NEW YORK CITY — A Place for Mom Inc. (APFM), a New York-based seniors housing referral company, has designed a virtual tour app with the goal of helping families and the senior living industry.
The app delivers a platform for seniors and families to schedule and participate in live community tours, creating a digital experience. While the program was released to meet current needs during the coronavirus pandemic, APFM hopes it can be a permanent solution for the industry in the long term.
“COVID-19 drove a digital revolution overnight and it’s here to stay,” says Larry Kutscher, the company’s CEO. “With families researching an average of four facilities before making a decision, we have an opportunity to greatly improve that process to create a better experience.”
According to data from APFM, more than 50 percent of families need buy-in from multiple family members to make a decision. The app enables people to join across geographies with a secure connection. It also allows families to schedule/reschedule as needed and delivers automated alerts with appointment reminders.
Approximately 300 of APFM’s 15,000 communities are currently using the app, and it officially rolls out nationally in June 2020 across Android and iOS devices.
“Now more than ever, it’s important to utilize technology to reach our prospective residents and senior population,” says Addison Inman Jr., sales leader at Holiday Retirement.