSC, OR DHS, WA DSHS, MN MDH); supplemented by CDC dementia-care safety guidance and clinical RN review · Refreshed 2026-05-09 · Questions are framed to translate across state regulatory frameworks; specific staffing, disclosure, and reporting requirements vary by state — confirm the rules that apply to the facility you tour
Total prompts: 37. For state-specific licensing terms you will see on a profile, see the editorial library.