Long-Term Care & Nursing Home Virtual Tours

Let’s go way back for a moment to a time before smart phones, when screens weren’t everywhere, and even :gasp: the internet didn’t exist in most homes yet.

It’s early in the morning. There’s a beam from the Saturday morning sun hitting your eyelid, scrunching your face up in a twist between nestling back into the comforter and identifying the savory smell wafting from the kitchen. Pushing back the layers of blankets, you think about the order of cartoons that’ll soon flash from a television boxed in decorative wood. A few minutes later, a familiar face hands you a breakfast plate and life is good as you settle into the couch. Back then, you never really had to think about if they would take care of you. They just did. Sure, things weren’t perfect and every family has that one crazy story (or relative), right? But you knew they had your back, even if it was attached to a bottom that might get smacked later that day for putting mud pies in the oven. You make a promise to yourself on an unconscious level, as many of us do, to protect them the best you can one day. You just don’t know it yet. 

There are circles of life (clubs, if you will) that we all want to be a part of, and some that will induct you as a member whether you want it or not. Nursing home experience is kind of like that. Acknowledging that someone you care about might not be able to independently take care of themselves or arguing over wearing the call button necklace is not a popular club with a long waiting list, yet many have been through it. The checklist for preparing one of life’s biggest changes is overwhelming, and at the end of it all you really want is peace of mind for everyone involved. 

Nursing homes are as unique as the residents who fill the rooms inside. And for those of us who have to make the difficult choice to place our loved ones in long-term care, the differences in homes can seem like night and day. Is the dining room actually a closet? Can you really trust the website? How do you know that two hallways aren’t bandaged together on the brochure to make Nana’s stay at Forever Homes look like an all inclusive getaway in the sun? Not that we don’t want her to have the best, but crystal blue water and palm trees aren’t exactly native to the area. Neither are flamingos. Red flags a’waving.

Being faced with the reality (and details) of needing to place a loved one in long-term care is, well, a lot. You need to put your trust in a place that checks these from your list: dependability, safety, and support. And while we were just kidding a moment ago about Nana, placing someone requires a lot more than a quick decision about a home you can’t currently walk through. With most resident families gathering outside of the room’s windows for a visit, how could you possibly get in to see the facilities? How can you know what is behind the brick walls is best for your loved one?

Nursing home virtual tours are the answer.

Interactive virtual tours are a huge piece of the puzzle when it comes to building trust between the person staying, families, and long-term care facilities. Even when these unprecedented times are behind us, folks will need to sift through options online, eventually visiting homes until finding the right fit. Assisted living and nursing home virtual tours take you beyond static photos and inside the facility in any direction you may want to explore from the comfort of your home. You’ll be able to ‘walk’ the hallways before ever stepping a foot inside, and more specifically, your loved one could have a chance to get acquainted with their new digs. On the other end of the spectrum, facilities will be able to embed important information not to be missed and 360° welcoming videos into tours for a virtual face-to-face experience.

Nothing can fully take away the weight of needing to hand over the reigns of care. Facilities considering nursing home virtual tours can lessen the burden of worry on families and help residents feel more comfortable with this next stage in life. Besides, deep down under years of growing up, all the child in each of us wants is to make sure we look out for them just as they did for us years ago.

Shining Star Interactive has crafted many nursing home virtual tours across the country. Our creative team are experts at showing your facility in an engaging way that builds trust through transparency. Let’s discuss what we can do for your facility.