The Family Folder
Everything you need to make this decision with clarity — in one place. Free to read, free to print, no email required.
When you're choosing a home for someone you love, the last thing you need is another gate between you and the information that helps. The Family Folder brings together the tools families tell us they wish they'd had from the beginning — a first-conversation guide, the ten most revealing tour questions, a printable comparison worksheet, and a long-term care insurance preparation checklist.
Print what's helpful. Bring it to every home you visit — not just ours. The more prepared you are, the better your decision will be.
1. First-conversation guide
Before you call a home — any home — it helps to have a few things ready. You don't need a perfect summary; you just need enough so the conversation is useful instead of overwhelming. Here's what to gather:
Free printable
What to have ready
- Your loved one's main care needs (bathing, dressing, mobility, medications)
- Current medications and any recent diagnoses
- Any behavioral notes (wandering, sundowning, anxiety)
- A rough budget range — even a wide one
- Who is involved in the decision (siblings, spouse, power of attorney)
- Timeline — is this urgent or exploratory?
Questions to ask first
- Do you have a room available, or is this for future planning?
- What is your staff-to-resident ratio during the day and overnight?
- Who provides nursing oversight?
- Is your pricing all-inclusive, or are there add-on fees?
- Can you walk me through a sample month using my loved one's needs?
- What happens if care needs change over time?
2. The ten most revealing tour questions
You could ask fifty questions on a tour. These ten reveal the most about what daily life will actually feel like for your loved one. Bring them to every home — and notice how each one answers.
Free printable
- What is your staff-to-resident ratio during the day? At night?
- Who provides clinical or nursing oversight — is a registered nurse involved?
- How are care plans created, and how often are they updated as needs change?
- How are families kept informed — and how quickly do you respond when they reach out?
- For my loved one's specific needs, what would the total monthly cost be — including everything?
- What happens if care needs increase? Does pricing change, and how is that discussed?
- How long have your current caregivers been with you?
- Can I see a private room and bathroom?
- What does a typical meal and evening look like?
- Can I come back at a different time of day for a second visit?
For the full list of 24 questions, see our complete tour questions guide.
3. Side-by-side comparison worksheet
Print this table and fill it in for every home you tour — two, three, or more. By the third visit, the details blur together. This keeps them clear.
Free printable
| Question | Home 1 | Home 2 | Home 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home name | |||
| Staff-to-resident ratio (day) | |||
| Staff-to-resident ratio (night) | |||
| Nurse oversight? (who, how often) | |||
| Private room? | |||
| Private bathroom? | |||
| Pricing model (base-rate or all-inclusive) | |||
| Total monthly cost for your loved one's needs | |||
| What's included? (meals, meds, laundry, activities) | |||
| What costs extra? | |||
| Caregiver consistency (same faces daily?) | |||
| How are families kept informed? | |||
| What if care needs increase? | |||
| Gut feeling after the tour |
4. Long-term care insurance preparation
If your loved one has a long-term care insurance policy, it may cover a significant portion of assisted living. But the claim process can feel overwhelming. Here's what to gather before you call the insurance company — so you're ready, not scrambling.
Free printable
What to gather
- The policy itself (or policy number and carrier name)
- Benefit trigger — what qualifies your loved one for coverage (usually needing help with 2+ activities of daily living)
- Elimination period — how many days your loved one must need care before benefits begin
- Daily or monthly benefit cap — the maximum the policy pays
- Benefit period — how long the policy will pay
- Inflation protection — whether the benefit grows over time
- Assignment of benefits — can the home bill the insurance company directly?
What to ask the carrier
- Is assisted living in a residential home covered, or only in licensed "assisted living facilities"?
- What documentation do you need to start a claim?
- How long does claim approval typically take?
- Can benefits be assigned directly to the home?
- What happens if care needs increase — does the benefit adjust?
- Is there a waiting period or exclusion I should know about?
For a deeper guide, see our articles on what long-term care insurance is and how to file a claim.
Family Folder Questions
Related guides for families
What Does Assisted Living Cost in Scottsdale, AZ?
What drives cost in Scottsdale and how to think about value.
Read the guideWhat to Expect on an Assisted Living Tour
A calm walkthrough of what tours feel like.
Read the guideHow to Pay for Assisted Living: VA Aid, Insurance, and Private Pay
All the ways families piece together payment.
Read the guideWhen Another Care Setting May Be the Better Fit
Honest boundaries — when skilled nursing, hospital-level care, or secured memory care is the safer choice.
Read the guideYou don't have to figure this out alone.
One conversation is all it takes to understand whether Sweetwater Groves is the right home for your loved one.