What to Ask on an Assisted Living Tour
For adult children helping a parent in Northern Virginia
From Gracewood Senior Living, Woodbridge, VA
The home and the room
- Can we see the actual room or suite, not a model?
- How many residents live here, and how many bathrooms are there?
- Can my parent bring their own furniture, photos and keepsakes?
- Where can residents spend time outside their room, indoors and out?
Caregivers and staffing
- How many caregivers are on duty during the day, overnight and on weekends?
- What training or certification do caregivers have, and are they background-checked?
- Will my parent see the same caregivers most days?
The care plan and health
- How is the first assessment done, and who writes the service plan?
- How often is the plan reviewed, and how will I hear about changes?
- How are medication needs handled?
- Can my parent keep their own doctors, home health and hospice providers?
- What happens if my parent's needs change? When would a different setting be needed?
- What do you do in an emergency, and how will family be told?
Daily life
- What does a typical day look like, from breakfast to bedtime?
- What are meals like, can you handle special diets, and can family join a meal?
- How do you keep families updated, and when can we visit?
Money and paperwork
- Will I get a written quote, and what exactly does it include?
- What is included in the monthly fee, and what costs extra?
- How and when do rates change, and how much notice do you give?
- Are there any one-time fees or deposits, and are they refundable?
- Do you work with long-term care insurance and help with the paperwork? Our guide to paying for assisted living in Northern Virginia covers the basics.
- Can I take the agreement home to read before signing?
Tips for the visit
- Bring your parent if you can. It is their home.
- Visit around a mealtime if possible, and notice how caregivers speak with residents.
- Take notes on the same questions at every home so you can compare later.
- Go back a second time, at a different time of day, before you decide.
How Gracewood answers some of these
- Gracewood is a spacious residential assisted living home with 7 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms.
- Our caregivers are CNA-certified, carefully screened and background-checked. We provide 24-hour care with a 4:1 resident-to-caregiver ratio.
- The move-in process includes an assessment, care plan development, agreement review, and move-in coordination.
- Medication needs are reviewed during each resident's assessment.
- Residents may keep their own doctors, home health, or hospice.
- Residents can bring familiar furniture, photos and belongings. We can also offer furniture for the private suite.
- Nutritious meals and snacks are provided daily, and we accommodate special diets and preferences whenever possible.
- Family visits are encouraged.
- We work with families who use long-term care insurance and can assist with required documentation.
- We quote after a care look, in writing, on the tour.
Want to see it for yourself? Use the tour form below, or ask a quick question in our chat. If your parent is not sure yet, our guide on how to talk to a parent about assisted living may help.
Frequently asked questions
What questions should I ask on an assisted living tour?
Ask to see the actual room, who the caregivers are and how many are on duty day and night, how the care plan is written and updated, how medicines are handled, what meals and a normal day look like, whether your parent can keep their own doctors, and what the written quote includes.
Should my parent come on the tour?
If they can, yes. It is their home, and seeing it in person often makes the choice feel like theirs.
How many homes should we tour?
Many families find that two or three visits are enough to compare without wearing everyone out. Use the same questions at each one.
What does Gracewood include in the monthly fee?
Services typically include care and supervision, assistance with activities of daily living, meals and snacks, housekeeping, laundry, and social engagement. We quote after a care look, in writing, on the tour.
Schedule a Personal Tour Ask a question in chat
More for families
Schedule a Tour
Gracewood is a spacious residential assisted living home in Woodbridge, with 7 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. Our caring, background-checked team of CNA-certified caregivers provides 24-hour care with a 4:1 resident-to-caregiver ratio.
Tell us a little about your family and when you would like to visit. We quote after a care look, in writing, on the tour.
Phone, answered 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET every day: (703) 688-2388. Email: [email protected].