Hello everyone…as we (hopefully) leave the pandemic in the rear view mirror and search for normalcy, we will always be left with some baggage of how life had to be altered during 2020. The ripples that rolled out were endless and affected most aspects of life in some why, shape or form.
For seniors and their family, the pandemic meant not being able to see loved ones and access familial support. With that, came isolation, uncertainty and, in some cases, speculation about care. How can one monitor mom and dad’s care when they have no ability to lay their eyes on them!?
One thing some families took to were video cameras. However, capturing one’s life on camera comes with many questions (see this article in US News and World Report: https://health.usnews.com/health-care/for-better/articles/should-you-use-a-granny-cam-to-monitor-a-loved-ones-care). What about privacy? What about the capture of personal and confidential conversations? Even HIPPA compliance? And what about what cameras do not “catch.”
Use of cameras in largely an attempt to make sure care is sufficient and loved ones are safe. They can be useful but it is important to note that they also might only tell part of the story. What is seen can occasionally be out of contest and cause concern when nothing nefarious is is in play. What if a conversation took place out of the camera’s eye and mic that led to an action. And action that, to the viewer, deemed inappropriate or out of place? When if fact, it was a direct result of instructions from the very person one is monitoring?
We always tell our caregivers that are working in an environment with cameras to be extra careful. It is not that we do not trust them. Rather, we just want them to know that what is seen is in play…and always be mindful of how an action might appear on camera. However innocent it might be.
For now, camera as here to stay as are all the implications of that. Keep on caring evreyone!
- Happy Halloween! - October 31, 2024
- Falls and Parkinson’s Disease - September 12, 2024
- We are Growing! Paige Vohs joins Caring Companions of Atlanta! - August 15, 2024