Questions to ask when you visit a care home

The questions that reveal the most about a care home, covering staffing, safety, daily life, food, fees and what happens as needs change.

Published 2026-06-16 · A general guide, not legal, medical or financial advice.

A visit tells you more than any brochure or website ever will. Good questions, and close attention to how they are answered, reveal what a home is really like. Take this list with you, visit more than once and at different times, and do not be afraid to ask the awkward questions: a confident, well-run home will welcome them.

Staffing and care

• What is the staff-to-resident ratio during the day and overnight?
• How high is staff turnover, and how many staff are agency rather than permanent? A stable team that knows residents well is one of the strongest signs of a good home.
• How are care plans agreed and reviewed, and how are families kept involved and informed of changes?
• How are medicines stored, administered and recorded?

Daily life

• What does a typical day look like, and what activities are on offer, including at weekends?
• Can residents get up, eat and go to bed when they choose, rather than to a fixed routine?
• Can they personalise their room, keep their own furniture, and have visitors freely?
• How is food chosen, and how are dietary, cultural and religious needs met? Ask to see a menu, or better still, stay for a meal and watch how it is served.

Safety and wellbeing

• How does the home keep people safe while still supporting their independence and dignity?
• How does it handle a resident who becomes distressed, falls, or becomes unwell?
• How does it support people living with dementia, if that is relevant?
• How does it work with GPs, district nurses and other health services?

Money and the future

• What do the fees cover, and what is charged as an extra?
• How and when can fees rise, and by how much?
• What happens if the person's needs increase, or their funds run low?
• What are the notice periods, and what is payable if they leave or die?

What to notice while you are there

Pay as much attention to how questions are answered as to the answers themselves. Openness, specific examples and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere are reassuring. Defensiveness, vague answers, or pressure to decide quickly are not. Notice whether staff greet residents warmly and by name, whether the place feels calm, and whether residents look comfortable. Then check what you saw against the home's CQC report and rating history on CareRadar, and trust a clear mismatch between a glossy sales pitch and what your own eyes told you.