ORLANDO. (KFSN) -- It's not an easy decision, but it's one that more than a million families make every year: the decision to put your loved one in a nursing home or assisted living facility. You want the best and most loving care for them, but how do you know that's what they'll get? Here's an aging expert who said there's one thing that will tell you everything you need to know about the place.

"Assisted living facilities and nursing homes can't hide anything from you because the relationships are all right there in front of you," said Bill Thomas, MD, a geriatrician and aging expert.