Webcams in Nursing Home Rooms May Deter Elder Abuse–But Are They Ethical?
July 24, 2019
(The Conversation) – Every year, news reports surface about nursing home staff physically or sexually assaulting patients. Physical and cognitive vulnerabilities may make it difficult for residents to report abuse or to have their reports taken seriously. Web-enabled digital cameras offer one solution. Evidence suggests that ever more people are putting cameras in a relative’s room to detect and deter abuse, though exact numbers are unknown as the practice is often done covertly. Seven states have passed laws enabling families to monitor the care of aging relatives this way. But nursing home surveillance has significant legal and ethical implications, according to two multidisciplinary studies we published in 2019.