Touring a Group Home: 10 Questions Every Family Should Ask

Choosing a group home is one of the biggest decisions a family makes — and a photo gallery can only show you so much. When you tour a home in person, you can feel the warmth (or the lack of it), meet the people who'll care for your loved one, and picture daily life. Here are ten questions worth asking on every visit.

• How many residents live here, and how many caregivers are on during the day, evening, and overnight?
• How are your staff trained, and how long do caregivers typically stay? (Low turnover is a great sign.)
• What does a normal day look like — meals, activities, outings, quiet time?
• How do you handle medications and coordinate medical or dental appointments?
• What transportation do you provide, and to what kinds of places?
• How do you support each resident's individual routines, preferences, and goals?
• How and how often do you communicate with families?
• How do you keep residents safe, and what's your plan in an emergency?
• What's included, and how is care funded? (For many families this runs through the APD iBudget Waiver — more on that in another post.)
• Do you have any current openings, and what does the move-in process look like?

Trust your gut, too

Beyond the answers, pay attention to how the home feels. Are the residents relaxed and engaged? Do the caregivers speak about them with genuine affection? Is the home clean, comfortable, and welcoming? Those quiet signals often tell you the most.

We'd genuinely welcome these questions at Skycrest Place — in fact, we hope you ask them. Come visit any of our Clearwater homes and see for yourself.