Questions to ask about senior care
Choosing care for a parent usually happens fast and under pressure. These sets cover assisted living and memory care tours, nursing homes, home care agencies, hospice, and the conversations to have with your parent before any of it is urgent.
A few to start with
Do we need to choose a funeral home in advance, and what do you need from us?
The hospice usually needs a name on file to make the call for you. Doing it now removes one decision from a day when you will not want to be making decisions.
How do you help someone move around safely?
Ask about bed-to-chair transfers, walkers, and whether they have used a hoist. Physical assistance is where both the caregiver and the person being cared for get injured, so the training here is not optional.
What support is there for me as the person doing most of the care, and is respite available?
Caregiving at this intensity is physically and financially draining, and respite, home aides, and counselling are often available but rarely offered unprompted. Ask specifically how many hours, how they are arranged, and how much notice is needed.
When did rates last go up, by how much, and how much notice do residents get?
Past increases are the only concrete guide to future ones, and most administrators will answer when asked plainly. What you want is a date, a figure, and the notice period written into the contract. A home that cannot say when it last raised rates is either newly managed or not being straightforward.
Who taught you to cook, and what was the first thing you learned to make?
This links a person and a skill in one prompt, so it can be answered from either end. It also hands you a recipe you can make and bring in, which extends the conversation past the visit.
What is the plan for skin care, and how often is repositioning and checking actually done?
Pressure injuries can develop within days in someone who sits or lies still for long periods. Ask for the check schedule, whether any redness has already been noted, and to be told the same day if anything appears.