How to Choose an Assisted-Living Home Under ALW

Once you have a shortlist, five questions matter more than anything else, starting with whether the person actually wants to live there. Then it's about care, money, and what you see when you visit. A convenient location or an open room is not enough on its own. Bring this list with you; a good home will welcome the questions.

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Start with five non-negotiables

Before you look at anything else, you want a clear yes to each of these.

Does the person want to live there?

Is the home taking ALW residents right now?

Can it meet the care and supervision needs in the nurse assessment and care plan (the ISP)?

Is there a room that could actually work, not just a name on the home's own list?

Are the monthly charges written down and workable?

Important: You choose the home, and you can change your mind; that freedom of choice is part of the program. A home being on the state's ALW list doesn't mean it has a bed open or will admit a particular person, and choosing a home never speeds up the state's waitlist. ALW pays the home for care, not for room and board.

What to ask about care

The assessment tells you what the person needs; these questions tell you whether the home can provide it.

Topic	Two questions to ask
Mobility and transfers	Can your staff help with the way this person moves from bed to chair, including a two-person assist or a lift? Is that help available overnight?
Memory and behavior	What dementia support do you provide, and how do you handle wandering? What behaviors can't you manage safely?
Medications and doctors	Who helps with medications and handles changes? How do you work with the person's doctors, home health or hospice?
Staffing at night	Who is in the building overnight? How do you cover when someone calls out sick?

What to ask about money

Ask for the charges in writing before anyone signs: what is due each month and what it includes, which charges are extra, and what happens if the resident is in hospital or income changes. See current costs and room and board for the full list and the 2026 figures.

On your visit, notice

Trust what you see as much as what you're told.

Is it clean, and does it smell clean?
How do staff speak to residents, and do residents seem engaged and respected?
Can the person get around the halls, bathroom and exits?
Is there a way to call for help from the bedroom?
Do the answers to your care questions match what's in the written material?
Is rights and complaint information posted where residents can see it?

A safe home also has to be a livable one. Ask the person what matters most, privacy, a roommate or not, food, language, faith, visitors, pets, being near family, keeping their own routine, and put those answers on the shortlist next to the care questions.

Red flags

Pause and ask more questions if a home does any of these.

Promises that ALW approval is guaranteed, or says choosing it will get you a state opening sooner.
Won't explain its charges, or pushes for payment before the terms are clear.
Can't describe how it would meet the needs in the assessment.
Claims a room is open without a recent date on that claim.
Discourages questions, or won't coordinate with your Care Coordination Agency.
Presents a paid relationship as an official recommendation.

What happens next

When you've chosen, the home does its own admission review, Beta's ALW team confirms participation and space, the care plan is shared, and the agreement and enrollment forms are completed. The choice is final only when the program, care, admission and money pieces all line up, and we'll tell you where each one stands.

Your next step

Search the directory with these questions in mind, or talk them through with Beta's ALW team first.

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Talk With an ALW Coordinator