Nursing Homes and Retirement Homes

Chase the paper. All long-term care facilities must provide their most recent state inspection survey (Form 2567). The report lists the most recent violations found by state inspectors. Even the best of nursing homes can have problems sometimes, so read the report carefully, weigh the severity of each problem, and question the administrator about how the infractions have been corrected.

If your first visit is during regular business hours, don't make an appointment—you'll get a better idea of how the facility is run. Just walk in and ask for the administrator, who should be on site. If not, ask for the next person in charge to show you around. Be sure to ask about the ratio of caregivers to residents or seek a copy of the staffing schedule. Do you smell urine, feces, or other bad odors? Also, pay special attention to corners and windows: these are often the first places where shoddy cleaning shows up.

Air Duct Cleaning