Choosing an assisted living home for someone you love is one of the most tender decisions a family ever makes. You want a place that is safe, warm, and genuinely caring — somewhere your parent or spouse can feel at home, not just housed. If you live in Holladay or anywhere in Salt Lake County, Utah, the good news is that you have options, from large facilities to small residential homes like ours. The hard part is knowing how to tell them apart.
This checklist walks you through what to look for, what to ask, and what to pay attention to so you can make a confident, clear-eyed decision.
Start With Your Loved One’s Actual Needs
Before you tour a single home, take an honest inventory of what your loved one needs day to day. The right home is the one that fits this person, not a generic checklist. Consider:
- Daily support: Do they need help with bathing, dressing, grooming, or moving safely around the home?
- Medication management: Are they taking multiple medications that need to be organized and given on schedule?
- Memory and cognition: Is there any memory loss, confusion, or wandering that needs a secure, structured setting?
- Social needs: Do they thrive on company and activity, or do they prefer a quieter, more intimate environment?
- Health conditions: Are there chronic conditions — diabetes, heart disease, mobility issues — that require consistent, attentive care?
Writing these down first turns a vague, overwhelming search into a focused one.
Understand the Types of Care in Utah
Utah licenses assisted living as either Type I (for residents who are generally mobile and need less intensive help) or Type II (for residents who may need more assistance, including help evacuating or more complex care). Ask each home which license they hold and whether they can continue caring for your loved one as needs change over time. A home that can “age in place” with your family member spares you a stressful move down the road.
The Tour Checklist: What to Look For
A tour tells you far more than a brochure ever will. When you visit, pay attention to the details that reveal how a home really operates:
- Cleanliness and smell: The home should be clean and fresh — not masked with heavy air freshener.
- How staff treat residents: Do caregivers know residents by name? Are they warm, patient, and unhurried?
- Resident well-being: Do the people who live there look comfortable, engaged, and cared for?
- Staffing ratios: Ask how many caregivers are on duty during the day, evening, and overnight. In a small home, a low resident-to-caregiver ratio means more personal attention.
- Food: Ask to see a menu — or better yet, stay for a meal. Home-cooked, nourishing food is a daily quality-of-life issue.
- Safety: Look for grab bars, good lighting, clear walkways, and thoughtful fall-prevention details.
- Activities: Is there a rhythm to the day, with things to do and reasons to gather?
Questions Every Family Should Ask
Don’t be shy about asking direct questions. A good home welcomes them. Bring this list with you:
- What is included in the monthly cost, and what costs extra?
- How do you handle medication management?
- What happens if my loved one’s care needs increase?
- How do you communicate with families about changes or concerns?
- What is your staff turnover like, and how are caregivers trained?
- How do you handle medical emergencies and coordinate with doctors or hospice?
- Can families visit anytime, and how do you keep us involved?
Understand the Costs — and How to Pay
Cost matters, and it deserves clear answers. Ask for pricing in writing and make sure you understand exactly what is and isn’t covered. In Utah, the New Choices Waiver is a Medicaid program that can help eligible seniors pay for residential assisted living, and some families use VA benefits or long-term care insurance as well. Ask each home which payment options they accept and whether they can help you navigate the paperwork. A transparent, honest conversation about money early on prevents painful surprises later.
Trust the Feeling of the Place
After the practical questions are answered, pay attention to something less measurable: how the home feels. Can you picture your mother having coffee at that kitchen table? Would your father feel known here, or like a room number? Families often tell us that the moment they walked into a small, homelike setting — where a handful of residents are cared for like family rather than managed like a caseload — they simply knew. That instinct is worth honoring.
Why Families in Salt Lake County Consider a Small Home
Large facilities have their place, but many families in Holladay and across the Salt Lake Valley are drawn to smaller residential assisted living homes for a reason. With only a handful of residents, caregivers can offer genuinely personal attention, consistent relationships, and the warmth of a real home. Meals are home-cooked, faces are familiar, and your loved one is a person — never a number.
Take the Next Step
The best way to know if a home is right for your family is to visit and see it for yourself. At Holladay Home, we’d be honored to show you around our small, family-owned assisted living home in Holladay, answer every question on your list, and help you think through what’s best for your loved one — with no pressure.
Schedule a tour today at holladayhome.com/schedule-a-tour or call us at (801) 277-8371. We’re here to help your family find the right home.
