All things considered, installing a video camera will contribute to your own peace of mind, as well as that of your loved one. In other words, it’s the smart thing to do.
Oklahoma City, OK – Learning that your loved one has been the victim of abuse of any kind is many people’s worst nightmare. We feel responsible for protecting those around us, and yet, when our loved ones are living away from us, in a nursing home, protecting them becomes a challenge. And while, in theory, nursing homes should be safe havens, they often end up being the exact opposite.
Speaking to experienced lawyers, if a loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse, is essential. So if you have strong reason to believe someone is in danger or is being abused, do not give the nursing home the benefit of a doubt. Instead, do what you can to remove them from danger, call the authorities, and hire yourself legal representation.
Can you install video cameras in Oklahoma City nursing homes?
If all you have a suspicion of abuse, it’s perfectly natural to want to prove that, or rather disprove it (since no one wants to discover they were right in such cases). And one of the first options that come to mind is installing a surveillance camera in the nursing home.
Is that allowed?
Not only is it legal to do so, but Oklahoma City nursing home abuse lawyers have in the past obtained vital proof of abuse from video surveillance installed by the family. Should your suspicion be proven, and the case goes to trial, the clearer the abuse is, the more sure the victory.
According to Senate Bill 587 of 2013, concerned family members are entitled to install video surveillance cameras in their loved ones’ rooms. According to the Bill, the nursing home may not object or prohibit you from installing the camera. Nor are they allowed to block the camera’s view, or in any way inhibit its proper functioning.
Experienced Oklahoma nursing home abuse lawyers warn clients to be vigilant – if a nursing home objects to having video cameras installed, this may already be a sign of something wrong.
Note that, if the resident is in a shared room, you will first need the written consent of the other residents living in that room. If a resident won’t consent, this doesn’t mean you can’t install the camera, but rather that the nursing home must rearrange their residents, enabling you to install it.
Can you use the footage in court?
Yes. Senate Bill 587 clearly indicates that any video footage obtained through a privately-installed video camera can be used by nursing home abuse lawyers in a civil or a criminal case.
The footage may also help in cases of medical malpractice (in which you’ll need medical malpractice lawyers, rather than personal injury ones), as it will allow the court to clearly establish the kind of medical care that was received by the patient. This may document improper administration of medication, unnecessary medical procedures, or alternatively, failure to provide necessary medical interventions.
All things considered, installing a video camera will contribute to your own peace of mind, as well as that of your loved one. In other words, it’s the smart thing to do.
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