We're down to two ALFs in the area. One is a not-for-profit with a very large footprint in the community. The other is a for-profit with facilities across the state and beyond. All else being equal, should this be a determining factor in our decision?
In my case, my MIL (88) is in LTC (immobile) with mild dementia and memory impairment. When she first went into LTC she refused to get out of bed in spite of massive efforts to encourage her to do so. So, now she is bedridden, a 2-person assist. She refused to go eat in the dining room, refused to go to any of the lovely events and activities they offered. We then transferred her to a closer facility with an excellent reputation. Slowly but surely the admin and staff coaxed her and worked with her and now, several years later, even goes out on their pontoon boat to fish and enjoys field trips to places like the Llama farm. Last month on a visit we found her reading a novel -- reading books was something my husband said she never did prior to her decline.
She is in a non-profit facility run by the Presbyterian Church (and she is not of that denomination and they don't require residents to be). They have a large presence here in MN and a fantastic reputation. The one my MIL is in has been in our community since I've lived here -- over 35 years -- and is not the newest, shiniest place but the care is what matters. I believe that this organization sees eldercare as a mission, and not a job or a profit center. This philosophy trickles down to all the staff. It hasn't been a perfect experience but it never is with elder care. I have no experience with for-profit places, as my MIL's first facility was a single place run by a small church. Also a reasonable (and affordable) experience, but the current Pres Homes is large enough so that they have a lot of resources to better support their individual facilities. My MIL entered this facility on Medicaid. She actually has a private room, something that is not common for Medicaid recipients. We didn't request it, but she has it. We believe it's because she is generally healthy and will be there for a long time and as long as they have the space, she can have a private room (but I'm not sure if this is the reason). She's a very sweet lady who still banters and jokes with the staff and we can hardly believe how much she has improved over the years since requiring AL then LTC starting in late 2016.
The admin of her facility has been the same for 20 years. I think there will always be turnover in aids and medical team but a solid admin team is very important. I realize that not everyone is lucky enough to have such a good facility within 3 miles of their home like we do. Ask your neighbors at large on Nextdoor.com to give you input.
If you do not plan on moving from one to a "sister" facility in another location then having multiple facilities should not matter.
I would go by proximity, ratings on Medicare site, Social Media, cleanliness, ask some of the staff how long have they worked where they are. (I would think a place that keeps employees would be better than one that has a turnover)
If you can request copies of inspection reports from the Village, County and see how they do. You can also request copies from the State Health Department. Filling out FOI (freedom of information) requests should get you the reports.
You may think both places are equal, but they're not. The for-profit is cutting corners on quality in places that might not be visible if you're not looking for it. One place to look and compare the two places is the food they serve their residents. Or observe the staff who actually do the work and see what they're like. The people who do the cleaning, the cooking, and the aides who do the resident care. You can always tell the quality of a place by its help.