Software Advice surveyed a group of respondents who have a loved one living in a nursing home to gauge their attitudes on a controversial method to ensure quality care: installing surveillance cameras in residents’ rooms

1. Software Advice IndustryView:
Nursing Home Room Surveillance
Trends and best practices from the industry

2. Abstract
Installing surveillance cameras in nursing home residents’ rooms to monitor the
facility’s quality of treatment is a practice gaining traction among some elder care
advocates and policymakers—but with it come privacy concerns. We surveyed
people who have a loved one living in a nursing home, and gathered insights
from experts in the long-term care industry to explore attitudes towards this
controversial method.
• Sixty-three percent of respondents were likely to request that a camera be
installed in a loved one’s room to monitor nursing home care.
• One of the top reasons for wanting to install a room camera was that
respondents weren’t getting enough updates on a loved one.
• Room-camera installation was the least preferred method of monitoring
nursing home care when compared to other technology-based options.
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3. Likelihood to Request Room Camera
34% Not likely
19% Minimally likely
26% Moderately likely
18% Very likely
3% Already did
A combined 63 percent of respondents told us they would be likely to request one,
with 18 percent saying they’d be “very likely” to do so.

4. Top Reasons for Wanting Room Camera
Abuse suspected
Insufficient updates
Facility understaffed
Facility violation history
Overmedication suspected
0% 10% 20% 30%
Percent of sample
The reason that would most make respondents want to install a camera in a
nursing home room was if they suspected their loved one was being abused.

5. Top Reasons for Not Wanting Room Camera
Privacy concerns
Legality concerns
Negative staff reaction
Installation cost
No time to view video
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Percent of sample
Thirty-one percent of respondents told us “privacy concerns” would keep them
from wanting to install a surveillance camera in an elder’s room.

6. Preferred Technology for Monitoring Care
Video chatting
Online activity log
Texting staff
Emailing
Camera installation
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Percent of sample
Interestingly, installing a surveillance camera in the room ended up in last place,
at 16 percent. Regularly video chatting with the resident came in first.

7. Support for Nursing Homes Allowing Room Cameras
Level of support
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very
supportive
Not at all
supportive
The vast majority of respondents—78 percent—supported the idea that nursing
homes should allow room cameras.

8. Read Report Read about our findings in more detail.
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