It’s almost the new year, which means new laws are about to go into effect, including one that allows you to set up a camera to monitor your elderly loved ones in their nursing home room. River Ridge Representative Kirk Talbot says the families must pay for the device and installation, cannot use the facility’s Wi-Fi, and…
“They have to have a sign on the door that says this room is being videotaped. You have to have consent if you have a roommate.”
The law was brought by former New Orleans Representative Helena Moreno during the regular session last year.
Since you can’t use the facility’s Wi-Fi, you’ll have to purchase a data plan from a cellular provider that will support the device. Talbot says it’s for a good reason.
“Obviously the cost to the nursing home, and security breaches, being able to be hacked into it, accessing their sensitive information through that line of communication.”
Talbot says he’s checked out the cost for those data plans, and they appear to be affordable.
The legislation was inspired by a case of suspected abuse of an elderly person by nursing home workers, and Talbot says he’s gotten a lot of positive feedback about the opportunity now available to families. As for the nursing homes…
“(They gave us) a little trouble early on they had a few particulars, but all in all they didn’t do a full court press. They see the writing on the wall that this is the way that this thing was coming, this thing couldn’t be stopped, and this train was rolling no matter what.”