Family involvement is an important element of providing individualised care to people living in residential aged care facilities. To date, involvement from the perspective of the family has remained effectively unmeasured. Aim To explore perceived family involvement and its relationship with satisfaction and facility impressions. Method A questionnaire was posted to residents' next of kin from four South Australian residential aged care facilities. Results One hundred and fifty next of kin participated in the survey. Family‐perceived involvement was significantly and positively correlated with satisfaction and facility impressions. Conclusion The findings of this study add to the limited body of research into family involvement in long‐term residential care. Feedback from the family regarding particular aspects of involvement may also improve the experience of long‐term care for both family and resident, and assist with the identification of specific issues towards which organisations may target their quality improvement efforts.