By
The Sharanam Care Team
23 views
Medically reviewed by Mr. Pratik Masal, MBA (Healthcare Management) · Last reviewed 16 Oct 2026
Judge a care home by its answers, not its lobby. Brochures and gardens tell you very little. These twelve questions tell you almost everything — and how a facility reacts to being asked them is itself an answer.
About the clinical care
- Who writes the care plan, and how often is it reviewed?
- Is there a physician on site, and how often do they see each resident?
- What is the caregiver-to-resident ratio — during the day, and at night?
- How do you manage agitation? (Be very alert to how quickly medication comes up.)
- What happens if my parent has a medical emergency at 3am?
About the daily life
- Can I see a resident's actual daily schedule?
- Can I eat a meal here?
- Can my mother bring her own furniture and belongings?
- Can residents go outside independently and safely?
About honesty and money
- What is the full monthly cost, in writing, including everything?
- What would make you tell us you cannot care for our parent any more?
- May I speak to a family whose relative already lives here?
The two answers that matter most
Watch what happens when you ask about the night-time staffing ratio and about what would make them turn a resident away. A facility with nothing to hide will answer both plainly. A facility that becomes vague, defensive, or steers you back to the gardens has told you what you needed to know.
Tags
Admissions