Choosing assisted living for a parent or spouse is one of the hardest decisions a family will make. As a registered nurse who has spent years caring for older adults, I want to help you walk into every tour with clear eyes and the right questions. This is not about finding the fanciest building. It is about finding a place where your loved one will be safe, known by name, and treated with dignity.

Before You Schedule the Tour

Call ahead and ask about the home’s license number and current AHCA inspection record. In Florida, every assisted living facility must be licensed by the Agency for Health Care Administration. You can look up any home’s inspection history on the AHCA website. A home with nothing to hide will give you their license number on the phone without hesitation.

Ask who owns the home and who runs it day to day. Family-owned homes and small group homes often feel different from large corporate facilities, and the difference shows up in how decisions get made when something goes wrong at 2 a.m.

Questions to Ask About Care

• What is the staff-to-resident ratio during the day, evening, and overnight?
• Is there a registered nurse on site or on call? How quickly can they respond?
• How does the home handle a fall, a fever, or a sudden change in behavior?
• What happens if my loved one’s needs increase? Do they have to move out?
• How are medications stored, administered, and documented?
• Who coordinates with the resident’s primary care doctor and specialists?

The answers should be specific. If you hear vague language like “we have great staff” without details, push back gently and ask for numbers.

Questions to Ask About Daily Life

• Walk me through a typical day. What time do residents wake up, eat, and go to bed?
• Can my loved one keep their own schedule, or is everything on a fixed timetable?
• What activities happen this week? Can I see the calendar?
• How do you handle residents who prefer to stay in their room?
• Are family members welcome to visit, share meals, or take their loved one out?
• How do you celebrate birthdays, holidays, and personal milestones?

Questions to Ask About the Home Itself

• May I see a resident room that is currently occupied, with permission, or one set up the way residents actually live?
• How are the bathrooms set up for safety? Grab bars, shower seats, call buttons?
• Is the outdoor space accessible to residents with walkers or wheelchairs?
• What does the home smell like? Trust your nose. Persistent odors signal problems.
• Are residents up, dressed, and engaged, or are most of them parked in front of a television?

Questions to Ask About Cost

• What is included in the monthly rate, and what costs extra?
• How often do rates increase, and by how much in the past three years?
• Do you accept long-term care insurance, VA Aid and Attendance, or Medicaid waivers?
• What is the deposit, and what is your refund policy if my loved one passes away or moves out?
• Is there a notice period for ending the contract?

Red Flags to Watch For

Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it usually is. Watch for:

• Staff who avoid eye contact with residents or speak about them as if they are not there
• Residents in soiled clothing or unkempt hair during a scheduled tour
• Locked doors with no clear emergency egress
• A tour guide who only shows you the lobby and dining room
• Reluctance to answer questions about staffing, license, or inspections
• Pressure to sign on the spot or pay a large deposit before you are ready

Bring Someone With You

Two sets of eyes catch more than one. Bring a sibling, an adult child, or a trusted friend. Take notes during the tour and compare impressions afterward. Visit at different times of day if you can, including a meal time and a weekend.

The Question Most Families Forget

Ask the administrator or owner this directly: “If this were your own mother or father, would you place them here?” Watch their face when they answer. The honest answer, even with hesitation, tells you more than a polished sales pitch ever will.

About Aliviya Rose Manor

Aliviya Rose Manor is a small, eight-bed assisted living home in Spring Hill, Florida. We are RN-owned and veteran-operated, set on roughly three acres in a quiet residential neighborhood. Our administrator, Wendy Schabilion, is a registered nurse with decades of experience caring for older adults. We license under AHCA #11884 and welcome families to tour any day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

If you would like to visit, call 352-691-9136 or email office@aliviyarosemanor.com. We will answer your questions honestly, even if our home is not the right fit for your family.