Taiwan researchers have discovered that two-thirds of nursing home residents who videoconference with family says it is the next-best thing to a family visit.

All of the 34 residents from 10 nursing homes in Taiwan, with an average age of 75, said the videoconferencing enriched their lives, while one-third said it gave them a true picture of family life, said Professor Yun-Fang Tsai, chairman of the School of Nursing at Chang Gung University in Taiwan.

One nursing home resident said, "I feel fabulous every time after talking with my son. Sometimes he plays a song I like on the violin, which he would never bring here. He also shared some photos with me, the pets in the house and so on."

Another resident further added, "This is better than the telephone for I can see the real thing. I wouldn't think my son is lying to me that everyone in the family is OK. I can see their rosy faces, which are very believable and real."

Published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing, the study also found the average videoconferencing session lasted under 12 minutes, with 12 percent making daily visits, 47 percent weekly, 23 percent monthly and 18 percent occasionally. (With Inputs from Agencies)