Frame is 97 and Sykes is 98.

''I didn't do any exercising ever until I came here," said Sykes, hard at work on the Nu-Step cycling machine. ''The wonderful thing is it makes me feel better. I think it's why I'm still around."

At Dartmouth College a lifetime ago, he played for the tennis team and later in life he was a golfer at the Duxbury Yacht Club. ''But I don't play golf anymore because I can't see where the ball goes."

Frame says the workouts allowed him to regain his strength after heart surgery. And with the strength came a freedom. ''If I wasn't strong enough, I would have had to move into an assisted living situation. Working out has kept me more independent."

But do not ever say these fitness enthusiasts are doing well ''for their age." Just say they are doing well, no matter what their age.

1. To find facilities, contact the local Area Agency on Aging office. The national Eldercare Locator can lead you to yours (800-677-1116, or www.eldercare.gov).

2. Call your state's long-term-care ombudsman. Ask whether there have been complaints about facilities on your list and how to obtain inspection reports.

3. Meet with a geriatric-care manager. These pros are social workers, nurses, or gerontologists who can tell you about the facilities you've selected and how well they match your relative's needs. For an initial assessment, expect to pay $300 to $800; subsequent hour-long sessions cost $100 to $150. Names are available on the Web site of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. www.caremanager.org

4. Tour the top choices. Don’t get carried away by the appeal of expensive-looking furnishings. Instead, look for senior-friendly furniture, check for grab bars in bathrooms and nonskid flooring in baths, and view occupied rooms to tell how thoroughly the staff cleans.

5. Request the documents you need to help you make a decision.

6. Ask residents and their visiting relatives how they like the food, the staff, and the activities, and what they like and don’t like.

7. Observe what people are doing. Are they up and about or passively watching TV?

8. Ask to meet with the administrator. The person in charge should care about those in his or her charge and also have the ability to run the facility efficiently.

9. Ask how many employees are in the building during the day and in the evening. Find out about their training to see whether it corresponds to the needs of the prospective resident. Ask any residents who are sitting unattended whether they are waiting for help. Note the degree to which attendants talk to or spend time with residents.

10. Visit unannounced. Stop by the facility two to three more times at different times of the day on different days of the week.

11. If you are shopping for a relative, bring him or her on your visits. Stay for a meal and an activity. Consider having your relative stay overnight as a tryout.

12. After a relative moves into assisted living, visit often to make sure there are no problems. Be honest with yourself and with your relative when it's time to move to a nursing home. A geriatric-care manager can help with the decision.