What to bring to a nursing home tour?

Before you go, prepare a small folder or phone note with the essentials. Nursing home tours move quickly, and having your questions and key notes in one place helps you compare fairly across facilities.

Bring a pen and a way to take notes (paper or your phone). If you have preferred language support, write down the language you want and ask how the facility provides interpretation for families and residents.

Northhaven Care is a free matching and information service, not a care provider or government program. If you want help comparing facilities afterward, you can use get matched—some facilities may pay a flat fee to be matched, but this never changes what you pay and never affects our independent guidance on Medicare or Medicaid.

Most tours do not require medical records. For safety and privacy, avoid carrying sensitive documents unless the facility specifically asks in advance.

Helpful items you can usually bring (or have ready on your phone) include: basic identification for the person being considered for care (as requested by the facility), a list of general needs such as “short-term rehab after hospitalization” or “long-term nursing care,” and your contact information.

If a form is offered, it should be for logistics. Northhaven Care does not collect medical history, diagnoses, medications, insurance numbers, SSNs, or immigration documents. For matching and general questions, we only need general contact and care type information.

Tours are the right time to ask how care is organized and how the facility protects residents. The most important answers usually relate to staffing and day-to-day practices.

Write these questions down before you arrive:

- “How many licensed nurses (RN/LPN) are available, and how many residents do staff typically cover?” (Staffing ratio means how many residents each nurse or aide cares for.)
- “What is the nurse coverage overnight and on weekends?”
- “How do residents get help with pain, breathing needs, or mobility changes?”
- “How do therapy and skilled-nursing services work—who decides what’s needed and how often is progress reviewed?”

Also ask about communication: “How do families get updates?” and “If we use another language, how do you provide interpretation for care discussions and activities?”

In the US, many nursing homes show a Medicare CMS Five-Star rating. Bring your notes page and plan to write down what you find.

The Five-Star rating has three parts: health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. Staffing is often the most telling because it affects how often residents are checked and how quickly staff can respond.

You can look up facilities on [Medicare Care Compare] (visit Medicare.gov). For more on reading and comparing ratings, see quality and ratings help. During the tour, ask staff to explain anything that looks unclear or concerning in the inspection or staffing sections.

Your goal on a tour is to see how the facility functions in real life. Bring a short checklist for observations so you can compare objectively.

Consider noting:

- Cleanliness and odor control in common areas and resident rooms
- Call-light response (if possible through a guided explanation, not by interrupting care)
- How staff speak with residents (respectful, calm, resident-centered)
- Activity and social engagement options
- How residents move and get assistance (without making anyone uncomfortable)

If the person you’re visiting uses hearing aids, glasses, a walker, or has mobility needs, bring their key personal items if the facility allows a safe demonstration. Ask how the facility supports personal comfort and safety.

Cost planning is a big part of choosing a facility. Bring a notes page and ask the facility to explain pricing clearly in plain language. Costs vary widely by state, room type, and level of care.

General cost ranges (estimates) are often roughly $7,000–$13,000+ per month for nursing-home/skilled nursing care, depending on location and services. Those are planning numbers—not guarantees.

Ask:

- “What is the daily rate for this level of care?”
- “Are there extra charges (supplies, therapy, special equipment, transportation)?”
- “How do payment and billing work during the first 30 days?”

For payment options: Medicare may cover short-term skilled nursing for some people after a qualifying hospital stay (often up to 100 days, with cost-sharing after day 20). Medicaid may cover long-term nursing care for those who qualify based on income/assets, and rules vary by state. Qualifying for care is separate from immigration status, and help is often available in the family’s language. For step-by-step choosing tips, see /guides/how-to-choose-a-nursing-home/.

It’s normal to feel uneasy—choosing nursing care is high-stakes. Bring questions that help you confirm safety, staffing, and responsiveness.

If you notice red flags (for example, unclear staffing answers, dismissive responses to family concerns, or differences between what was promised and what you observe), pause and compare other options before making a decision.

If a facility’s care or billing practices are a concern, you can contact your state’s long-term-care ombudsman and use official complaint processes. If you’re looking for quality information, start with Medicare’s public data (Medicare.gov Care Compare).