Question: How do you know when it's time to pull dad out of the assisted living facility?

Answer: When you find a rat in his room. And it's dead. And it's lodged in his mouth.

Seriously, if your parents don't have long-term care insurance, you might want to look into getting them some.

Long-term care is expensive, and "The Man" frowns on chaining your parents to a stake in the backyard, even if you leave the hose on for their water needs.