Choose an assisted living or memory care community and read the contract before you sign
Care needs assessed honestly, the level-of-care pricing model decoded, state inspection and complaint records pulled for every finalist, unannounced visits made with a scripted checklist, and a residency agreement signed only after rate increases, discharge rights, and memory-care triggers are negotiated in writing.
Free preview: 4 of 21 steps
Work through them in the real run view, exactly as a buyer does. No account, no payment, nothing saved.
3 free unlocks per month — yours to keep forever
No account needed — nothing is saved.
Included with every copy
- Your own copy — keep it forever
- Gets better over time — free updates included
- Run it on web and mobile
- Invite a partner to go through it with you — you share the same progress
- Make it your own — a private copy you can edit to fit your situation
- The playbook's community — ask questions, get additions, and see how other buyers improve it, right on the step
Who it's for
Adult children or family decision-makers placing a parent or spouse into assisted living or memory care, usually on a timeline of a few weeks after a fall or hospital discharge, starting from a referral-site list and with no prior experience reading elder-care contracts.
About this playbook
This guide walks a family through choosing an assisted living or memory care community in a few weeks, from an honest level-of-care assessment to a signed residency agreement. It covers building a candidate list that does not rely on referral sites that are paid by the communities they recommend, pulling state inspection and complaint records, scripting unannounced visits, and decoding the pricing grid that sets the real monthly cost. The second half is a clause-by-clause read of the contract: rate-increase limits, involuntary discharge protections, and what triggers a move to memory care. It does not cover Medicaid eligibility, guardianship proceedings, or selling the parent's home, and the companion playbook on Medicaid long-term-care financing covers the funding side of the same decision.
What you'll do, step by stepFree preview
Only a sample is open: 4 of 21 steps can be read in full. The rest unlock when you buy.
Phase 1: Assess the level of care before any visit
4 stepsPhase 2: Build and vet the candidate list
4 stepsPhase 3: Visit every finalist with one script
4 stepsPhase 4: Read the contract clause by clause
5 stepsPhase 5: Negotiate and sign
4 steps
Details
What you need first
Medical records are accessible (a HIPAA release or durable power of attorney is in hand as needed); the parent has consented to the search or a legal guardian is in place; at least one family member can join visits and calls; the state where the community will be located is known; and a rough picture of monthly income and assets exists before Phase 1 is complete.
