What documents does an assisted living home need before move-in?

Usually a current physician's assessment or order form, a medication list with orders, recent clinical notes or a discharge summary, therapy recommendations, TB screening as required in Arizona, identification and insurance cards, and any legal papers such as a power of attorney. The receiving home confirms the exact list for each resident.

Can we start before every document is ready?

Yes. A fit review can start with the basics by phone. The paperwork can come together while the move is being planned.

Who usually sends what?

The hospital or rehab team sends clinical records and orders. The family gathers identification, insurance, legal papers and personal items. The receiving home tells both what is still missing.

What does Sweetwater Groves need?

All the documentation needed for that specific resident. Call or text (909) 619-1230 and we'll review fit the same day, then send the full list.

Does a signed power of attorney have to be in place?

Not always, but it helps a great deal. If your loved one can still sign for themselves, they can. If not, the person with legal authority signs. An elder-law attorney can guide a family on what fits their situation.

What to Send Before Move-In: A Referral Paperwork Checklist for Residential Assisted Living

By Sweetwater Groves · Last updated 2026-10-31

Key Takeaways

• Most discharges stall on paperwork, not on fit. Sending the basics early keeps the date on track.
• Every resident is different. The receiving home should confirm the exact list for that person.
• At Sweetwater Groves, we review fit the same day and then send the full list for that resident.

A discharge date can arrive faster than anyone expects. When it does, the question is rarely whether a loved one is welcome. It's whether the paperwork is ready. This checklist is for discharge nurses, social workers, case managers, senior referral agents and the families beside them. It shows what a residential assisted living home in Arizona commonly asks for, so nothing holds the date back.

One honest note first: every resident is different. The list below covers common items. The receiving home should always confirm the exact documents for that person. At Sweetwater Groves, we ask for all the paperwork that resident needs, and we tell you what that is once we've confirmed fit.

Step one: the basics for a same-day fit review

Before any paperwork, a short call answers the most important question: is this the right home? Have these ready:

Daily-care needs: bathing, dressing, toileting, eating
Mobility and transfers: independent, one-person assist, walker, wheelchair
Medications: how many, any injections, any recent changes
Cognition and mood: memory changes, confusion at night, wandering risk
Equipment: oxygen, hospital bed, lift, CPAP
Therapy orders: PT, OT or speech after discharge
Target date and the family decision-maker's contact

At Sweetwater Groves, call or text (909) 619-1230 and we review fit the same day. When the fit is right, move-in can happen in as little as 24 hours.

Step two: clinical records from the hospital or rehab team

Physician's assessment or order form. A current, signed health assessment describing diagnoses, needs and any limits.
Medication list with orders. Every medication, dose, time and prescriber, including anything started or stopped during the stay.
Discharge summary and recent notes. The story of the stay, what changed and what to watch for.
Therapy recommendations. PT, OT and speech plans, precautions and weight-bearing limits.
TB screening. Arizona requires tuberculosis screening for assisted living residents. Ask whether a recent result already exists.
Diet and swallowing guidance. Texture changes, thickened liquids, diabetic needs.
Equipment and supply orders. So the right items arrive before, not after, the first night.

Step three: what the family gathers

Photo identification and insurance cards (Medicare, supplemental, any long-term care policy)
Health care power of attorney and financial power of attorney, if in place
Any advance directive, living will, or Arizona Prehospital Medical Care Directive
Contact list: family, primary physician, specialists, pharmacy
Current medications in their original packaging
Comfort items: familiar clothing, shoes that fit, glasses, hearing aids, a few photos

If your family is still organizing finances or legal papers, our guide to organizing documents for a care transition walks through it gently.

Where referrals usually slow down

An unsigned physician form waiting on a provider who is off until Monday
A medication list that doesn't match the final discharge orders
No one with legal authority available to sign
Equipment ordered too late for the move-in day

Each of these can be solved early. For Friday and weekend dates, see planning ahead for weekend discharges.

For families reading this

If this list feels like a lot, please be gentle with yourself. You don't have to gather it all tonight, and you don't have to do it alone. The hospital team handles most of the clinical pieces. The home you choose will tell you what's still needed, one item at a time.