A Sign That Someone Cares: Attention to Detail in Assisted Living

What Outlet Screws Taught Me as a Long Term Care Ombudsman About Quality in Assisted Living

“It’s like a five-star hotel,” he said when I asked how his care had been at the assisted living facility. That wasn’t the answer I expected.

“How so?” I asked.

“Look at the screws,” he said.

“The screws?”

“The screws on the electrical and light switch outlet covers,” he explained. “Walk around the building. You’ll see every single one is lined up perfectly vertical. That’s a sign of quality. That’s the first thing I noticed when we toured the building.”

As a long-term care ombudsman, I don’t usually hear feedback like that, even in the nicest facilities. Most residents talk about the food, the staff, the activities, laundry, wait times, lack of care, or what’s missing. Rarely do they talk about attention to detail.

But this couple, who had moved into the facility eight weeks earlier, did. When I asked how things were going, they smiled.

“It feels like we’re on a cruise ship,” they said.

After visiting with them, I continued my walkthrough of the building, paying attention to the outlet covers.

He was right.

Every single one was perfectly aligned—vertical, no exceptions. I checked resident rooms, hallways, and common areas. Then I walked into a laundry room to see whether the same standard held in a hidden area.

It did.

Every screw. Perfectly aligned.

That level of consistency doesn’t happen by accident.

I’ve been in facilities where residents are moved to a different room and forgotten. Where meals are missed. Where basic dignity slips through the cracks. And here, someone made sure the screws were straight.

I’m not a perfectionist. I never would have noticed on my own. But once it was pointed out, I couldn’t unsee it.

Because it wasn’t about the screws.

It was about attention.It was about follow-through.It was about pride in the details.

That man was right. It is a sign that somebody cares.

And maybe others should be asking what this facility is doing right, and how they can do the same.

At least, that’s what the resident told me.