10 questions to ask when visiting a care home
By CareFinder Team · Published 2025-10-19 · Last reviewed 2026-09-18
The key questions to ask when visiting a care home cover staffing on every shift, how care plans are written and reviewed, medicines, access to GPs, emergencies, food, activities, visiting, exactly what the fee includes, and what happens if needs change. Read the latest inspection report first, ask every home the same questions, and get fees and contract terms in writing.
The most useful questions to ask when visiting a care home cover staffing, care planning, health and medicines, food, activities, visiting, fees and the contract, and what happens if needs change. Read the latest inspection report before you go, ask the same questions at every home, and get anything important about fees and care in writing.
Below are ten questions, why each matters, and what a good answer sounds like.
What should you do before the visit?
- Read the latest inspection report. In England, use the Care Quality Commission's care home search. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, check the Care Inspectorate, Care Inspectorate Wales or RQIA.
- Check the home can meet your relative's needs. Some homes provide residential care only; others are registered for nursing or dementia care.
- Look for the fee information. The Competition and Markets Authority's consumer rights guide for care home residents says homes should give key information, including fees, upfront.
- Bring a list so you can compare homes fairly, and visit more than once if you can, including at a mealtime or in the evening.
The 10 questions to ask
1. How many staff are on duty, day and night, and how long have they worked here?
There is no fixed legal staff-to-resident ratio for care homes in England. Instead, CQC Regulation 18 requires "sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced" staff to meet people's needs at all times.
Ask how many care staff and, for nursing homes, how many nurses are on each shift, including nights and weekends. Ask how often the home uses agency staff and how long the manager has been in post. Stable teams and a settled manager usually mean staff know residents well.
2. How will you get to know my relative, and how is the care plan written and reviewed?
Every resident should have a care plan based on an assessment of their needs and preferences. Ask who writes it, how the resident and family are involved, and how often it is reviewed. A good answer mentions a pre-admission assessment, a named key worker, and reviews at set intervals and whenever needs change.
3. How do you manage medicines?
Ask who gives medicines, how staff are trained and checked, how errors are reported, and how the home works with the GP and pharmacy for medication reviews. Ask whether residents who can manage their own medicines are supported to do so. NICE has published guidance on managing medicines in care homes, and a well-run home will be familiar with it.
4. How do you arrange GP visits, dental care and other health services?
Find out which GP practice looks after residents, whether there are regular rounds, and how quickly a doctor can be seen. Ask about access to dentists, opticians, chiropodists and hearing services, and whether any of these cost extra.
5. What happens in a medical emergency, or if my relative falls?
Ask how staff respond to a fall or sudden illness, who calls the family and how quickly, and who goes with a resident to hospital. Ask how the home reduces the risk of falls and pressure sores.
6. What are the meals like, and can you meet special diets?
Ask to see the menu, and if possible eat a meal there. Check that drinks and snacks are available throughout the day and night, how staff help people who need support to eat, and how weight and hydration are monitored. Ask how the home provides religious or cultural diets, textured diets and food for allergies.
7. What will my relative do all day?
Ask to see the activities programme and who runs it. Good homes offer a mix of group and one-to-one activities, trips out, and time in the garden, and adapt activities for people with dementia or those who stay in their rooms. Look at what residents are actually doing during your visit.
8. What are the visiting arrangements?
In England, CQC Regulation 9A, in force since April 2024, requires care homes to facilitate visits for residents and not to discourage residents from taking visits out of the home, except in exceptional circumstances. Ask about protected mealtimes, whether pets and children can visit, and whether you can stay late or overnight at the end of life.
9. Exactly what does the fee include, and how do increases work?
Ask for the weekly fee in writing and a copy of the contract before you commit. Check:
- what is included, and what costs extra (hairdressing, chiropody, trips, newspapers, escorts to appointments);
- whether there is a deposit or trial period;
- how and when fees are reviewed, and how much notice is given;
- the notice period, and what is charged after a resident dies;
- whether the home accepts council funding if your relative's money runs out, and whether a top-up would then be needed.
The CMA's guidance says terms requiring fees to be paid for extended periods after death are likely to be unfair.
10. What happens if my relative's needs change?
Ask whether your relative could stay if they developed dementia, needed nursing care or were nearing the end of life. Ask about end-of-life care, links with local hospice or palliative care teams, and in what circumstances the home could ask a resident to leave.
What should you look out for during the visit?
Questions only tell you part of the story. Notice:
- how staff speak to residents: by name, kindly, at eye level;
- whether call bells are answered promptly;
- whether residents look clean, comfortable and engaged;
- cleanliness and smells, lighting, and how easy the building is to get around;
- whether the manager is visible and open to questions, including difficult ones.
If you can, talk to residents and visiting relatives about their experience.
How do you compare homes afterwards?
Write down your impressions straight after each visit, then compare the answers side by side. Weigh the inspection report, the answers to your questions, what you saw, and the fees. If your relative can visit, their reaction matters most.
This is general guidance. For advice on paying for care, contact your council for a needs assessment, or seek independent advice from Age UK, Citizens Advice or a regulated financial adviser who specialises in care fees.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum staff ratio for care homes in the UK?
England has no fixed legal ratio. Providers must have enough suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet everyone's needs at all times, and inspectors check this. Ask each home for its actual staffing on days, nights and weekends.
Should I visit unannounced?
Many families find a second, less formal visit useful, for example at a mealtime or in the evening. Some homes ask visitors to book to protect residents' routines, so ask what is possible. A home that is reluctant to let you see it in everyday conditions may be a warning sign.
What if the home has a poor inspection rating?
Read the report to understand why, and when it was written. Ask the manager what has changed since. A home rated "requires improvement" may have acted on the findings, but check for evidence rather than relying on reassurance.
Can I see the contract before my relative moves in?
Yes, and you should. Consumer law guidance says homes should give clear information about fees and terms upfront, and contract terms must be fair and written in plain language.
Key takeaways
- Read the latest inspection report before visiting and take a written list of questions.
- Ask about staffing on all shifts, care planning, medicines, health access, food and activities.
- Check visiting arrangements; in England care homes must facilitate visits.
- Get the fee, what it includes, and the contract in writing before committing.
- Ask what would happen if needs change, and trust what you see as well as what you hear.