New State Law Permits Video or Audio Recording Devices to be Placed in Nursing Home Rooms

If you have a loved one in a nursing home, it can be a nervous and scary time. The decision to place a loved one in a home is already difficult in itself. Often, the decision can lead to feelings of guilt and remorse. Those feelings are made worse when you are unable to monitor or see how they are being treated.

This law will give more insight to relatives as to their loved one’s care.
The law is entitled the Authorized Electronic Monitoring in Long-Term Care Facilities Act and it allows monitoring devices to be placed directly in the room. The cost of the device must be paid by the resident or their relatives. The devices can range from a simple camera that stores images in a memory card to a more sophisticated live-streaming device, such as a “nanny cam”.

Illinois is only the fourth state in the country to mandate that nursing homes allow cameras and other recording devices.
We hope that with the advent of this law, nursing home staff will be mindful that their conduct may be recorded and this may lead to better care for the resident. We, of course, encourage our clients to participate in their loved one’s care as much as possible and to take advantage of this new law.