Many residents in Pennsylvania find themselves in the position of having to find facilities in which to place their aging relatives to ensure that they are properly cared for. This may be due to any number of reasons but often involves the need to keep a person safe while making sure that they receive appropriate medical care and attention to their activities of daily living.
Abuse and neglect in nursing homes has long been a problem and is one that only continues to plague too many facilities and families around the country. There seems to not yet be any consensus on how to address this issue. Some have advocated for the use of monitoring devices in residents’ rooms so that family members can monitor their loved ones remotely. These devices, sometimes referred to as nanny cams, may also be useful during investigations of alleged abuse or neglect.
As explained by Next Avenue, the use of these cameras has sparked some controversy. In nearby New Jersey, a program was launched in 2017 that allowed people to borrow cameras provided by the state for installation in nursing home rooms. This program has garnered its share of criticism along the way.
One reason for the controversy with nanny cams is that it is unclear how to balance security and privacy. The privacy issues may be for the resident themselves or for any roommate that they may have. Another concern is about how to effectively ensure that the aging resident can provide consent to be filmed. For people who struggle with cognitive declines, this can be especially challenging.