Look at staff turnover ratio, in addition to the ratio of staff:residents. Also, what type of staff is on hand in the evenings and weekends? You'd be surprised how many facilities have "daytime/weekday only" med technician help.
Decide if you are looking for Asst Lvg only or a full-services seniorcare facility. Always ask about how they charge for services. What's included, and what is not? Most facilities have set up "tiers" of services, and quite often it is THEY who decide what tier you have to pay for, not the resident!
Be aware that almost every contract includes an arbitration clause. Many people are unpleasantly surprised to find out they have signed away their right to sue in court.
If part of a big chain, the facility is probably for-profit. Nothing wrong with that, but generally customer satisfaction AND resident care rates higher at non-profits.
On the bad side, for-profit chains very often buy up non-profit facilities! And when they do, all legal agreements go out the door. The new policies are whatever the for-profit contract says.
Ask what the policy is for moving from Asst Lvg to Skilled Care Nursing. Then ask what the company policy is if you run out of money. The Sunrise chain of seniorcare facilities, for example, is quite nice - but if you run out of $$$$, you're out the door. By law they have to keep you until a Medicaid bed can be found for you, but you have no ability to decline a transfer even if it is to a location far away. Tough luck if it's inconvenient for your friends or family to see you.
In contrast, some facilities instead will apply for Medicaid on the resident's behalf, then use funds from their specially earmarked fund for indigent residents to make up the remainder. Either way, you want to know ahead of time how the facility you are interested in, is going to handle things when your health takes a turn for the worse.
I cannot urge strongly enough how multiple visits to ANY facility that makes your 'final list' are important. Ask to watch activity classes, eat in the dining room (at least twice if you can), visit at "off hours" at least once.
We took my MIL's friend home one evening, who lived in a different (and more expensive senior facility). Spouse walked her inside and up to her front door, so used the elevator and went down the hallway.
He said afterwards he was glad his mom didn't live in such a facility. Said that compared to the lovely facility we had found for her, her friend's facility was dark in the hallways, and there was only one staffperson on duty on the floor, looking bored and totally uninterested in their arrival. He found it a huge contrast to the well-lit halls and friendly smiling staff we always encountered, regardless of the hour, at MIL's facility, where there is never any less than two staff on duty 24/7 on each floor.