Several states allow video surveillance in nursing homes to document abuse.
Nursing home abuse is serious problem in this country. According to one report from the US Department of Health and Human Services, 85 percent of nursing homes had at least one official abuse allegation made against them in 2012. This translates to thousands and thousands of senior citizens experiencing subpar care or outright abuse.
The problem is being tackled from every possible angle by the agencies involved. One tactic that seems very promising is to provide nursing home residents and their families the right to install video and audio surveillance equipment in their rooms to document their care and guard against abuse.
Video Surveillance in Nursing Homes
Since 2000, about a dozen states have considered some kind of surveillance legislation, and laws allowing video and/or audio surveillance have been passed in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Washington. Legislation is now pending in Illinois as well, with the bill having already passed the House.
The nursing home industry in general supports the idea of video surveillance, though they are concerned about privacy issues. In some states, legislation has addressed this issue with measures such as requiring signs to be posted outside the room warning of the surveillance, requiring the surveillance equipment to be visible, and/or requiring consent from the resident as well as from any roommates they may have.
There are also some concerns about the effect the feeling of being under constant scrutiny could have on nursing home employees. Some industry experts fear surveillance will increase turnover. However, surveillance could also help the industry by protecting employees against mistaken or false allegations of abuse that may be made by mentally unstable residents or well-intentioned but mistaken family members.
What Are California Legislators Considering?
In California, legislators are sidestepping the privacy issues raised by surveillance and attempting to tackle the problem from another angle. A bill is currently pending that would help crack down on nursing home referral agencies that may claim to be unbiased while actually receiving financial incentives to recommend certain facilities. Some referral agencies have even been known to recommend unlicensed facilities, and it is hoped that by ending this practice seniors will be guided to facilities that will provide better care.
What Should You Do if an Elder is Victimized?
If you suspect that an elderly loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse, you should contact a skilled attorney such as Michael A. Kahn immediately. With your attorney’s help, you can get your loved one’s injuries documented and evaluated to help prove whether they were caused by deliberate abuse, criminal negligence, or an honest accident. Attorney Kahn will work hard to help you get the compensation needed to ensure better care for your loved one.
