You are walking into someone else's sales day. Bring your own list. Here is what to ask before, during, and after the tour, so you leave with facts instead of a feeling you cannot explain later.
Adam operates The Joy Senior Living, a personal care home listed in this directory. Every community here, including his, is held to the same rules. How we work →
You did not plan to become the senior living expert. You just wanted her to be safe.
A tour looks like hospitality. Coffee. A pretty dining room. A smile at the front desk. That part matters. It is not enough. The questions below are the ones families wish they had asked before they signed.
Print this. Or keep it open on your phone. You will not remember every answer in the car. Write them down.
If you are still unsure which kind of place she needs, take Care Check first. Seven questions. Two minutes.
Before you go Do this at the kitchen table, not in the lobby.
Look up the community on Enjoy and note the care types, county, and any published starting price. Pull the Georgia state survey if you can match it. Read our guide on how to read a personal care home inspection before you fall in love with the living room. Ask for a written fee sheet by email. Room type, care level, community fee, second-person charge, and what is included. If they will only talk numbers in person, that is useful information too. Write down her real needs in one short list: meds, bathing, overnight help, wandering risk, meals, mobility. Take that list with you. The tour should answer those needs, not a generic brochure. On the tour Tap a question once you have your answer. Your checks stay on this phone.
1 License and care (ask early) 0 of 7 asked – Georgia licenses personal care homes and assisted living communities differently. Memory care needs a state certificate when they operate or charge for it. Ask plainly.
Which license do you hold, and can I see it on the wall or in writing? What is your license or certificate number? What care are you actually allowed to provide here? If this is memory care, do you have a Georgia memory care certificate? Can I see it? Who gives medications, and what training do they have? What happens if her needs go up after move-in? Who decides the care level, and how do you tell the family? Can she stay here if she needs a wheelchair, oxygen, or two-person assists? Where is the line where you would ask her to move? Trust what they show you. Not what the website says.
2 Staffing and who is here when you leave 0 of 7 asked + Pretty rooms do not wipe tears at 2 a.m. People do.
How many caregivers are on the floor during the day? At night? On weekends? Who is awake overnight, and how do residents reach them? What is typical turnover for caregivers in the last year? Who is the nurse or clinical lead, and how often are they on site? What dementia or personal-care training has the floor staff completed? Can I meet the people who would actually care for her, not only the sales director? What is your call-light or pendant response expectation? If answers get vague, write that down. Vague is an answer.
3 Daily life (walk and watch) 0 of 7 asked + Ask to see a real apartment or room like the one she would get, not only the model. Ask to see where residents actually sit at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Can she bring her own furniture and keep her own schedule for waking and meals? What does a normal weekday look like for someone like her? How do you handle baths and showers? How often, and who decides? What is lunch like today? Can we sit in the dining room during a meal? How do you handle laundry, housekeeping, and lost clothing? How do families visit, and are there quiet hours or locked doors after a certain time? Where would she go if she wants privacy, or if she wants company? Watch the hallway more than the brochure. Are residents dressed for the day? Is staff rushing past without looking up? Does anyone know residents by name?
4 Money (get it in writing) 0 of 8 asked + A starting price is a starting price. The bill usually moves with care level.
What is the monthly rate for the room we just saw, at her care level? What does that number include: room, meals, care hours, activities, laundry, utilities? What is the community fee or deposit, and is any of it refundable? Is there a second-person charge if a spouse moves in? What triggers a higher care level, and how much does each level add? How often do rates go up, and how much notice do you give in writing? What happens to the deposit if she moves out in 30, 60, or 90 days? Are there charges for incontinence supplies, transportation, salon, or therapy on top? If they will not put the quote in writing, pause. You are allowed to take the sheet home and compare it with another place.
For north metro context on published starting prices, use the Cost Calculator and our cost guide.
5 Safety and health 0 of 6 asked + What is your plan for falls? How do you handle hospital returns and doctor appointments? Who decides when 911 is called? How do you manage infections, isolation, and visitor rules when someone is sick? For memory care: how is the unit secured, and what happens if someone tries to leave? Can I see the latest state inspection, and will you walk me through any open citations?
Red flags worth writing down None of these alone means walk away. Together they mean slow down. Tap any you noticed.
They will not show a license, certificate, or fee sheet. They rush past staffing questions or say "we're always fully staffed" with no numbers. The model room is beautiful and the lived-in hallway looks neglected. Pressure to sign the same day "or we lose the room." They talk over her, or talk about her as if she is not in the room. Answers change when a different staff person joins. They discourage you from pulling the state survey.
No red flags noted
Nothing noted yet. If something feels off, trust that. You know her better than anyone in that lobby.
After the tour Before you decide. Write three things that felt right and three that worried you while you still remember.
Call a floor nurse or wellness director later with one follow-up question. See how they treat you when sales is not standing there. Compare written quotes side by side. Same room type. Same care assumptions. Talk with her about what she noticed. Her gut counts. If siblings are in this, send them the fee sheet and your notes. Do not ask them to decide from vibes alone. You do not have to pick the perfect place on the first tour. You have to leave with facts you can explain to yourself at midnight.
What to do now Shortlist two or three communities near her on Enjoy . If the care type is still fuzzy, take Care Check . Pull inspections and read Guide #1 before you go. Print this list. Ask for everything important in writing. On the tour, ask which license they hold. Ask who is awake at night. Ask what raises the monthly rate. Let us help you schedule a tour→
You are allowed to take your time. You are allowed to say you need to think. A good community will still be there tomorrow.
Still unsure which kind of place she needs?
Seven questions. Two minutes. No sales call.
Take the Care Check → Questions families ask Do I bring her on the first tour? +
How many places should we tour? +
What if the sales person cannot answer staffing or license questions? +
Is it rude to ask for things in writing? +
What if they say the room will be gone by Friday? +
Georgia sources DCH facility search (HFRD / GaMap2Care) · Personal Care Home Rules (111-8-62) · Assisted Living Community Rules (111-8-63) · Memory Care Certificate Requirements, O.C.G.A. § 31-7-12.4
Keep reading: Care Check · Cost Calculator · Directory · Guide #1 · Guide #2 · Guide #3 · Tuesday letter