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Choosing a provider

Independent living tour checklist

Questions about housing, included services, accessibility, changing needs and the agreement.

By Find A Care Partner

Updated
Sources checked
Reading time
3 min
About this guide

New guide written for this library.

Sources were checked on September 9, 2026 to confirm they say what this guide attributes to them. The guide has not been reviewed by a clinician, benefits counselor or attorney; it offers introductory information and questions to ask, not advice for a specific situation.

Take this on your visit

Mark questions as you go. Your marks stay on this open page only; they are not saved to your account or shared with providers. Print or save a PDF to keep a copy, including every question and space for handwritten notes.

Confirm the housing and services being offered. Ask explicitly what personal or clinical care is not included and how outside help would work.

Before your visit or interview

  • Ask the person what matters most to them and choose a few priorities to discuss.
  • Bring your own questions and ask which staff member can discuss services and costs.
  • Use a separate printed copy for each provider. Leave room for answers and anything to clarify later.

Use these prompts to start a conversation. “Asked” records that you discussed a question; it is not a quality score or confirmation that a provider meets the person's needs. A tour, appearance or length of licensure alone does not establish quality.

Start with these questions

  • Which of the person's needs can you support now, and which would need another service or a move?
    Notes:
  • Who is available during the day, overnight and on weekends? What happens when someone is absent?
    Notes:
  • How do we reach someone about an urgent concern outside normal hours, and what response can we expect?
    Notes:
  • What is included in your written price, what costs extra, and when can charges change?
    Notes:
  • How will we agree on services, involve the person receiving them, and review changes together?
    Notes:
  • Which licenses, certifications or inspections apply here? Where can we verify the current record and any follow-up?
    Notes:
  • May we review the agreement, notice periods, cancellation or refund terms, and reasons services could end?
    Notes:
  • How can the person or family raise a concern, and who follows up if it remains unresolved?
    Notes:

Questions for this care type

  • Which meals, housekeeping, transportation, utilities and activities are included, and which have separate charges or limits?
    Notes:
  • What happens when a resident asks for urgent help overnight? Which staff or response service is actually available?
    Notes:
  • Can a resident arrange outside personal or clinical support? What rules or coordination would apply?
    Notes:
  • If needs change, would another setting require a new application, available space or a separate contract?
    Notes:
  • What deposits, ongoing fees, increases, notice periods and refund terms apply to this housing agreement?
    Notes:

Source: Where Can You Receive Care?, U.S. Administration for Community Living (publisher’s page last modified February 18, 2020; checked September 9, 2026)

What to observe and discuss

  • Try the routes to the actual apartment, meals and transportation with the person's mobility needs in mind.
  • Ask about an ordinary week's activities and opportunities for both company and privacy.
  • Discuss how the person would report a maintenance issue and what response to expect.

Source: Where Can You Receive Care?, U.S. Administration for Community Living (publisher’s page last modified February 18, 2020; checked September 9, 2026)

Ask for it in writing

  • A sample agreement and an itemized quote, including possible extra charges.
  • The proposed services, schedule, limits and process for reviewing changes.
  • Contact and complaint procedures, including how to get help outside normal hours.
  • Applicable license or certification details and where to find inspection records, when available.
  • Notice, cancellation, refund and service-ending terms to review before committing.

After your visit

  • Ask the person how the visit felt and compare what you heard with their priorities.
  • Write down unanswered questions, promises to confirm and who will follow up by when.
  • Discuss questions about clinical needs with the person's qualified care team. Review the written terms and confirm anything unclear before deciding.

Find care in this category

Your visit notes

Provider / visit date:

What matters most to the person:

Answers to confirm and questions still to ask:

Next step / who will follow up / by when:

Sources

These pages informed the sections that cite them; the questions and checklists are our own. Links were checked on .

  1. Where Can You Receive Care?, U.S. Administration for Community Living.Publisher’s page last modified February 18, 2020. Checked September 9, 2026.

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