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Editorial guide

Choosing a nursing home3 min readPublished on 18/07/2026

20 questions to ask on a nursing home tour

A printable list of the questions that reveal real quality — staffing, safety, costs and what happens when money runs out.

Why this article matters

Built to reduce uncertainty for families who need to understand costs, urgency, waiting lists and real options.

A tour is your best signal of day-to-day quality. Bring this list and watch how staff answer.

Staffing and care

What are your nurse and aide-to-resident ratios by shift? What is staff turnover? How quickly are call lights answered? Is there an on-site physician or nurse practitioner?

Safety and health

May I see your latest state inspection report? How do you handle falls, infections and pressure sores? What is your policy on physical and chemical restraints?

Money

What is the all-in monthly rate for this level of care? What is extra? What triggers a rate increase? Do you accept Medicaid, and will you keep a resident who spends down to Medicaid?

Daily life

What do meals and activities look like? Can I visit any time? How do you communicate with families about changes in condition?

Trust what you see as much as what you’re told: visit at a busy time and notice whether residents look clean, engaged and comfortable.

Want a clear shortlist before you start calling?

If you don't know which nursing homes to contact first, Curalune Care Help can prepare an ordered shortlist of 3 to 5 suitable options — with contacts, useful links and a ready-to-send message you can put to all of them at once.

The service helps you organise the search. $89, one-off. If you don't receive at least 3 homes matching the area and criteria you gave us, we refund you in full. It does not replace the home's own assessment and does not guarantee admission, price or bed availability.

Important limit

Curalune offers practical help with the search and orientation. Admission, pricing, bed availability and the final assessment always rest with the nursing homes and the competent authorities (your state Medicaid agency, the state survey agency and Medicare).

Curalune Help

Choose how much you want to handle

Receive the shortlist and contact the homes yourself, or ask Curalune to handle contacts and follow-ups too.

Curalune Help
You contact

Not sure which facility to start with?

An operator compares the facilities that match your case — area, budget, level of care — and hands you a shortlist of 3–5 verified names with the right contact details.

The guarantee covers the search and does not guarantee availability, admission or public funding.

$89 one-offNo subscription
Curalune Care Help Complete
We contact

Would you rather leave it all to us?

With Curalune Care Help Complete we select the compatible nursing homes and then do the most tiring round ourselves — we contact them, follow up with those who do not reply and keep you posted on the responses, through to the written summary. We handle three cases at a time.

$399 one-offContacts and follow-ups includedNo subscription

Care homes in the area

Three care homes to review yourself

Suggested by location, not by care needs. Confirm suitability and current availability directly with each care home.

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