In short
Every community and agency we work with must be licensed by its state, carry insurance, and clear our review of public inspection records and complaint history. A place with a pattern of serious problems in state records isn't on our list, regardless of what it would pay us. We also tell you the honest limit: we're a starting point, not a guarantee — visit, read the state's own reports, and use us to narrow the field, not to replace your own judgment. Call (800) 614-8388 and we'll tell you exactly what we know about anywhere we suggest.
Why this page exists
The senior care industry has a reputation problem, and some of it is earned. Families get steered by commission structures they never hear about, brochures describe communities that don't match the hallway, and the worst operators can look excellent on a website. So before you take a single suggestion from us, you should know how our list gets made and where it can fail. This page is that accounting.
The checks every partner passes
- Licensing. Communities and agencies must hold a current license from their state's licensing authority — in Florida the Agency for Health Care Administration, in Arizona AHCCCS's contractor network, in Ohio the departments that survey assisted living communities, and so on. We confirm the license is active before any introduction, not just once at signup.
- Insurance. Current professional and general liability coverage. It's a floor, not a badge — but a floor we don't waive.
- Public record review. State inspection reports, complaint histories, and — for Medicare-certified settings — the ratings on Medicare's Care Compare. Details in the next section.
- fit conversation. Beyond paperwork, we talk with the community or agency about what kinds of residents they serve well and — just as important — which ones they'd refer elsewhere. A partner who never says "that's not our strength" is telling you something.
What we don't do is rank partners publicly or claim to have inspected facilities ourselves. We read what states publish, we talk to partners at length, and we relay all of it to you. That's the actual practice, and this page says so deliberately.
What we read in the public records
Every state licenses and surveys assisted living communities, home care agencies, and nursing facilities. Most publish at least some of it. What we look for, and what we'd encourage you to look for:
- Patterns, not incidents. A single medication error in a survey four years ago tells you little. The same deficiency recurring across three surveys tells you a lot.
- The categories that matter for your parent. For memory care: elopement (wandering) incidents and staffing citations. For skilled nursing: pressure injuries, falls, and missed assessments. For home care: background-check and supervision findings.
- What got fixed and how fast. How a provider responds to a finding often says more than the finding itself.
- Complaint volume relative to size. A big community files more paperwork of every kind; it's the trend line we care about, not the raw count.
How the referral fee fits in
Here is the whole business model, stated plainly because you've earned plainness: the communities and agencies in our network pay us a referral fee when they take on a family we introduce. You never pay us, and the price a partner quotes you is the same whether you found them through us or on your own — we don't mark up anyone's rates.
Does that create pressure? Of course it does; we'd insult you by pretending otherwise. Fee income comes from partners, and a partner removed from the list earns nothing. That's exactly why the removal rule has to be about records, not revenue: if a community shows a pattern of serious problems in state records, it isn't on our list, regardless of what it would pay us. When those two forces conflict, the records win. That's the design, and this page is our commitment to it.
What we can't promise
- We can't promise a partner's future. Ownership changes, staff turnover, and a bad year can degrade a good community between surveys. Public records update on the state's schedule, not ours.
- We can't promise fit. Whether a community is right for your mother depends on her, and on your visit. We narrow the field and tell you what we know; the decision stays yours.
- We can't promise our network covers everywhere. In areas we don't cover deeply, we say so and point you to the Area Agency on Aging — free, via the Eldercare Locator at eldercare.acl.gov or 1-800-677-1116.
- We don't give medical, legal, or financial advice. For diagnosis, Medicaid planning, or estate questions, you need a clinician or an elder law attorney. We'll tell you when that's the right next call.
Questions families ask
Do partners pay you to be recommended?
Partners in our network pay a referral fee when they serve a family we introduce. Being in the network requires passing our checks — state licensure, insurance, and a review of public inspection and complaint records. We don't accept payment to keep a place on the list that the records say shouldn't be there, and a partner's price to you is the same with or without us.
Have you personally visited every community you mention?
No, and we won't pretend otherwise. Our review draws on state licensing records, inspection and complaint histories, Medicare ratings where they apply, and direct conversations with the providers. Your visit is the part no one can substitute for — we'll tell you what to look for when you go.
What if I find something bad in a community's state report after you suggested it?
Tell us, and ask us what we know about it. We'll pull the same records and give you our read — including if our read is "you're right, let's look at other options." Being corrected on the record is part of how this is supposed to work.
Do you ever recommend against a community even if it pays you?
Yes — that's the design of the fee model: a partner removed from the network earns nothing, so the only way the model holds is if records, not revenue, decide who stays. In practice that means some communities with concerning state records aren't on our list at all, whatever they'd pay.
Is there a way to check these records myself?
Yes, and please do. Every state licenses and inspects these facilities; our state pages name your state's agency, and Medicare's Care Compare covers certified nursing homes and home health agencies. If you'd rather we pull and explain the records, that's part of a normal call — no charge.
Sources: state long-term-care licensing agencies (e.g., Florida AHCA, Arizona AHCCCS, Ohio Department of Medicaid); Medicare Care Compare (medicare.gov/care-compare); Eldercare Locator, U.S. Administration for Community Living (eldercare.acl.gov).