Touring an Assisted Living Community: A California Checklist

Questions to ask about admission agreements, staff training, medications, dementia care, and eviction rules when you tour an RCFE.

A tour is your best chance to see how a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE) actually operates. Bring this checklist, take notes, and ask for documents in writing. Before you go, look up the facility on the state's Care Facility Search so you can ask about anything in its inspection or complaint history.

Before you visit

• Write down the license number, licensed capacity, licensee, and administrator from the state record.
• Read recent inspection and complaint reports and note any Type A or Type B citations.
• List the resident's needs: mobility, medications, memory, diet, nighttime help, and any health conditions.
• Plan more than one visit, including one at a mealtime and one in the evening or on a weekend if you can.

The admission agreement

Ask for a blank copy of the admission agreement to take home. California law sets out what it must contain. Under Health and Safety Code section 1569.884, it must include:

• A comprehensive description of items and services covered by the basic fee, plus a fee schedule for everything else. The facility may charge separately only for items the agreement authorizes.
• Billing and payment policies, and the conditions under which rates may increase.
• The facility's refund policy, including refunds of advance monthly fees if a resident dies.
• Visiting and communication policies, and the conditions under which the agreement may be terminated.
• How third-party services (for example, home health or hospice) are arranged and who pays for them.

Under section 1569.886, the agreement may not include eviction grounds beyond those allowed by state law, must list the permitted grounds exactly as worded in law, and must explain the resident's right to notice and how to appeal. Rate increases require at least 90 days' written notice (except for a change in level of care) under section 1569.655. You are entitled to a signed copy.

Ask: What is the monthly base rate? How are care levels assessed, and how often? What one-time fees are there, and are any refundable? What happens to prepaid fees if we move out or after a death?

Staff training and dementia care

California sets minimum training for direct care staff. Under section 1569.625, staff who help residents with daily activities need 40 hours of initial training (20 hours before working independently and 20 within the first four weeks) plus 20 hours every year. Of that, section 1569.626 requires 12 hours of dementia care training at the start and eight hours of dementia training annually.

Ask: How many direct care staff are on each shift, including overnight? Is someone awake at night? How long have your caregivers worked here? If the facility markets memory care, ask for its written dementia program description, which section 1569.627 requires it to provide on request. Ask how exits are monitored and how the facility responds when a resident tries to leave.

Medications

RCFE staff assist residents with self-administration of medications; most caregivers are not licensed nurses. Under section 1569.69, staff who assist with medications need specific training and must pass an exam: 24 hours of initial training in facilities licensed for 16 or more residents, and 10 hours in facilities licensed for 15 or fewer.

Ask: Who helps with medications on each shift? How are medications stored and documented? Which pharmacy do you use, and can we use our own? How are injections or other tasks that need a licensed professional handled? How do you notify families about medication changes or errors?

Care limits, move-out, and eviction rules

Every RCFE has limits on the care it can provide. Section 1569.72 bars admitting or keeping someone who needs 24-hour skilled nursing care, and Title 22 lists prohibited and restricted health conditions. Ask how the facility would handle a change such as needing two-person transfers, a feeding tube, or hospice care, and whether it holds a hospice waiver.

Under Title 22's eviction rules, a facility generally must give 30 days' written notice, and only for specific reasons: nonpayment within ten days of the due date, failure to follow state or local law after written notice, failure to follow written facility policies that are part of the admission agreement, a newly identified need the facility cannot meet after a reappraisal, or a change of use of the facility. A three-day notice is allowed only with prior approval from the licensing agency for good cause, such as behavior that threatens the resident or others. The notice must state specific reasons. If a facility closes or changes use, section 1569.682 requires at least 60 days' written notice, a relocation evaluation, and, in some cases, a partial refund of preadmission fees.

If you receive a notice you disagree with, contact the Long-Term Care Ombudsman (CRISISline 1-800-231-4024) or Community Care Licensing at 1-844-538-8766.

What to look for on the visit

• Is the current license posted, and does the capacity match what you see?
• Do staff greet residents by name and respond promptly to requests?
• Are residents engaged, groomed, and dressed for the day, or mostly idle?
• Is the building clean, free of strong odors, and free of trip hazards? Are hallways and exits clear?
• Look at a posted activity calendar, then check whether the scheduled activity is actually happening.
• Eat a meal if you can. Ask how special diets are handled.
• Look for the posted ombudsman contact information and the residents' rights notice.
• Talk to residents and visiting family members if they are willing.

After the tour

1. Compare written rate sheets side by side.
2. Ask the facility about anything in its state record that concerned you.
3. Have someone you trust read the admission agreement before signing.
4. Keep copies of everything you sign.

This checklist is general information, not legal advice.

Updated 2026-09-30.