Touring Assisted Living in Missouri: A Checklist

What to check in the state record, what to ask and what to watch for when you visit assisted living or residential care in Missouri.

A good tour is more than a sales visit. Use the checklist below to compare two or three Missouri facilities on the same questions, and to decide with facts rather than brochures.

Before you visit

• Find the facility on this site. Note the license number, whether it is an assisted living facility or a residential care facility, the licensed capacity and the license's expiration date.
• Look up the license in the DHSS long-term care directory on the state's open data portal, linked from every profile.
• Ask the facility for its most recent inspection results before you visit, and read them so you can ask about specific findings.
• If dementia care matters, note whether the directory flags an Alzheimer's special care unit and its capacity.

Level of care

• What care needs does this license allow the facility to meet, and what would force a move?
• Who assesses a resident's needs and how often? How is the price changed?
• Can the facility manage medications, diabetes care, incontinence, mobility aids or hospice visits?

Staffing

• How many staff are on duty during the day, the evening and overnight, and how many residents are there for each?
• How long has the administrator been in the job? How much staff turnover has there been?
• How are caregivers trained and supervised?

What to see for yourself

• Do staff speak to residents respectfully and by name?
• Are the rooms and common areas clean? What does the building smell like?
• Press a call button and time the response.
• Have a meal there. Is the food good, and can residents who need help with eating get it?
• Are residents out of their rooms and doing things, or sitting alone?

Safety

• Smoke detectors, sprinklers, exits and the evacuation plan. Missouri has tornadoes, so ask about the severe weather plan and where residents shelter.
• How are falls handled and who is called?
• What happens during a power outage or extreme heat?

Costs and contract

• Get the admission agreement and fee schedule in writing and take them home.
• What is included in the base rate and what costs extra?
• How often have rates risen in recent years, and with how much notice?
• What is the notice period if you leave, and how is the final bill and any refund calculated?
• Does the facility accept MO HealthNet, and under what conditions?

Resident rights and complaints

Residents of long-term care facilities have rights under state and federal law, including the right to be treated with dignity and to complain without retaliation. Ask where those rights are posted. If a concern is not resolved by the facility, contact DHSS, which licenses and inspects facilities. The Missouri Adult Abuse and Neglect Hotline is 1-800-392-0210. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman advocates for residents and can be reached through the Eldercare Locator. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911.

After you visit

1. Write down your impressions the same day.
2. Talk with a resident or a resident's family, away from staff if you can.
3. Visit again at a different time of day, such as an evening or weekend.
4. Compare the written costs and contracts side by side.

A license shows the state lists the facility. It does not rate its care. We list state license records and do not rate or recommend any facility.

Bring a second pair of eyes

If you can, visit with another family member or a friend, and compare notes afterward. A second person notices things you miss, such as how long a resident waited for help or how staff spoke to each other. If your relative can take part, include them in at least one visit and ask what they think. A place that looks right to you but feels wrong to the person who will live there is not the right place.

Updated 2026-10-01.

General information only, current as of the date above. The information on Missouri Assisted Living & Residential Care Index is not medical advice and does not replace a doctor, nurse, discharge planner or other qualified professional. Do not use it to make decisions about diagnosis or treatment. If you have a medical emergency, call 911. Rules and programs change; check the official sources linked in this guide.