Choose an assisted living or memory care community and read the contract before you sign

This step produces the document every price in this guide hangs on: a dated, written level-of-care assessment. It states the diagnoses, the activities-of-daily-living (ADL) deficits, any wandering or behavioral symptoms, and the setting a clinician recommends — assisted living or memory care. Communities use it to assign a care tier, and the tier sets the monthly price, so a verbal “she’s fine” is not a usable document.

Book it early — primary care practices typically need 5–10 business days to produce a written assessment, and every quote and visit after this step waits on it.

Ask the primary care physician (or a geriatrician) for a written assessment covering: current diagnoses; ADL deficits in bathing, dressing, toileting, transfers, and eating; cognitive status including wandering or agitation; and a recommended setting with the care hours per day it implies.

Send the HIPAA release or durable power of attorney first, so the office can discuss the record and share the finished document with you.

Confirm wandering or exit-seeking in writing — it is often the deciding trigger between assisted living and memory care, and a spoken “sometimes she wanders” will not survive the contract read.

If the physician demurs, book a licensed geriatric care manager instead; an in-home assessment typically runs $150–$500.