Survey day: a calm checklist for ALF administrators

AHCA surveys of assisted living facilities are usually unannounced. The best survey days feel ordinary, because the preparation happened in the weeks before. Here is a simple plan for the day itself.

When the surveyor arrives

• Greet them, check identification, and give them a quiet place to work.
• Let the administrator or designee know right away.
• Tell staff calmly that a survey is under way and that normal routines continue.

Have these ready to hand over

• A current resident roster.
• Your staff list with positions and schedules.
• Your policy and procedure manual, organized and easy to navigate.
• Resident records, including health assessments and medication records.
• Personnel files with training and screening documents.
• Logs such as incident reports, fire drills and emergency management records.

During the survey

• Assign one person to coordinate requests so nothing gets lost.
• Keep a written list of every document the surveyor asks for, and when you provided it.
• Answer questions honestly. If you do not know, say you will find out, and follow up.
• Let staff do their work normally. Residents come first.

At the exit conference

• Take careful notes on every concern raised.
• Ask questions if something is unclear.
• Start planning corrections right away. Do not wait for the written statement of deficiencies.

After the survey

If you receive a statement of deficiencies, you will usually need to submit a plan of correction. We can help you write a plan of correction and put the fixes in place.

---

This article is general information, not legal advice.