How many memory care communities should I tour?

Two to four communities is the right range for most families. One community gives you no comparison point. Five or more creates decision fatigue and confusion. Tour two to start, narrow down your finalists, and then do a second visit to the community you're most interested in — ideally at a different time of day than your first visit.

Can I bring my loved one on the tour?

In the early to middle stages of dementia, bringing your loved one can be valuable — they may respond positively or negatively to the environment in ways that are informative. In later stages, tours can be disorienting or distressing. Use your judgment, and consider a separate preliminary tour (just you and the community) before deciding whether to bring your loved one. A placement advisor can help you think through this.

What if a community won't answer my questions directly?

Evasion is a red flag. Communities that can't or won't answer direct questions about staff turnover, care approach, or behavioral incidents are communities where you should be concerned about what you're not being told. A good community is proud of its culture and transparent about its approach. If you feel stonewalled, that's important information.

Should I visit more than once before deciding?

Yes, for your top choice. A second visit at a different time of day — particularly in the late afternoon when sundowning is common and staffing transitions happen — will show you a different side of the community than a scheduled morning tour. Unannounced visits before signing a contract are also reasonable to request.

What happens during the care assessment before admission?

Before a resident moves in, the community's nursing or care team conducts a care assessment to evaluate the resident's current needs and assign a care level. This determines the base rate plus care surcharge. The assessment typically includes a review of medical records, physician orders, and a conversation with the family about the resident's daily routine, preferences, and behaviors. Bring detailed notes about your loved one's typical day, what helps them feel calm, and what tends to trigger agitation.

Is it okay to negotiate pricing with a memory care community?

Some negotiation is possible, particularly around move-in fees, the first month's rate, or short-term rate locks. Communities rarely reduce their base room rate, but asking about waived fees or a rate guarantee for the first 12 months is reasonable. A placement advisor who works with communities regularly may have more leverage in these conversations than a family negotiating independently.

Memory Care Tour Checklist: What to Ask and What to Watch For

Last updated May 27, 2026

A note from Amy

Here's what nobody tells you about a memory care tour: it's a performance. The community invited you, prepared for you, and is showing you its best hour. That's not a knock — it's marketing. But it means you have to look past it, and that's exactly why I come along. I've walked these communities across East Cobb, Roswell, and Alpharetta enough to know where to look when no one's performing for me: the hallway after the guide walks ahead, how staff speak to a resident who's upset, whether people seem engaged or just parked in front of a TV. The questions below are the ones I ask on every single tour. Bring them — and if you'd like, I'll come bring them with you, for free.

Walking into a memory care community for the first time is disorienting for most families. The lobbies are often beautiful. The staff are welcoming. The director knows what you're looking for and knows how to show it to you. It's easy to leave a tour without having learned anything that actually matters for your loved one's wellbeing.

This checklist gives you the questions that cut through the tour presentation — the ones that reveal how a community actually operates, not just how it presents itself. Use it before your tour, during your tour, and during the debrief after.

Before the Tour

Do your research. Georgia's Department of Community Health maintains inspection records for licensed personal care homes and assisted living communities. Look up the community on the Georgia Healthcare Facility Regulation website before visiting. A pattern of repeat deficiencies is a serious concern. One or two isolated citations, addressed and corrected, are normal in any community that's been operating for years.

Call ahead with specific questions. A phone call before your tour reveals a great deal about how a community handles inquiries. Do they answer promptly? Are they willing to discuss pricing and care levels? Do they offer to send you information before the visit?

Plan your visit strategically. Morning tours (10am–noon) show you the community during planned activities time. Afternoon visits (2–4pm) show you the community during "sundowning hours" — the late afternoon period when behavioral symptoms often increase. Try to tour in the afternoon at least once, ideally for a second visit.

During the Tour: What to Ask

Staffing

What is your staff-to-resident ratio during the day shift? The evening shift? The overnight shift?
How many of your memory care staff have completed dementia-specific training in the last 12 months?
What is your average staff tenure on the memory care floor?
What is your staff turnover rate?
Do you use agency (temporary) staff? How often?
What happens when a staff member calls out sick overnight?

Care Approach

Walk me through what happens when a resident has an agitated episode. Who responds? What techniques do you use?
How do you handle residents who resist personal care (bathing, dressing)?
What is your approach to medication management for behavioral symptoms? Do you use non-pharmacological approaches first?
How do you manage sundowning?
How are care plans updated as a resident's needs change? How often are families involved in that process?

Programming and Daily Life

What does a typical Tuesday look like for a resident in the memory care unit?
How do you accommodate residents at different stages of dementia — those who are still quite verbal versus those who are non-verbal?
What music and sensory programs do you offer?
How is the outdoor space used? Is it accessible to residents independently or only during organized activities?
How do you handle religious or cultural preferences in programming and daily care?

Safety and Security

Describe your secured perimeter — how do residents exit, and what triggers an alert?
What is your protocol if a resident elopes (leaves the secured area)?
What is your fall prevention protocol, and how many falls occurred in the memory care unit last month?
What happens if a resident needs emergency medical attention?

Family Communication

How do you communicate with families when something happens? Phone call, email, what's your standard?
How often are care conferences scheduled?
Can family members visit at any time, or are there visiting hours?
Can family members have meals with their loved one?

Financial and Contractual

What is included in the base monthly rate?
How is the care level (and associated surcharge) determined and reassessed?
What triggers a care level increase? How much notice is given?
What are the terms for rate increases? How much have rates increased in the last two years?
What is the refund policy if a resident passes away or needs to transfer mid-month?
Under what circumstances can the community ask a family to find alternative placement?

During the Tour: What to Watch

These observations matter as much as the answers to your questions.

Hallways and common areas. Are residents visible in the common spaces during the tour, or are they in their rooms? Residents who spend most of the day in their rooms suggest either a staffing or programming problem. A busy, engaged common area suggests a community that works at it.

How staff interact with residents. Do staff members greet residents by name? Do they make eye contact, speak at eye level, speak calmly? Or do they talk over residents, avoid interaction, or seem distracted? The quality of staff-to-resident interaction is the single most important indicator of care quality.

What's happening when nobody is performing. When the tour guide steps away to retrieve paperwork, or when you round a corner into an unscheduled area of the unit — what do you see? This is when you observe the community in its ordinary state.

Odor. Memory care communities deal with incontinence. A clean community manages it quickly and thoroughly. Persistent odor is a signal of inadequate staffing or inadequate cleaning protocols.

Resident demeanor. Are residents visibly distressed? Calling out repeatedly without response? Sitting alone for long periods? Or are they engaged, calm, and interacting with staff? The collective affect of residents in a community tells you something about the quality of care they're receiving.

Staff response to visible distress. During the tour, you may observe a resident who is confused, agitated, or calling for help. Watch how staff respond — do they engage gently and promptly, or do they seem to ignore it?

After the Tour: What to Do

Debrief while impressions are fresh. Talk through what you saw and felt — not just the answers to your questions, but your gut reaction. How did the staff make you feel? How did the residents look? Would you be comfortable leaving your loved one there overnight?

Follow up on unanswered questions. Every tour will leave some questions open. Send a follow-up email with specific items you want answered in writing, particularly around contract terms and care level pricing.

Visit a second time. Before making a final decision, return to your top choice at a different time of day and ideally with a different staff member showing you around. A second visit almost always reveals something the first visit didn't.

For a broader context on what you're looking for, see Memory care vs. assisted living and When is it time for memory care?. If you'd like someone to come with you on your tours in the North Atlanta area, reach out to Amy — accompanying families on tours is one of the specific ways she helps.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many memory care communities should I tour?: Two to four communities is the right range for most families. One community gives you no comparison point. Five or more creates decision fatigue and confusion. Tour two to start, narrow down your finalists, and then do a second visit to the community you're most interested in — ideally at a different time of day than your first visit.
Can I bring my loved one on the tour?: In the early to middle stages of dementia, bringing your loved one can be valuable — they may respond positively or negatively to the environment in ways that are informative. In later stages, tours can be disorienting or distressing. Use your judgment, and consider a separate preliminary tour (just you and the community) before deciding whether to bring your loved one. A placement advisor can help you think through this.
What if a community won't answer my questions directly?: Evasion is a red flag. Communities that can't or won't answer direct questions about staff turnover, care approach, or behavioral incidents are communities where you should be concerned about what you're not being told. A good community is proud of its culture and transparent about its approach. If you feel stonewalled, that's important information.
Should I visit more than once before deciding?: Yes, for your top choice. A second visit at a different time of day — particularly in the late afternoon when sundowning is common and staffing transitions happen — will show you a different side of the community than a scheduled morning tour. Unannounced visits before signing a contract are also reasonable to request.
What happens during the care assessment before admission?: Before a resident moves in, the community's nursing or care team conducts a care assessment to evaluate the resident's current needs and assign a care level. This determines the base rate plus care surcharge. The assessment typically includes a review of medical records, physician orders, and a conversation with the family about the resident's daily routine, preferences, and behaviors. Bring detailed notes about your loved one's typical day, what helps them feel calm, and what tends to trigger agitation.
Is it okay to negotiate pricing with a memory care community?: Some negotiation is possible, particularly around move-in fees, the first month's rate, or short-term rate locks. Communities rarely reduce their base room rate, but asking about waived fees or a rate guarantee for the first 12 months is reasonable. A placement advisor who works with communities regularly may have more leverage in these conversations than a family negotiating independently.

Have specific questions about your family's situation?

Reach out to Amy