Questions Every Family Should Ask During a Senior Living Tour
- Ketan Chauhan
- Aug 4, 2025
- 3 min read
🧡Taking a senior living tour is a big step — and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by beautiful lobbies, smiling staff, and long lists of amenities. But beneath the surface, what really matters is asking the right questions to ask during a senior living tour to ensure the community meets your loved one’s day-to-day care needs, lifestyle preferences, and emotional well-being.
At Elevate Senior Placement, we always tell families: Don't just take the brochure home — take the answers to these questions.
🛏 Care & Staff Questions
What type of care is provided on-site?
Ask about medication management, mobility help, incontinence care, memory care, and more.
How many caregivers are on-site during the day, evenings, and nights?
(New Jersey law requires a minimum of 1 caregiver per 10 residents in the evening, and 1 per 14 overnight.)
What is your staff turnover rate?
A high turnover rate can be a red flag for deeper staffing or morale issues.
How do you handle staff shortages or call-outs to ensure consistent care?
Are staff trained in dementia or Alzheimer’s care?
Have you received any recent citations — like for medication errors or incident handling?
If so, ask how they were addressed and corrected.
🏠 Living Environment Questions
What do the rooms look like?
Ask to see a currently occupied room to get a realistic sense of space and personalization.
Are pets allowed? Can we bring our own furniture?
How are emergencies handled?
Are rooms equipped with emergency call buttons or monitoring systems?
If care needs increase, can my loved one stay in the same room, or would they have to move?
🍽 Lifestyle & Social Questions
What does a typical day look like for residents?
What types of activities or events are offered regularly?
Are there supervised outings or trips?
What are the meal options like? Can we sample one?
Are special diets or food preferences accommodated?
💰 Costs & Contracts
What is included in the monthly fee — and what isn’t?
(Laundry, transportation, meals, medication management, etc.)
Are there move-in fees, deposits, or annual rent increases?
What happens if my loved one runs out of funds — do you accept Medicaid?
Is short-term or respite care available if we’d like to try it out first?
🤝 Bonus Tip: Watch More Than You Ask
Pay attention to how the staff interacts with residents.
Do they know their names? Are residents engaged or sitting alone?
Also, observe whether the environment feels warm and homelike — or sterile and institutional.
This says a lot about the day-to-day culture.
🏡 What Families Value Most When Choosing a Community
When evaluating senior living options, families most often prioritize:
✅ High-quality care and wellness services (53%)
✅ Safety and security (51%)
✅ Cost/value transparency (33%)
✅ A homelike environment (29%)
Use this as your checklist. If a community meets all four, it’s worth serious consideration.
💬 Still Feeling Unsure?
This process can feel overwhelming — but you don’t have to do it alone.
At Elevate Senior Placement, we help families prepare for tours, guide them through the key questions to ask during a senior living tour, and understand the answers — so you can make an informed decision with confidence and heart.
