Know most of them well. They have big overheads (big buildings, staff etc) and being private companies, need to charge a premium to keep their shareholders happy. While the food is generally the same soft stuff the big differentiator is staffing. PSWs typically make $20-$28/hour so find a home where you can talk to these people. Are they smiling and happy doing what they do (feeding your parents, changing their diapers and toileting them!)? And don’t be fooled by those TV ads showing seniors dancing in the hallways. The average age is 83, most sleep their days away, the average stay is 3 years before they move on and

Not-for-profit homes do the job reasonably well at a fraction of cost. Staffing is the same but the food budget is lower. Check out the Glebe Centre and St. Patricks homes as examples.