Normally, each facility will conduct what called a "functional assessment" of your loved one's ability to care for themselves. Community staff members will check to see how well your mother can meet her activities of daily living, as well as other things such as managing finances, grocery shopping, or other cognitively "complex" tasks. When visiting a desirable community, it can be helpful to prepare for such assessments and treat the visit similar to an interview as stodgy as that may seem.