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When someone you love goes into an assisted living facility, the situation can be hard for everyone involved. You may wonder how they’re doing and worry that they may run into trouble while they’re there. With that in mind, more and more people are aiming to put cameras in assisted living facilities; however, this is not always allowed.
In nine states in the US, you can put cameras in assisted living facilities without permission. However, 41 states still require you to obtain the facility’s permission before installing a camera.
In this article, I’ll discuss the rules for placing cameras in assisted living facilities, why you might want to install a camera, and what steps you need to take to move forward. Let’s get started!
What You Need To Know About Putting Cameras in Assisted Living Facilities
Nursing home abuse has, unfortunately, become more and more prominent as the years have gone on. Patients are often neglected, left in their rooms for abnormally long periods, and not given proper care.
On top of this, many elderly people are in a fragile state. Assisted living facilities are full of Dementia and Alzheimer’s patients, and these folks often leave their room without assistance, sometimes disappearing for long periods. Moreover, many of the patients fall frequently and could be left for hours without being found.
Let’s get to the root of the issue. Cameras are becoming a necessity for assisted living facilities.
The problem is that, as of today, there are no federal laws regulating the use of cameras in assisted living facilities. It’s dependent upon each state. Right now, only nine states out of fifty allow an individual to decide whether or not to install a security camera in their loved one’s room.
The states that allow you the freedom to install a camera include:
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Minnesota
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- Washington
However, there are thousands of assisted living facilities located all over the country, and where does that leave the other forty-one states?
If you live in any other state than the ones I listed, it becomes much more difficult to install a camera. In this case, you must first obtain the permission of the nursing facility, and many of them aren’t keen on allowing cameras.
Issues Surrounding Cameras
In the world of digital technology, cameras are everywhere. On street corners, in grocery stores, and even on your smartphone. So, what’s the problem with one more camera in your loved one’s room?
Many feel that a camera violates the rights of the patient, staff, and other residents in the nursing home. Most facilities have cameras installed in the common areas, but a resident’s room is a sacred space.
No one, including the elderly, want to feel like their privacy is being invaded. The other problem is that many patients cannot consent to have a camera installed. This is a major violation of any laws.
Furthermore, assisted living facility staff members are often in and out of the room. This plays to both angles. On the one hand, this is one of the reasons we need cameras inside the facility. On the other hand, it can violate the staff’s privacy.
Is There a Way Around the Law?
At this time, there’s no way around the law. If you were to decide to install a camera without permission from the facility, assuming you are not located in one of the nine states that allow you to do so freely, you could face serious legal repercussions.
Many people have gone around the permission requirement and installed secret cameras hidden in the room’s walls, desks, or various items. This is one way to do it, but it’s not a good idea. Chances are high that the camera will be discovered, and you’ll end up in legal trouble.
Even if the camera isn’t seen, if you’re using it to spy out whether or not your loved one is being abused or neglected and it records something, you won’t be able to submit it as evidence since it was obtained illegally.
The only usefulness in going around the law is to give you peace of mind that your loved one is okay in their space.
However, it’s important to recognize that several other options exist for maintaining safety inside the room without breaking the law. Installing grab bars, for example, and encouraging the resident to wear a necklace that automatically calls emergency services if they take a hard fall are both excellent options.
These Budding Joy Grab Bars (available on Amazon), for example, are an excellent product designed to help people get in and out of showers/bathtubs more easily. They’re durable and affordable, offering great value for the money.
Why Put Cameras in Assisted Living Facilities
There are several reasons why you may want to have a camera installed in the room where your loved ones are.
First of all, security cameras almost entirely prevent substandard care. If an individual knows they are being watched, they are almost guaranteed to take care of the resident correctly.
Moreover, it deters abuse of the patient. Unfortunately, nursing homes have had more and more issues of abuse come up over time. With cameras installed, abusers can be caught in the act. In most cases, the family members have instant access to the footage, and as long as the facility is aware that the camera was installed, it can be used as evidence against the abuser.
On the other hand, seeing video footage may entirely change a family member’s opinion of a facility and the staff. Sometimes, we all form inaccurate perceptions of other people, and it can be a relief to see that your loved one is being well taken care of when you suspected otherwise.
Having cameras installed in the rooms also lessens some of the family’s responsibility if something goes wrong.
What Are the Benefits for Residents?
Installing cameras in assisted living facilities also has several benefits for the residents themselves.
The residents can have the peace of mind of knowing that if they were to fall, be attacked, or stolen from, there would be evidence of it. If the nursing staff has access to the cameras, then they can rush to the aid of the individual quickly.
Stealing, especially, is a massive problem in many assisted living facilities. It’s unfortunate that the elderly population is being stolen from, but predators prey on the weak. Having cameras installed gives residents the security they need to know that both themselves and their items are being protected in the event of a catastrophe.
The residents can even use the cameras to interact with their family in a live sense, using the camera as a live feed between themselves and their families. Of course, you may need to update the technology for this to happen, but it’s certainly a possibility.
Is There a Reason There Should Not Be Cameras in Assisted Living Facilities?
Cameras, for all their benefits, also present challenges for the staff and residents of assisted living facilities.
One of the downsides is that many people don’t want to be on camera. While one can argue that if people don’t want to be recorded, it means that they’re doing something they shouldn’t be, this isn’t always the case. People are uncomfortable when they know they’re on camera.
While they are more likely to do the right thing, it will be harder for the facility to recruit staff. Assisted living facilities are already considered low-wage and high-stress environments. To add being watched to that list of an already difficult job can be a deal breaker for many people.
While many organizations use security cameras in their retail and grocery stores, that tends to be a completely different (public) environment.
How To Get a Camera Installed in an Assisted Living Facility?
The legalities of getting a camera installed in an assisted living facility vary from state to state, but overall the process is relatively similar no matter where you are. You may face more challenges obtaining permission if you live in a state that requires you to do so. We’ll take a look at both processes so that you know your rights no matter where you live.
In general, the process begins with either presenting a letter of intent to install a camera or a formal letter requesting permission to install the camera. If you live in a state that does not allow you to freely install cameras the process usually consists of filing an application to the director of the specific assisted living facility you are hoping to install a camera in.
Once you obtain permission or let the facility know that you are taking action to install a camera, you can then go about contacting a company to install the camera.
You should note that you may have to pay a fee to the facility to have the camera installed. Even if the facility is required to allow you to install a camera, they aren’t obligated to any additional costs that come along with it.
If the facility declines permission, you may need to hire a lawyer to fight on your behalf to install a camera. This can be a lengthy and expensive process, so you need to consider if this is the right option for you if you’re facing this problem.
One thing you can do is request an in-person meeting with the director of the facility. It may be better to do this upfront in either case. If you choose to start with an in-person meeting, make sure that you still bring a formal letter asking permission. These are kept on record and are necessary for installation.
Sometimes if you can meet with the director face-to-face, you have more influence and can change his or her mind.
The Best Camera To Put in an Assisted Living Facility
If you’ve obtained permission to put a camera in the facility, it’s time to choose the best camera for the job. Gone are the days of simple and gritty security cameras. In today’s world, you have a plethora of options. However, I would recommend only one type of camera, and that’s an IP (Internet Protocol) Camera.
IP Cameras come in many brands and styles, but the similarity between all of them is that they are all equipped with live feed technology. Being able to live stream what is happening with your loved one gives you several advantages, namely that there’s very little, if any, review of the video feed that must be done. At any moment, all you have to do is log in on your smartphone and check in on them.
In addition to the live feed technology, IP Cameras have excellent imaging capabilities. These cameras offer some of the best images as far as sharpness and quality go. This is one reason why more and more people are switching to using them. They’re useful for everything from baby monitoring to security monitoring in a retail store.
Usually, with IP Cameras, you won’t be required to switch over cables either. Most facilities continue to use their CAT5 or CAT6 Ethernet cabling rather than switching over to all new cables. This alone is a huge benefit of using these cameras.
Many are also equipped with facial recognition, motion, audio, and more. Family members can receive a notification on their phone, no matter how far away they live from their loved ones, if the resident is up and moving in the middle of the night.
However, if this doesn’t seem like the best option for you, feel free to do some further research in hopes of finding a product that fits you and your family’s needs best.
If you have elderly parents, you can also consider baby monitors. I’ve written an extensive guide explaining when and how baby monitors can be effective in monitoring the elderly. Are Baby Monitors Good for Monitoring the Elderly?
Conclusion
Installing a camera in an assisted living facility comes with a wide array of benefits. The unfortunate part is how often you have to obtain permission to be able to do so.
The good news is that tons of assisted living facilities are willing to work with family members to get a camera installed, even if you don’t live in one of the nine states that allow you to do so without permission. The best thing to do is just reach out to them and see if there’s an agreement you can come to that works for everyone involved.
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