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Once you've read How to Find an Assisted Living Facility in Arizona, and have narrowed down facilities you're interested in after conducting some research, you are ready to tour the facility. As mentioned in the prior blog,the most important thing is that a place feels right for you or your loved one, so touring the facility is often times the determinant in deciding where to live.

Here are some tips to remember when touring various facilities:

1.)    Take notes! It's easy to forget or get facilities confused when touring many of them. Compiling any information you have about each place and adding to that information while touring is a great way to stay organized and not confuse facilities.

2.)    Observe, observe, observe. The tour will highlight the design and amenities of the facility, but it won't point out the little things. Look for how happy the residents look, what're they doing, are the caregivers interacting with them, do the caregivers look happy? Whether or not the workers and residents are happy is really the biggest thing to look for. If they're not happy, why would you be?

3.)    Ask a lot of questions. There are two things you're looking for when asking questions: how they answer the questions and what the answer is. From here, it's up to you to determine if you liked the responses to the questions.

Knowing the right questions to ask can be difficult. Below is a list of questions to ask and keep in mind, provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services to aid in your touring process:

1.) Is there a posted current license, with the facility's correct address, from ADHS?

2.) What are the admission requirements?

3.) What are resident to staff ratios?

4.) Is there a certified manager on duty? Are caregivers available 24 hours a day?

5.) Can residents continue to see their own doctor?

6.) Are the grounds and the building(s) neat and clean?

7.) Is the menu balanced and appealing? How much time do residents have to eat their meals? Do they have substitutes if a resident does not like the meal?

8.) Do staff know residents by name? Are relationships between staff and residents warm and friendly?

9.) Are residents wearing appropriate seasonal clothing?

10.) Ask for a "typical profile" of a resident in their facility. Are residents alert or confused?

11.) Are resident permitted to access to the outdoors, get beverages, use the telephone, rest, etc. on their own? Are resident rooms allowed to be decorated with personal belongings?

12.) Can residents go to bed at night and get up in the morning when they choose?

13.) Who arranges doctor appointments and manages resident medication?

14.) What are the added expenses? (service plan, transportation, personal items, beautician)

15.) Do they allow pets?

For the complete list, see their website. If you or your loved one is in need of legal advice regarding abuse or neglect in an assisted living facility, give the experienced attorneys at Knapp & Roberts a call. We believe everyone has the right to feel comfortable in their home, which includes an assisted living facility. We will work hard to help ensure others don?t endure the same mistreatment you experienced. We care and we can help.