Please help to support Bills to allow nursing home residents, their families, and representatives to install video cameras in residents’ rooms in New York State..

 

In 2017, I documented horrendous abuse of a relative who had severe Alzheimer’s Disease and was residing in a 5 star-rated nursing home in Westchester County in New York State, using a hidden camera that I placed in her room. Although the NYS Department of Health conducted an investigation and some of the staff involved in the abuse were fired, SOME OF THE ABUSERS STILL WERE PERMITTED TO WORK IN THAT NURSING HOME.

 

Since that incident, this nursing home, like most others in New York state, has forbidden the placement of video cameras in residents’ rooms. In contrast, as of 2020, nine states have laws permitting the installation of cameras in residents' rooms and New Jersey’s Office of the Attorney General even lends camera equipment to families who wish to monitor their loved one’s care.

 

Now, more than ever, when visitation of nursing home residents still is extremely limited, if not prohibited, due to the COVID pandemic, there is an urgent need to allow families/representatives to place video cameras in the rooms of nursing home residents.

 

I cannot imagine the abuse that likely is occurring now, as nursing homes have dangerously minimal oversight.

 

HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP

 

Please contact your legislators!

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To support the bill in the Assembly, please contact (write or call) your Assembly members (see link, below) and ask them to support Bill A03708, to allow nursing home residents, their families, and representatives to install video cameras in residents’ rooms.

 

Before this can become law, a companion bill is required in the Senate. Please contact your Senators (write or call; see link, below) and ask them to sponsor and/or support a companion bill in the Senate to allow nursing home residents, their families, and representatives to install video cameras in residents’ rooms.

 

Click the buttons below to find the webpages with contact information for your legislators. Then, click on the legislator’s photo to bring you to their page and you will see that you can message or call them.