At a glance
Three things to know.
Ask about care
Find out what the home is approved and staffed to provide.
Picture everyday life
Look at choices, routines, privacy, and relationships.
Take your questions
Use the same guide when you visit different homes.
Read the overview
The right questions help you see beyond the building. Use this guide during calls and visits to explore safety, clinical support, communication, and the life the person could have in the home.
Six lenses for your visit
A home should support the whole person.
Licensure and fit
Ask which services the home is licensed and approved to provide, and how individual fit is assessed.
Staff and coordination
Ask who is present, when they are available, and how skills and communication are maintained.
Emergency readiness
Ask about storms, power loss, evacuation, equipment continuity, and individualized response plans.
Everyday life
Explore choice, privacy, routines, culture, relationships, and community participation.
Family communication
Identify a main contact and ask how updates, concerns, and care decisions are shared.
The environment
Notice respect, accessibility, staff interactions, organization, and how personal the home feels.
Questions families ask
A few things worth clearing up.
Can this guide tell us whether a home is right for us?
No. The guide helps you prepare questions. A decision also requires current information, individualized clinical and residential review, appropriate authorizations, and direct discussion with the person and care team.
How can we compare different homes?
Ask each home the same questions, request specific examples, and include the person's preferences. Follow up on unclear answers before making a decision.
Resource Center video · Episode 04
Watch the video.
Choose a narration language in the player. Translations still being prepared are clearly marked.
English narration. Captions are controlled by the viewer.
Watch on YouTubePrepare here. Take it with you.
Bring clear questions to your home visit.
You do not need to ask everything at once. Choose a few priorities, listen to the answers, and make time for follow-up.
Fit & clinical support
Ask what the home is approved to provide and how it reviews each person's needs.
May we review current licensure and service-approval information?
Why this matters
Specific answers help you understand what is offered. The guide is not a rating system or a substitute for checking current approvals.
Safety & everyday life
Look beyond the rooms: discuss response plans, daily routines, privacy, and personal choices.
What are the equipment, backup-power, and emergency plans?
Why this matters
A useful visit explores both care arrangements and what living there could feel like for your loved one.
Partnership & next steps
Find out how families stay involved and whom to contact after the visit.
Who communicates with family, and how are concerns handled?
Why this matters
Written next steps and a named contact can help you compare answers and revisit questions without feeling rushed.
A little preparation you can take along.
Choose English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, or Portuguese. Download the one-page PDF to type your notes in a PDF reader and save your copy, or print a blank guide to write on.
Kreyòl ayisyen
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No sign-in or personal information needed. These prompts support a conversation; they do not determine eligibility, admission, or clinical readiness.
Notice, then ask
Make observations part of the conversation.
Staff speak directly to residents.
What to askHow do you learn and support each person’s communication preferences?
The home includes personal belongings.
What to askWhat choices can the person make about their room, routines, activities, and relationships?
Use the provider directory as a starting point
Editorial draft · WSC and clinical review pending · Sources checked October 2, 2026.
Use the same paper questions for each provider; include the person’s own view and keep private details off this site.
- Step 01
Search for options
Search APD Provider Search by county, city, or provider name to make a short list. The directory draws from APD iConnect and providers may update their entries; a listing does not show a current opening or prove the setting fits the person.
- Step 02
Ask and verify
For each option, ask the person what feels comfortable. Confirm current license information, accessibility, staffing and clinical support, communication, everyday choice, visits, transport, emergency backup, and costs directly with APD and the provider.
- Step 03
Compare each visit
Take the same questions on each visit. Record the date, who answered, what remains unclear, and the person’s own response. Ask the WSC or discharge team which service approvals or transition steps still need confirmation.
Trusted information
