Nursing home abuse is abhorrent, but it happens. There are times when nursing home employees and volunteers abuse and neglect the residents they are supposed to care for. This abuse happens in a wide variety of ways, and there have been stories of abuse cases being discovered by relatives who put cameras in their loved one’s nursing home room. These cameras have been dubbed “granny cams,” but are they legal?
Granny cams in SC nursing homes
South Carolinians have debated about the use of granny cams for years. A 2015 article in The State discusses a proposed bill that was moving through the Senate medical affairs subcommittee that would allow cameras to be placed in nursing home resident’s rooms by their family members. At the time, the AARP said that video cameras can be “a tool to assist family caregivers, especially caregivers from other states, in checking on their loved ones.”
The bill failed to pass out of the committee, and as of now, SC law does not allow the use of cameras in nursing homes.
Why would this not be allowed?
There are various reasons why this is not allowed right now, and they center around privacy. Those who oppose the camera say that they infringe on the privacy rights of residents, particularly other residents in the room and those who could be inadvertently captured on film. There is also the worry that staff members of the nursing home will not consent to have their images captured.
Some of the biggest detractors of this bill were lobbyists for the nursing home industry. It is telling that they do not want this bill to pass. What are they trying to cover up?
Seek assistance if you suspect abuse
If you suspect that your loved one has been abused by nursing home staff, seek legal assistance immediately. At the Dan Pruitt Law Firm, you can contact our Greenville nursing home abuse attorneys for a free consultation of your case. Let us investigate what happened to your loved one so we can secure the compensation they deserve.