1Say what matters about your home.
2Ask what help each option includes.
3Visit and ask questions if possible.
4Leave undecided questions open.
Begin with the person’s priorities
Ask which routines, people, belongings, and places matter most to your parent. Discuss what is difficult in the current arrangement without assuming a move solves it. Write down preferences before gathering offers so comparisons reflect the person’s daily life rather than only room sizes or a relative’s convenience.
Compare actual support
For each option, ask which help is included, at what times, who provides it, and what happens when needs change. Staying home with scheduled help differs from having continuous on-site staff. Labels such as assisted living vary by provider and jurisdiction; ask for the specific service description instead of relying on a name.
Check daily use and complete costs
Where practical, visit with permission and ask about meals, transport, visitors, personal belongings, maintenance, and access. Request written prices, extras, cancellation or move-out terms, and any assessment required. Medical suitability needs professional assessment; legal and financial terms need the appropriate advice. Do not sign because a comparison sheet looks favorable.
Record questions rather than a forced verdict
Keep the options side by side, with confirmed facts separate from sales statements or assumptions. Identify the next person to ask and whether a follow-up visit is needed. Agree when the family will talk again. This guide cannot determine capacity, eligibility, required care level, or the best place for a particular person to live.
Use the worksheet for one real situation
Open the matching sheet below. Review the preparation checklist, then write the information your family needs in the labeled fields. Leave unknown details blank and record who can clarify them.
Preference
What the person wants to keep
Support
Actual tasks and service hours
Costs
Included items and extra charges
Unknowns
Questions before a decision
Print a blank copy to write by hand, or fill it in on this page before printing. Give the completed copy only to people your parent has agreed may see it. The checklist records preparation; it does not score safety or verify a medical decision.
Common questions
Will the sheet tell us which option wins?
No. It organizes facts and preferences, without scoring a person’s care or housing needs.
Does a service name guarantee a level of care?
No. Confirm the actual service, staffing, hours, and professional assessment requirements.
What if the family disagrees?
Keep the person’s wishes visible, separate facts from assumptions, and arrange another discussion or appropriate professional help.
Source and scope
Background on sharing family responsibilities. The contact agreement and handover examples here are original templates, not a monitoring service.
The examples and worksheets are original household planning tools. For symptoms, medication decisions, or other medical questions, contact a doctor.