Caring for an elderly loved one requires a full time commitment of time, hard work and patience. In most cases, this becomes exhausting and time consuming, and families find themselves making a very difficult decision: Relocating their loved ones into an assisted living facility, where they will be treated with utmost respect and provided with the best home care available. Unfortunately, not all assisted living facilities operate on a mutual level with the family’s expectations. Time and again, elders admitted to assisted living facilities receive less care than what they need, and are left neglected of vital services that they deserve. As such, it is important to invest as much time as possible into researching & vetting potential assisted living facilities in your area.

Clients of assisted living facilities who had poor experiences tend to write about it on public domains such as care.com or bbb.org. Search for sources by typing the name of the facility + “reviews” in Google or Bing, that should aggregate a number of reliable sources where you can read public reviews of the facility in question.

Here is a list of sources to help you get started:

• indeed.com
• Caring.com
• Glassdoor.com
• Care.com
• Bbb.org
• Seniorcareauthority.com
• Senioradvice.com

Assisted living facilities are heavily regulated by state & local government bodies, and any important records are typically released to the public. Search for safety violations, health inspections and more via websites like Medicare.gov. However, not all violations are critical, it is important to thoroughly read about violation and it’s implications on the services provided by the facility. The most serious allegations are related to health and abuse by staff members. If such allegations are found, cross-off that facility from your list and move onto the next one.

At the core of every successful assisted living facility is an incredible team of caregivers, nurses and administrators. Visit the nursing home and pay close attention at the interaction between staff members and residents, this can provide so much insight into how they run operations and treat each other. Look for signs of abuse and neglect such as bruises, signs of disrespect between staff and residents, and as well as the overall condition of the facility.

Staff churn rate matters: Find more information about the staff’s schedule and rotation, and as well as churn rate, or in other words, how often staff quit and are replaced by new members. This can hint at poor internal management, and poor performance of employees.

Does the facility offer specialized care for individuals with life-debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s? Facilities that offer comprehensive care for disease such as Alzheimer’s or M.S. would be able to provide extensive care if you our a loved one fits the criteria.

Ensuring that residents are as independent as possible is the goal of any geriatric care. Outdoor activities, freedom to navigate around the facility without limits (within reason; obviously it’s not a good idea for a resident who is susceptible for falling to walk around without supervision), and occasional events such as bingo and poker nights, are all healthy signs of a successful assisted living facility.