Skaalen Therapy Page Imagery Selection

Overview

During the February 2026 monthly marketing call, the team discussed selecting new images for Skaalen's Therapy & Rehab Wellness Center website page. The challenge was finding stock photos that felt authentic to the facility without depicting equipment or environments that don't match what's actually on-site.

The decision to use stock photography — rather than photos of actual residents or staff — was deliberate and reflects a broader principle worth capturing for future reference.

The Case for Stock Photos on Care Facility Pages

Problem with real photos: When a facility uses photos of actual residents or staff members, those images have a limited shelf life. Residents pass away or move on; staff turn over. An outdated photo can cause awkwardness, require urgent replacement, or — worse — go unnoticed and remain live long after the person has left.

Stock photos as a durable solution: Stock imagery avoids these issues entirely. A well-chosen stock photo of a therapist working with a patient can remain accurate and appropriate indefinitely, as long as the depicted equipment and environment are plausible for the facility.

"I'm fine with stock images because then you don't have to worry if the resident passes or the staff person leaves."
— Dawn Zaemisch, Skaalen

Image Selection Criteria

When selecting stock photos for therapy and rehab pages, prioritize:

Equipment plausibility — Images should not prominently feature equipment the facility doesn't have. Backgrounds with distinctive architectural features (e.g., patio doors, specific flooring) can be a liability if they don't match the real space.
Tight framing — Closer crops on the therapist-patient interaction reduce the risk of background mismatches and keep focus on the care relationship.
Generic but warm — Images showing a therapist working with a patient using common equipment (hand weights, resistance bands, standard treadmills) read as authentic without being facility-specific.
Photoshop flexibility — If a near-perfect image has a problematic background element, consider whether it can be neutralized (e.g., replacing a patio door with a plain wall).

Status at Time of Meeting

Melissa had sent a shortlist of stock photo options to Dawn for review.
Dawn wanted to review the options with Karen (director of the Therapy & Rehab department) before making a final selection.
Karen was out the week of the meeting; review was scheduled for the following week.
Final approved images were to be batched with the condo page photo update and sent to the developer in a single request.

Pending Decision

[ ] Dawn to review stock photo options with Karen Slindy Luth and confirm selection
[ ] Melissa to send approved images to developer alongside condo page photo update

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