The data we use
Cost figures come from the Genworth Cost of Care Survey, refreshed annually and indexed to the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) — not the state, not the ZIP. State-level inspection histories are sourced from each state's Department of Public Health open-data portal. Demographic context comes from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey. AARP membership pricing and benefits language is current as of the date stamped at the top of each article and is verified against AARP.org directly. Medicare and Medicaid policy details are sourced from CMS.gov primary documents.
Where we estimate, we mark it estimated. Where we model, we show the model. Every chart on this site links to its underlying data; every claim is one click from its source.
How communities get on the finder
Every licensed senior-living community in the United States appears in our database — whether or not the community has any relationship with us. Inclusion is automatic and not for sale. Communities cannot pay us to be listed, cannot pay us to rank higher, cannot pay us to suppress a competitor, and cannot pay us to hide a state-inspection finding.
How we make money
Senior Choice Financial earns referral fees from a subset of communities when a family chooses to be matched with one of them. The fee structure is straightforward: a one-time payment per qualified placement, paid by the community, in the range typical for the senior-care industry. Fees are paid only if a family chooses to follow up with that community after seeing it in our results.
Every result card discloses whether the community is a paid referral partner — at the top of the card, not the bottom. Communities that are not referral partners appear in the results identically, with no visual demotion. Fees do not affect placement order, do not affect editorial coverage, and do not buy positive reviews.
What we do not do
- We do not accept payment for ranking or placement.
- We do not accept payment to suppress inspection findings or unfavorable reviews.
- We do not accept payment to remove or modify editorial coverage.
- We do not sell, rent, or share your email address with anyone, including communities you have not specifically asked to be matched with.
- We do not call you uninvited. If you submit an inquiry, we deliver it to the community you chose; the community contacts you, not us.
Editorial independence
The investigations desk reports to the editor. The partnerships team reports to the publisher. The two do not share staff, do not share KPIs, and do not coordinate on coverage. A community can be a referral partner and also be the subject of an investigative piece — that's happened, and the piece ran. The firewall is not aspirational; it's operational.
How we handle errors
Mistakes are corrected publicly, dated, and signed at the bottom of the affected article. Significant corrections are noted in the next weekly newsletter under a "Corrections" heading. We do not silently edit. If a number changes, the previous number is shown crossed out so you can see what was there before.
How we handle conflicts of interest
Writers disclose any personal relationship to a community they cover — including former employment, residency, or family residency. If an editor has a conflict, the piece is assigned to a different editor. Disclosures appear at the bottom of the piece, in the same font and size as the rest of the body text. Not in a footer. Not in light grey.
Get in touch about our methodology
If you believe we got something wrong, write to corrections@seniorchoicefinancial.com. Every email is read by a person and answered within five business days.