How should you use this list?
Pick the questions that matter most to you and the person. Bring the list on paper or on your phone, and write down the answers.
If the person is visiting with you, let them ask their own questions first.
There are no wrong questions. A good home will answer clearly, or tell you honestly when something is still being decided.
What should you ask before you go?
- Is the home licensed, and by which agency? In Oregon, residential treatment homes are licensed by the Oregon Health Authority.
- Does the home have an opening now? If not, how does its waitlist work?
- Who can come to the visit, and can the person come too?
- Should you bring anything, such as insurance information?
What is daily life like?
- What does a typical weekday look like? How are weekends different?
- Are bedrooms private or shared?
- How are meals planned and made? Can residents help cook, or make their own food?
- How are dietary needs handled?
- What activities, groups, or outings are offered?
- How much say do residents have in their own schedule?
- What household tasks are residents expected to do?
- Are there quiet hours?
- Can residents decorate their rooms?
Who is on staff?
- How many staff are on each shift, including overnight?
- Are overnight staff awake?
- What training do staff receive?
- How long have most staff worked here?
- Who is in charge day to day, and how do families reach them?
- Does a nurse or other clinician work with the home, and how often?
How are medications and health care handled?
- How does the home support residents with their medications?
- How does the home work with each resident's psychiatric provider, primary care doctor, and case manager?
- How do residents get to appointments? Does anyone go with them?
- What happens if a resident becomes physically ill or needs hospital care?
How are service plans and goals set?
- How is the service plan written, and how involved is the resident?
- How often is the plan reviewed?
- Can family take part in planning, if the resident wants that?
- If moving to more independent living is a goal, how does the home help residents prepare?
How are rights, privacy, and family contact handled?
- How does the home explain resident rights? Can you see a copy?
- What are the visiting hours and rules?
- Can residents use phones and the internet?
- Can residents come and go? Is there a curfew?
- How does the home share information with family, and how is consent handled?
- How does a resident or family member raise a concern or file a grievance?
- Can residents keep their own money and belongings?
What happens in a crisis or emergency?
- What happens if a resident is in crisis?
- How does the home handle conflict between residents?
- What is the plan for fires, power outages, or other emergencies?
- In what situations would staff call 911?
How do admission, cost, and leaving work?
- What are the admission criteria?
- What steps come between a referral and moving in?
- What funding does the home accept, and what does the resident pay for? Is room and board separate?
- In what circumstances would a resident be asked to leave?
- How does discharge planning work, and how much notice is given?
- If the person goes to the hospital, is their room held for them?
What is the neighborhood like, and how do residents get around?
- Is there public transit nearby, and do residents use it?
- What shops, parks, or libraries are within walking distance?
- How do residents get to work, school, or volunteering, if they want to?
- Is the home accessible for someone who uses a wheelchair or has trouble with stairs?
- Is there outdoor space residents can use?
What might the person want to ask?
The person who would live there may care about different things than you do. Some questions they might want to ask in their own words:
- Can I keep my own routine, like when I wake up or go to bed?
- Can I have my own things in my room, and can I lock anything up?
- What happens if I do not get along with another resident?
- Can I keep seeing my own doctor and counselor?
- Can I have a pet, smoke, or keep snacks in my room?
- Who do I talk to if something is bothering me?
If it helps, they can write their questions down ahead of time, or ask you to ask on their behalf.
What should you notice during the visit?
Watch as well as listen. Some things are easier to see than to ask about. You might notice:
- How staff talk to residents, and how they talk about them.
- Whether residents seem at ease, and whether shared spaces are actually used.
- Cleanliness and upkeep, in common areas and in a bedroom if you can see one.
- Whether staff answer questions directly or seem rushed.
- How the person you are touring with reacts. Their sense of the place matters.
Taking the Next Step
Write down your impressions the same day, before they blur. Compare answers across homes.
Ask the person what they thought, on their own, before you share your view.
If you are still deciding which kind of setting fits, our guide to types of residential mental health settings in Oregon may help.
To see how admission will work at Melrose Residential, read our admissions page. We are pending licensure and not accepting residents or referrals yet, and you are welcome to contact us with these questions.
