Illinois’ governor recently signed a new law that will allow for the installation of monitoring devices in nursing homes. This law comes at time in which families of nursing home residents have grown increasingly concerned about the activities that occur in long-term care facilities amid reports of nursing home abuse and neglect.
The law is especially timely considering that nursing home resident populations are expected to drastically rise in the next decade as Baby Boomers reach an age at which assisted living facilities will provide a needed service. Currently, 76,000 Illinois residents are patients in nursing home facilities, receiving care and medical assistance when needed.
The new law allows people to place video cameras in the rooms of their loved ones to monitor their care and requires all residents of a room to sign a form consenting to the surveillance. A posting on the door reading “this room is electronically monitored” is also required. The law will go into effect this upcoming January.
The nursing home abuse attorneys at Spiros Law, P.C., understand the feeling of helplessness that occurs when you suspect that your loved one is being improperly treated in a long-term care facility. Contact our Kankakee offices today at (815) 929-9292 to learn more about what you can do to protect your loved one’s rights and well-being.
