The short answer
Start with the exact facility address and license number, then use its state licensing agency to find available inspection and complaint records. Read the report type, date, findings and any follow-up together. A complaint is not automatically a substantiated violation; a missing report is not proof of a clean record. CMS nursing-home stars should not be treated as assisted living ratings.
Match the license before reading the findings
A campus may contain assisted living, memory care and a separately licensed nursing home. Similar names, ownership changes and neighboring buildings can make the wrong record look plausible. Match the address, licensed name, license number and care setting. Ask the regulator or community when the identity is unclear.
Use Haven's state licensing directory to locate the responsible agency. On a Haven profile, follow the source link and check whether it concerns the specific location or a wider campus. A listing link is a starting point for verification, not a certification of quality.
Two official examples of where records live
California's Department of Social Services licenses and monitors Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly and provides facility-search resources. South Dakota's Department of Health publishes an assisted living center survey-report index. These illustrate different state approaches; a report index does not by itself establish a current operating license.
If records are not online or a PDF is inaccessible, ask the issuing agency for the relevant records or an accessible copy. Give the facility identity and the date range you need. Do not interpret a failed search, unavailable link or empty page as ‘no complaints.’
Source: California DSS: Senior Care Licensing · South Dakota DOH: assisted living survey reports
Use this report-reading worksheet
Keep an observation column for what the document actually says and a separate question column for what still needs explanation. Avoid turning the number of pages or findings into your own safety score.
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Identity and date | License/address, visit date, publication date if shown and the period covered. |
| Report type | Routine survey, complaint investigation, follow-up or another stated purpose. |
| Finding | The requirement cited, described facts and whether an allegation was substantiated, unsubstantiated or unresolved in that document. |
| Impact and context | What the report says about harm or risk, how many residents were involved and limits on the information. |
| Correction | The provider's response or plan, due date and any regulator verification or later finding. |
| Open question | What you need the care lead or regulator to explain before relying on a conclusion. |
Turn the report into a specific conversation
Suggested script: ‘The report dated [date] describes [finding in neutral words]. What changed afterward? Who checks that the change is still working, and is there a follow-up document we can read? How would the current process apply to the help our family member needs?’
For example, if a report describes missed assistance, ask how today's shift receives and completes the resident's care tasks. A hypothetical question is more useful than asking staff to promise nothing will ever go wrong. Look for a concrete process and a dated record, while recognizing that a written correction does not guarantee future performance.
Read reviews and records as different evidence
Reviews describe reported experiences; licensing findings describe what a regulator documented under its rules. Neither is a complete view of daily life. Check dates, sample size, location identity and whether concerns recur across different evidence. One unresolved allegation should not be restated as an established fact.
Visit when possible, ask about the person's actual needs and use side-by-side comparisons to record the unanswered questions. For an existing resident's concern, the long-term care ombudsman is an independent source of assistance; immediate danger requires emergency help.
Common questions
Does no online inspection report mean a facility passed?
No. Records may be unavailable online, filed under another license or require an agency request. Ask the regulator rather than treating missing data as a favorable result.
Can I use CMS stars to rate assisted living?
CMS nursing-home stars apply to participating nursing homes. If a campus also offers assisted living, verify which licensed operation the federal record covers.
Is a corrective action plan proof a problem was fixed?
A plan describes proposed or reported actions. Look for a follow-up inspection or other verification, and ask how the change is monitored now.
Keep reading
Sources: California DSS: Senior Care Licensing · South Dakota DOH: assisted living survey reports · ACL: Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Updated 2026-09-23. General information, not medical, legal, or financial advice.