A renewed effort to allow cameras in rooms at Kentucky’s long-term care settings risks stripping residents of their sense of autonomy and respect, according to senior living groups.
Advocates for Safety in Community Living is pushing for the reintroduction of a bill it says protects long-term care residents, according to TriStateHomepage.com. SB 173 was introduced in 2023 by state Sen. Reginald Thomas (D-Fayette) and would have given guardians the right to waive the privacy of residents by placing cameras in rooms of residents in Medicaid-funded community settings.
The consumer advocacy group said that too many residents are victims of psychological, physical and other types of abuse and neglect, placing them at serious risk of harm.
But the Kentucky Center for Assisted Living, Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities and Kentucky Senior Living Association said that allowing surveillance cameras in resident rooms raises significant concerns regarding privacy, dignity, staff morale and the broader culture of care.
Morgan Jemtrud, communications director for the associations, told McKnight’s Senior Living that federal regulations explicitly guarantee residents the right to be treated with dignity and respect and the right to privacy — which includes privacy in their rooms, during personal care and during communication during visits.
“In such intimate settings, installing cameras would undermine these rights by intruding on the resident’s legally protected personal space,” Jemtrud said. “This intrusion becomes especially problematic for residents with roommates, as one person or family’s choice to allow surveillance could unjustly jeopardize the privacy of another resident.”
Cameras, she added, could become a “technological form of restraint that dehumanizes residents and harms their quality of life.”
The presence of cameras also could be detrimental to staff members, making them feel surveilled rather than trusted, Jemtrud said. And that erosion of trust could stifle relationship-building, resulting in a sterile, institutionalized atmosphere rather than a nurturing, person-centered care environment, she added.
“The implicit message of surveillance — that staff cannot be trusted — risks demoralizing dependable caregivers and, over time, could discourage retention and drive skilled professionals out of the field, exacerbating current staffing challenges,” Jemtrud said.
Instead, she said, efforts should be directed toward enhancing training, improving communication and fostering a culture of accountability.
“Residents deserve care environments that prioritize their dignity and humanity, not ones that subject them to constant monitoring and suspicion,” Jemtrud said.
Source: McKnights Seniorliving
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