How to Check a Care Home: 7 Essential Checks Before You Choose

Following the serious cases of neglect that have recently appeared in the press — including in Bihor County — more and more families are asking a simple but vital question: "How do I know that the place where I'm leaving my parent operates legally and cares for people properly?"

The good news is that you don't need any legal knowledge. In a few minutes, and with the right questions, you can verify for yourself whether a care home is authorised and trustworthy. Here are the 7 essential checks to make before you choose.

1. The operating licence (MMFTS accreditation)

Every legitimate care home must hold an operating licence for the social service it provides, under legislation coordinated by the Ministry of Labour (MMFTS). Each licensed service has a registered social service code.

• Ask for the social service code and the exact name of the provider (the legal entity behind the care home).
• Look it up in the official register: the Ministry of Labour publishes an electronic register of licensed social services, where you can search by provider name or locality to check whether the centre appears and what its status is.
• On SeniorHelp, we make this easier for you: the licence status is displayed directly on each centre's page, and the data is synchronised monthly with the MMFTS register. We currently list over 670 care homes with verified licences.

🚩 Red flag: a centre that does not appear in the register, that avoids giving you the service code, or that has been saying "we're in the process of getting licensed" for years.

2. Licensed capacity vs. actual occupancy

A licence doesn't just confirm that a centre operates legally — it also specifies how many residents it is permitted to accommodate. A care home authorised for 20 places but housing 35 people is illegally overcrowded — and overcrowding means fewer staff per resident, poor hygiene, and compromised care.

• Ask directly: "What is the licensed capacity and how many residents do you currently have?"
• Compare the answer with what you observe on-site (see step 3).

3. The unannounced visit

The best check is not done on paper, but on-site, without prior notice. A centre with nothing to hide will welcome you. During your visit, look out for:

• Identifiable staff present both during the day and at night (not just during scheduled appointments);
• Genuine cleanliness and the condition and hygiene of the residents;
• A displayed menu and appropriate food;
• Marked evacuation routes, fire extinguishers, and safety provisions;
• The atmosphere: are residents active, well cared for, and treated with dignity?

👉 Use our care home visit checklist and our complete guide to choosing a care home.

4. The service contract

Before signing anything, ask to take the service contract home so you can read it at your leisure. A proper contract must include:

• the specific services covered (care, meals, medication administration, physiotherapy, etc.);
• itemised fees — what is included in the price and what is charged separately;
• the terms for cancellation and refunds;
• the obligations of both parties.

🚩 Red flag: refusal to provide the contract before signing, or fees communicated "verbally only".

5. A suspiciously low price

A price well below the market rate is not a bargain — it is a warning sign. Decent care (sufficient staff, food, medication, utilities, and authorisations) costs money. According to estimates from the social services sector, the real minimum cost of quality care exceeds 6,000 RON per month.

When a centre charges significantly below this threshold, ask yourself where they are cutting corners: on staff? on food? on medication? on licensing?

👉 Estimate a realistic budget using the cost calculator.

6. Reviews, reputation, and track record

Reputation often reveals what a brochure does not. Before making your decision:

• read genuine reviews from other families (on SeniorHelp, reviews are verified and displayed with a rating on each centre's page);
• ask acquaintances or family groups who have been through the same experience;
• search the centre's name on Google and in the press — look for reported inspections, sanctions, or incidents.

7. What to do if you notice something wrong

If you suspect that a centre is operating illegally, or that a resident is being neglected or abused, do not hesitate to report it. A complaint can change — or even save — a life.

• The county DGASPC (General Directorate for Social Assistance and Child Protection) — for social services;
• The Social Inspectorate / ANPIS and the Ministry of Labour (MMFTS) — for licensing and oversight;
• ANPC — for issues relating to contracts and paid services;
• 112 — for any emergency or suspected abuse.

Verify with confidence, choose with peace of mind

The 7 checks take just a few minutes but protect you from enormous risks. On SeniorHelp, you start with an advantage: hundreds of care homes with their licence status displayed, genuine reviews, and transparent pricing.

SeniorHelp is a directory platform that connects families with service providers for older adults. The information in this guide is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice; the final verification and decision rest with the family.