Dr. Mark Lachs
NYCEAC Medical Director Dr. Mark Lachs provides his reflections on the Huffington Post about the growing trend of surveillance cameras being used by family members in nursing homes to document elder abuse. He questions whether so-called “granny cams” should be widely installed in American nursing homes and writes that they should be given “serious thought before plunging headfirst down this new surveillance rabbit hole.”
Dr. Lachs writes that nursing home residents that stand to benefit most from this technology could also be the least likely to have the capacity to consent to being recorded 24/7. He also notes that the rights of employees should also be respected and that most of us would not want to be recorded continuously in our daily employment.
Read more about Dr. Lachs’ insights into surveillance cameras and whether they are a good intervention to document elder abuse in long-term care and nursing homes and tell us what you think about them. Do you have any professional experiences with the use of cameras in your nursing home or long-term care facility?
Related Links
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Having done an internship in hospice and grief counseling, working primarily in nursing homes, I had the opportunity to do my internship at various hours of the day. What I saw was appalling, to say the least. Most of my issues were with the aides who (by law) have very limited training. As a society, we have demanded credentials and continuing education in so many fields; yet, when it comes to caring for our most treasured possessions . . . our loved ones, the requirements are minimal at best. I believe it should be mandated to require cameras in public areas of an assisted living facility, nursing homes, and all medical professional facilities. This will not only protect the facility, it will protect alleged allegations of abuse, will monitor visitors, and staff. As far as cameras in client/patient rooms, it should be presented to the official caregiver(s) upon admissions. The facility can either provide the service, or make recommendations for the caregiver to purchase on their own. I believe knowledge is power and safety is a key issue when protecting all parties concerned.
I think the notion of cameras in public areas might be a good compromise – protecting safety and privacy of residents simultaneously. Thanks for your comment!
Hmmm. I guess one can have camera if the patient agrees with it. We, must however, keep in mind that this can be considered invasion of privacy.
Hi Sonia – great points, thank you for sharing!
[…] Medical Director, Dr. Mark Lachs, uses this blog to provide his reflections on the Huffington Post about the growing trend of surveillance cameras […]