Assisted Living Requirements Checklist

Why these items are on the list

1. Confirm help is needed with daily activities. A Place for Mom calls bathing, toileting, feeding or medication help the most common admission requirement.
2. Count the daily activities needing help. A Place for Mom's example: two activities may be low care, four moderate; each community differs.
3. Confirm medical stability. Ongoing conditions should be under control, such as blood pressure managed with medication.
4. Rule out round-the-clock medical care. Needing 24-hour medical care may point to memory care or skilled nursing instead.
5. Check the community's age minimum. Amy McLoughlin, A Place for Mom: many start at 60 or 65; younger residents sometimes accepted case by case.
6. Check how the resident moves. Most communities expect mostly independent movement; a walker can count if it adds independence.
7. Ask about transfer help. Help moving from bed to wheelchair varies, and some states do not allow lifts.
8. Ask how many caregivers are needed. Needing two caregivers to get out of bed consistently can mean assisted living is not enough.
9. Ask about memory care units. Many communities have them for cognitive impairment; ask before you need one.
10. Ask how admission assessments work. Communities assess residents before admission and again regularly afterward.
11. Visit several facilities. Speak with staff and residents, and see where you feel most comfortable.
12. Ask to see the current license. Florida's guide says it should show the facility type, an effective date and an expiration date.
13. Check the license type. Florida lists four types; a standard license is required, and the others add services.
14. Look up complaints and inspections. Florida's comparison tool shows complaints, sanctions and deficiency data for each facility.
15. Ask what fees cover. Providers set their own fees, which vary with facility size and amenities.
16. Schedule the physician examination. Texas generally requires one within 30 days before admission or 14 days after.
17. Expect a written service plan. In Texas, the assessment and individual service plan are due within 14 days of admission.
18. Ask how medications are handled. Texas allows reminders and supervision, with medications kept in a locked cabinet or cart.
19. Ask about overnight staffing. Texas sets no strict staff ratios, but Type B facilities need awake night staff.
20. Ask about the emergency plan. Texas required facilities to adopt an emergency preparedness plan by January 1, 2026.
21. Ask about evacuation assistance. Texas facilities must tell residents or representatives how to register for evacuation help.
22. Ask about activities. Many communities plan activities around shared resident interests.
23. Review alternatives to assisted living. Florida's guide lists alternatives if the level of care is not the right fit.

Tick it through on your phone during a facility tour, then share it with the relatives helping decide. Items you could not answer on the spot stay unticked until you have asked.