This story has been updated.
Electronic monitoring in nursing home resident rooms could soon become the norm in yet another state.
South Dakota lawmakers have recently introduced a bill that would allow families to install electronic monitoring devices in resident rooms at nursing facilities and assisted living centers.
Under the proposed legislation, residents or their authorized representative would have to provide written notification to the facility of plans to conduct electronic monitoring in resident’s room. They must also identify the type of device being used and the date when the monitoring is set to begin.
If the resident shares a room, they must also receive consent from that person or their authorized representative under the bill.
The legislation could help bring peace of mind to resident families, while also provide security for providers, according to the South Dakota Association of Health Care Organizations.
“As many other states have adopted or are proposing to adopt this type of legislation, we wanted to make sure that we had input from our providers and other key stakeholders to make sure are maintaining the privacy and dignity for the residents in our nursing homes in South Dakota,” Tim Rave, South Dakota Association of Health Care Organizations CEO, told McKnight’s.
“We feel this legislation will help set the guard rails to ensure that families residents and providers are all protected,” he added.
The South Dakota Health Care Association did not return a request for comment by production deadline.
In mid-December, an Ohio lawmaker announced plans to introduce legislation that would allow residents of a residential facility to conduct electronic monitoring in their rooms. At least six states have adopted similar measures.The use of cameras in resident rooms have also sparked ethical and privacy concerns.
