27 Questions to Ask When Touring a Group Home or Assisted Living Facility in Tucson

A tour gives you a snapshot, not the whole picture. Look beyond first impressions and ask what an ordinary Tuesday is like. These questions help you do that.

Bring this list. Write the answers down. Compare them afterward, when the emotion of the visit has settled.

Staffing

1. How many caregivers are on duty during the day? At night?
2. Is someone awake all night, or only on call?
3. How long has your longest caregiver worked here? Your newest?
4. What training do caregivers get beyond the state minimum, especially in dementia care?
5. Is the manager or owner on site most days?

A 2023 study of U.S. nursing homes found that higher staff turnover was associated with worse performance on several care-quality measures. It did not establish turnover as one of the strongest predictors across all long-term care settings, and nursing-home findings do not automatically apply to assisted living homes. Ask how the home maintains continuity and shares information when staff change. Source

Health and medication

6. Which services is this home licensed to provide: supervisory, personal or directed care? May I see the license? Arizona definitions
7. Who gives medications, and how are errors tracked?
8. Do doctors, nurse practitioners or home health visit here?
9. What happens if my mother has a fall at 3 a.m.?
10. At what point would you ask a resident to move out?
11. Do you work with hospice? Can residents stay through the end of life?

Daily life

12. Can I see this week's menu? Can residents ask for something different?
13. What did residents do yesterday afternoon?
14. Can residents bring their own furniture and pets?
15. How are bathing schedules set? Can residents choose?
16. Are there outings? Is transportation provided to appointments?
17. How do you keep residents cool and hydrated during Tucson's summer?

Memory care

18. Are doors secured, and how do you prevent wandering?
19. How do you assess agitation or late-day distress, check for medical causes, and use non-drug approaches? When would a clinician consider medication? Alzheimer's Association guidance
20. What dementia-care training do staff complete, and how do they apply person-centered care? For example, how does practice reflect the Alzheimer's Association Dementia Care Practice Recommendations?

Money and contracts

21. What exactly is included in the monthly rate?
22. How do you charge for higher care levels, and how often are rates reviewed?
23. Do you participate in the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS), and with which plans? If private funds run out, what would be needed to stay? ALTCS requires financial and medical eligibility; running out of money alone does not guarantee coverage. AHCCCS guidance
24. What deposit is required, and is it refundable?
25. How much notice do you need before move-out?

Transparency

26. May I see your most recent state inspection report?
27. May I speak with a current resident's family member?

What to notice without asking

• Smell. Notice persistent unpleasant odors or heavy fragrances, and ask about cleaning routines; smell alone cannot establish cleanliness.
• Residents' appearance. Clean clothes, combed hair, trimmed nails.
• Call lights and response times.
• How staff talk about residents when they think no one important is listening.

Take concerns seriously, write them down and seek specific answers rather than relying on instinct alone. Use reviews in our Tucson directory as one input, not a substitute for checking records. Look up the home's licensing history, including available deficiencies or enforcement actions, through Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) AZ Care Check. ADHS describes the database here.