Frequently Asked Questions
What actually
What actually
matters. Straight answers.
No sales call. No landing page forms. No pitch hiding in the FAQ. Just the real version of what we do and why.
The Basics
What we actually do.
What we actually do.
And what we don't.
What does Palmelle actually do?
Two things. One: Free search across 15,000+ senior care facilities ranked by federal safety data, not by who's paying us. Every result comes with a plain-English summary of what inspectors actually found. Two: $299 home assessments to figure out if staying home is safe and realistic. CAPS-certified specialist. Room-by-room plan. Contractor referrals. Real cost estimates. That's the whole business.
How is Palmelle different from other senior care directories?
Most directories get paid by facilities. One to three months of rent per placement. That fee never shows up on the family's bill. So the "best match" you're seeing isn't the safest place. It's the one paying the commission. We tell you if we're getting paid. Rankings come from federal data — the stuff regulators use. Nobody can pay us to rank higher. It's basically the lowest bar possible. Somehow we're one of the few places doing it.
How do you make money?
Two ways. One: $299 home safety assessment. You pay. Direct. Two: Referral fees from facilities if a family we've helped decides to move in. Here's the thing — we tell you about that fee before it happens. Not after. Not buried in the fine print. Before. That's it. No mystery. No "oops we forgot to mention that" moment.
Is the directory really free?
Yes. Search all 15,000+ facilities. Read all the summaries. See all the data. No charge. No account required. No email harvest. Revolutionary, apparently.
The Data
Where it lives.
Where it lives.
Why it matters.
How do you rank facilities?
Six federal datasets. Same ones regulators use. Provider info. Penalties. Citations. Quality scores (both types). Ownership history. We cross-reference all of it, find the conflicts, and tell you what they mean. When a facility says their staffing is a 4 out of 5 and federal inspectors say it's a 2? That gap gets flagged. That gap is usually the most important number you'll see.
How current is your data?
Federal data gets refreshed regularly. State data varies by state — some monthly, some quarterly. When federal and state tell different stories, we flag it. That gap is usually where the real problem actually is.
Can I trust the reviews?
No user reviews here. On purpose. They're meaningless on senior care sites. A facility might have five stars from ten people and a federal deficiency report the size of a phone book. We show you the actual inspection report, translated into something you can understand. Data beats vibes.
What if the data says my parent's facility is bad?
Then you should know that. We're not going to soften a bad inspection report so you feel better. Ownership changing three times in four years? Citations stacking up? Self-reported scores that don't match reality? You need to know all of it before you sign. We flag it and explain what it means. What you do next is your call.
The Home Assessment
Home is usually cheaper.
Home is usually cheaper.
Most places won't tell you that.
What does the $299 home assessment include?
CAPS-certified specialist comes to the house. Walks every room. Spots the real hazards. Gives you a prioritized plan with specific recommendations, contractor referrals, and actual cost estimates. Not generic. Not vague. Real numbers. Grab bars, lighting, zero-entry shower — the things that actually prevent falls. Pricing: $299 flat for homes under 2,000 sq ft. Larger homes are $350–600.
What happens after the home assessment?
You get the report. You own it. We'll help coordinate contractors if you want to do modifications. No obligation. No "phase two" surprise. No upsell. If the honest answer is that staying home isn't realistic, we'll tell you that too. We'd rather be right now than comfortable now.
What if staying home isn't safe?
Then we'll tell you that too. Straight. We're not in the business of forcing people to stay home when the data says they need more support. If modifications are too expensive or care needs have gotten bigger, we say so. Then we help you find a facility using the directory. Both paths get equal treatment. The point is the answer comes from data, not from money.
Working With Us
Before you trust us,
Before you trust us,
ask us this stuff.
Will you call me at dinner trying to sell me something?
Hard no. The one sentence summary of everything broken in this industry: the 8pm sales call to someone Googling "senior care" while upset. We don't do that. Won't sell your info to someone who will. If you want help, you call us. Not the other way around.
Can you help negotiate pricing with facilities?
Yes. That's what concierge is for. Facility pricing is intentionally confusing. Base rate. Memory care extra. Meds extra. Laundry apparently extra. Most families don't know the real number until they're already moved in. We do that math before anyone visits. We know what they won't tell you.
What's CAPS certification?
Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist. Issued by the National Association of Home Builders. Real training. Real credential. Not something we invented last week. The person doing your assessment has actual certification in home safety for older adults.
Do you only cover skilled nursing facilities?
Nope. Directory covers skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care, continuing care. 15,000+ facilities across all 50 states. Home assessments cover the other side. We're answering "what are my actual options" not just "which place should I pick."
Start Here
Take ten minutes.
Take ten minutes.
Get real answers.
Answer a few questions. Find out if home is the move or if you need to find a facility. No upsell. No steering. No hidden costs.