Gilbert Guide’s Standards & Criteria for Senior Facilities

Read about Gilbert Guide’s standards and criteria for adult day services, including adult day care and adult day health care, assisted living facilities, Alzheimer’s care facilities, CCRCs and nursing homes.

Gilbert Guide also has standards and criteria for senior care service providers, including homecare, hospice and geriatric care managers.

Adult Day Care

Gilbert Guide relies on the highest and most widely recognized standards of
professional excellence for the complete range of senior care facilities and services, including adult day care. Gilbert Guide evaluates adult day care programs on the following criteria:

1. Programming quality—making sure the scheduled activities are suited to participants’ needs, interests and personal levels of functioning
2. Quality of the care and staff—including the care provided and staff interaction with participants
3. Appearance and cleanliness—ensuring the site is both hygienic and inviting

The programs that Gilbert Guide reviews reflect the highest level of quality in each of these areas. In addition to these criteria, we also make observations about the following:

• Staff-to-participant ratio
• Administration and staff friendliness
• Activities and services provided
• Staff engagement and interaction with participants
• Staff response to participants’ needs
• Participants engaged in activities and interacting with others
• Facility condition and smell
• Facility aesthetics
• Overall ambience
• Food and dietary needs addressed
• Family involvement in care plan

Learn more about ADCs by visiting our Adult Day Services section.

Adult Day Health Care

Gilbert Guide relies on the highest and most widely recognized standards of
professional excellence for the complete range of senior care facilities and services, including adult day health care. Gilbert Guide evaluates adult day health care programs on the following criteria:

1. Programming quality—making sure the scheduled activities are suited to participants’ needs, interests and personal levels of functioning
2. Quality of the care and staff—including the care provided and staff interaction with participants
3. Appearance and cleanliness—ensuring the site is both hygienic and inviting

The programs that Gilbert Guide reviews reflect the highest level of quality in each of these areas. In addition to these criteria, we also make observations about the following:

• Staff-to-participant ratio
• Administration and staff friendliness
• Activities and services provided
• Staff engagement and interaction with participants
• Staff response to participants’ needs
• Participants engaged in activities and interacting with others
• Facility condition and smell
• Facility aesthetics
• Overall ambience
• Food and dietary needs addressed
• Family involvement in care plan

Learn more about ADHCs by visiting Adult Day Services section.

Assisted Living Facility

Gilbert Guide relies on the highest and most widely recognized standards of professional excellence for the complete range of senior care facilities and services, including assisted living facilities. Gilbert Guide reviews facilities with capacities of fourteen persons or more. Following are some of the areas that we observe in our evaluation of each facility:

Administration & Staff

• Staff appearance
• Staff camaraderie with each other
• Staff attitude with residents
• Staff familiarity with residents
• Staff willingness to help residents
• Staff attitude toward families and visitors
• Staff friendliness and attitude
• Staff ongoing training
• Staff turnover

Facility Aesthetics

• Neighborhood appearance
• Exterior appearance
• Interior entrance appearance
• Residents’ room/apartment appearance
• Appearance of dining area(s)
• Appearance of common areas
• Appearance of outdoor gardens/patios
• Furnishings appearance

Facility Condition & Safety

• State of repair
• Clear signage throughout facility (such as well-marked exits)
• Hallways clear of obstacles
• Adequate lighting
• Overall facility temperature
• Odor throughout facility
• Odor throughout residents’ rooms/apartments
• Overall state of cleanliness
• Furnishings

Residents

• Residents’ overall appearance and hygiene
• Residents’ agility (resident energy level and mood)
• Residents’ interaction with one another

Dietary & Food

• Menu variety
• Food availability and snacks provided
• Meal presentation

Activities

• Creative variety of activities and field trips scheduled
• Activities appropriate for residents’ interests and abilities
• Staff encouragement of residents’ participation
• Residents’ participation in activities
• Transportation provided for shopping and appointments

Access to Medical Care

• Proximity to emergency care
• Transportation provided to off-site medical care

Alzheimer’s & Dementia Capabilities

• Appropriate décor (bright, even and warm lighting and no busy patterns)
• Structured routine for residents
• Secured facility and proper security provided to prevent wandering
• Specialized staff training for dementia
• Staff engaging residents and responding to their needs
• Specialized activities that reflect residents’ routines and skills
• Residents’ participation in activities
• Staff-to-resident ratio

Learn more about assisted living facilities by visiting our Assisted Living & Alzheimer's Care Communities section.

Alzheimer’s Care Facility

Gilbert Guide relies on the highest and most widely recognized standards of professional excellence for the complete range of senior care facilities and services, including Alzheimer’s care facilities. Gilbert Guide reviews facilities with capacities of fourteen persons or more. Following are some of the areas that we observe in our evaluation of each facility:

Administration & Staff

• Staff appearance
• Staff camaraderie with each other
• Staff attitude with residents
• Staff familiarity with residents
• Staff willingness to help residents
• Staff attitude toward families and visitors
• Staff friendliness and attitude
• Staff ongoing training
• Staff turnover

Facility Aesthetics

• Neighborhood appearance
• Exterior appearance
• Interior entrance appearance
• Residents’ room/apartment appearance
• Appearance of dining area(s)
• Appearance of common areas
• Appearance of outdoor gardens/patios
• Furnishings appearance

Facility Condition & Safety

• State of repair
• Clear signage throughout facility (such as well-marked exits)
• Hallways clear of obstacles
• Adequate lighting
• Overall facility temperature
• Odor throughout facility
• Odor throughout residents’ rooms/apartments
• Overall state of cleanliness
• Furnishings

Residents

• Residents’ overall appearance and hygiene
• Resident agility (resident energy level and mood)
• Residents’ interaction with one another

Dietary & Food

• Menu variety
• Food availability and snacks provided
• Meal presentation

Activities

• Creative variety of activities and field trips scheduled
• Activities appropriate for residents’ interests and abilities
• Staff encouragement of residents’ participation
• Residents’ participation in activities
• Transportation provided for shopping and appointments

Access to Medical Care

• Proximity to emergency care
• Transportation provided to off-site medical care

Alzheimer’s & Dementia Capabilities

• Appropriate décor (bright, even and warm lighting and no busy patterns)
• Structured routine for residents
• Secured facility and proper security provided to prevent wandering
• Specialized staff training for dementia
• Staff engaging residents and responding to their needs
• Specialized activities that reflect residents’ routines and skills
• Residents’ participation in activities
• Staff-to-resident ratio

Learn more about Alzheimer’s care facilities by visiting our Assisted Living & Alzheimer's Care Communities section.

Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)

Gilbert Guide relies on the highest and most widely recognized standards of professional excellence for the complete range of senior care facilities and services, including Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs).

Following are some of the additional areas we observe in our evaluation of each facility:

Administration & Staff

• Staff appearance
• Staff camaraderie with each other
• Staff attitude towards residents
• Staff willingness to help residents
• Staff friendliness and attitude toward families and visitors
• Staff’s ongoing training (in areas such as combativeness or fall prevention)
• Staff turnover

Facility Aesthetics

• Neighborhood appearance
• Exterior appearance
• Interior entrance appearance
• Residents’ room/apartment appearance
• Appearance of dining area(s)
• Appearance of common areas
• Appearance of outdoor gardens/patios
• Furnishings appearance

Facility Condition & Safety

• State of repair
• Clear signage throughout facility (such as well-marked exits)
• Hallways clear of obstacles
• Adequate lighting
• Overall facility temperature
• Odor throughout facility
• Odor throughout residents’ rooms/apartments
• Overall state of cleanliness
• Functional Furnishings

Residents

• Residents’ overall appearance and hygiene
• Resident agility (resident energy level and mood)
• Residents’ interaction with one another

Dietary & Food

• Menu variety
• Food availability and snacks provided
• Meal presentation

Activities

• Creative variety of activities and field trips scheduled
• Appropriate for residents’ interests and abilities
• Staff encouragement of residents’ participation
• Residents’ participation in activities
• Transportation provided for shopping and appointments

Access to Medical Care

• Proximity to emergency care
• Transportation provided to off-site medical care

Alzheimer’s & Dementia Capabilities

• Appropriate décor (bright, even and warm lighting, no busy patterns)
• Structured routine for residents
• Secured facility and proper security provided to prevent wandering
• Specialized staff training for dementia
• Staff engaging residents and responding to their needs
• Specialized activities that reflect residents’ routines and skills
• Residents’ participation in activities
• Staff-to-resident ratio

Learn more about CCRCs by visiting our Retirement & Lifecare Communities section.

Nursing Homes

Gilbert Guide relies on the highest and most widely recognized standards ofprofessional excellence for the complete range of senior care facilities and services, including nursing homes or skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Gilbert Guide reviews only standalone SNFs—many hospitals have SNF wings, but those facilities generally accept only patients who have been discharged directly from that particular hospital.

Two other factors we consider are deficiencies and citations. SNFs are inspected at least every twelve to fifteen months. When a SNF fails to meet state and federal minimum standards for care, a deficiency is issued. A citation is issued when a SNF is fined for noncompliance with the state minimum standards. There are different levels of deficiencies—ranging from minor, which do not pose harm to residents, to major, which poses or causes harm to residents. It is important to keep in mind that most facilities receive some deficiencies and/or citations. Because of this, while Gilbert Guide has considered these in making our evaluations, they were not the sole basis of our determinations. A breakdown of deficiencies for each Gilbert-Guide reviewed facility is incorporated into the listing. For more a more detailed report on these deficiencies, visit Medicare.

Following are some of the additional areas we observe in our evaluation of each facility:

Administration & Staff

• Staff appearance
• Staff camaraderie with each other
• Staff attitude towards residents
• Staff familiarity with residents
• Staff willingness to help residents
• Staff attitude toward families and visitors
• Staff’s ongoing training
• Staff turnover

Facility Condition & Safety

• State of repair
• Flooring condition
• Clear signage
• Hallways clear of obstacles
• Adequate lighting
• Overall temperature
• Odor throughout facility
• Odor throughout residents’ rooms/apartments
• Overall state of cleanliness
• Condition of mobility aids such as walkers and wheelchairs

Facility Condition & Safety

• State of repair
• Flooring condition
• Clear signage throughout facility (such as well-marked exits)
• Hallways clear of obstacles
• Adequate lighting
• Overall facility temperature
• Odor throughout facility
• Odor throughout residents’ rooms/apartments
• Overall state of cleanliness & repair of facility
• Condition of mobility aids such as walkers and wheelchairs

Residents

• Residents’ overall appearance and hygiene
• Resident agility (resident energy level and mood)
• Residents’ interaction with staff and one another

Activities

• Creative variety of activities/field trips scheduled
• Activities appropriate for residents’ interests and abilities
• Staff encouraging and engaging residents
• Residents’ participation in activities

Access to Medical Care

• Proximity to emergency care
• Proximity to off-site emergency medical care
• Frequency of MD visits to residents
• Fall prevention strategies and systems in place

Food and Dietary Needs

• Menu variety
• Food availability and snacks provided
• Food presentation

Alzheimer’s & Dementia Capabilities

• Appropriate décor (bright, even and warm lighting and no busy patterns)
• Structured routine for residents
• Secured facility & proper security to prevent wandering
• Specialized staff training for dementia
• Staff engaging residents and responding to their needs
• Specialized activities reflect residents’ routines and skills
• Staff-to-resident ratio

Learn more about nursing homes by visiting our Nursing Homes section.