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I had a couple outstanding aides that would give me inside details but management has pushed them out due to overworking/underpaying and now there is VERY limited staffing caring for the Alzheimer's wing and these individuals are being neglected on many levels. How can families get permission to get inside to care for these type of residents? Is it legal to put nanny cams in without letting facility know?

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If you chose the very best placement you could find when your DH entered residential care, you must know that Ohio is in an indescribably dire condition now because of the resurgence of Covid.

If you were relatively content with the care your husband received when he entered the facility, you can hopefully understand that EVERYTHING and EVERYONE has suffered because of the difficulties at all levels of management, right down to hands on care.

Did you have reason to think that there were “inside details” that impacted directly on your DH’s care? Do you have a way of substantiating deficiencies in care such as what you’ve mentioned? Are you aware of the personal dangers to caregivers, families AND residents in circumstances such as we have at present?

If you were to plant a camera, how would you enter the facility to do it? What would you do with a video that showed “neglect”?

I understand your anxiety, fear, and concern only too well, having lived with my own emotional roller coaster since the end of March, I’ve come to realize that against the virus AND the lack of nation wide awareness concerning “the best way forward”, both residents AND caregivers are at risk almost equally, and I pray for all who have suffered from, or because of, this horrid experience.

I hope with all my heart that you can find some way to bring yourself peace. I trust those in care, even when they’re not the best of the best. Their sacrifice to be there to care for my LO tells me a lot about all of them.
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cetude Nov 2020
There are possible legal repercussions of nanny cams due to State and Federal laws.
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Not only has AD become a 21st century epidemic, paid caregiving in care facilites has also. The huge turnover results in employees poor pay, poor benefits, lack of supervision, inadequate training, lack of retention incentives and the nature of the work itself. Unless you can be deemed an essential caregiver, which we all know every family should be granted, there's not much that can be done. There's little or no criteria for a caregiver's or supervisor's qualifications to work in a care facility. Many states are beginning to address these shortcomings and creating laws to establish training and work criteria. MN is a leader in this regard. There is also federal legislation proposed by the Alz Assn and others to improve facility caring. Until then, yourself and a million other families can only “grin and bear it”.

As for the camera, it wouldn't be allowed and I wouldn't try to sneak one in.
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I know you're drained on so many levels- emotionally, financially and physically. I. too, had to place my spouse in an MC facility where she died almost 3 yrs ago. So please take my comments not as criticism but in the empathetic way I offer them.

You can't do anything about the turnover of staff. That's a result of reasons I've previously mentioned. You can't do anything about COVID or the facilities policy on trying to keep its residents safe. You've got to come to terms with that. You can do something about your mistrust of his care. What are your expectations of his care? He's no longer at home where he rec'd one on one care. If you can't get in, why do you suspect poor care? The "inside" information you rec'd from the ousted aides I would take with a grain of salt. And once you can enter the facility you can certainly discuss his care but you won't physically be caring for him. You're role is now being his advocate in communicating your care wishes to the staff.

“Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.”
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joelfmi118 Nov 2020
A masterful use of television, indeed,” Daily Caller investigative reporter Andrew Kerr tweeted along with an image of the prop comedy act Cuomo participated in with his CNN anchor brother Chris Cuomo. 
“Andrew Cuomo deserves to be on trial for the elderly people his nursing home order directly murdered. Instead, he’s getting an Emmy,” The Federalist publisher Ben Domenech wrote. 
In the early weeks of the pandemic, Cuomo was hailed by Democrats and members of the media for his daily briefings tackling the coronavirus. However, the governor has since been scrutinized for his order that required nursing homes in his state to admit COVID-19 patients. While that order has since been reversed, the policy has been heavily attributed to New York’s record-breaking death toll, which includes many senior citizens living in nursing homes. Stop Andrew Cuomo is benefitting from his criminal actions of infecting thousands with covid 19. He needs to be put on trial not commended for his reckless deadly order not given an Emmy. I hope the people that are giving him an award reconsider their heartless actions of giving him a accommodation. Please! Please! Please! for god sakes. Please unless your loved one vaccinate from covid 19 and you are able to visit her and staffing is improved stay away and listen to us that have lost our loved ones in these facilities. These facilities right now you can not sue them for bad care and poor treatment because Cuomo give himself and these assisted living homes immunity from prosecution. Until that has changed stay out of them.
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Minnesota passed legislation allowing Essential Caregivers into the facilities. The facilities still call a lot of the shots, like who is an EC, how many allowed for each resident, how many hours a week they can visit, etc. Now covid is back inside the NHs here, so time will tell what they will do. You and other caregivers and LOs need to hound your legislators to pass a similar law in your state. There is no other way around it.

I do not think you can install cameras without informing people, but that may vary from state to state so you need to check the laws where you reside.

What makes you think the aids were "pushed out"? Do you mean they quit? How is that the facility's fault? There is a labor shortage in this country. There is not enough skilled people to work in NHs. Now facilities need to try to keep staffing levels up while staff are being exposed to covid and must quarantine. It's a conundrum.
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With COVID-19, it will depend on the regulations per the state/county about who is allowed to visit or help in LTC. Most facilities will not allow nanny cams since you will also be video recording people receiving hygiene with unclothed bodies on video - so many legal issues here that scream porn, not having consent, etc.

If you are truly concerned about neglect of your loved one, you may be better off taking him/her home and contracting home health care aides round the clock. Check with the LTC facility about their regulations as well as insurance before making such a drastic change in your LO's life.
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This is a trying time for everyone. We are fortunate to have Mom at home, with 3 wonderful, caring, trusted aides. She does not have Alzheimers.
Would you be able to care for your LO, at home with assistance? This might be an option.
A teddy bear camera might be allowed. Unfortunately, short staffing may not be something that can be remedied at this time.
Can you video chat?
Praying for you and your loved one.
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My mom passed away on October 7th 2020. The facilities she was in did not allow cameras in her room. I decided to buy a small one for her room hoping my sister would install it anonymous but my mom died before we could of done this. I personally feel that any care home refusing to allow a camera to monitor your mom in the caring home is unacceptable. This definitely tells me their caring of the elderly is wrong. They do not want you to know how your mom is doing and how they handle it. It’s inhumanely! We are her loved ones and should have the right to know what’s going on in the care homes, whether nursing or assistant living. I’m writing a letter to P Trump and insist these legal rights are changed. God Bless you all❣️🙏🏼🇺🇸
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Imho, you would have to follow the protocols put in place by your jurisdiction. Prayers sent.
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You call the ombudsman's office for your area and tell them about your concerns. There's neglect even when covid wasn't an issue, so you can bet it's a problem now.

What I was told about nanny cam's was this: If the room is shared with someone else you can get in trouble because of privacy if you film. If it's a private room, you can hide a camera, but if facility finds it they may have the right to remove it - read the contract.
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Wow!! There's so much distrust and fear of mistreatment of your LOs during COVID. Did you visit these care facilities before you placed your LO or did you just choose the most convenient place? Before COVID were you satisfied with the care they were receiving? If not, why didn't you move them then? Why would you expect less care because of COVID restrictions? Not merely less care but abusive care? When I visited several facilities (with my wife) I especially observed how the staff related to the residents. I eliminated one place simply because I saw a staff person pulling a resident in a wheel chair backwards. If you suspect abuse notify the facility and at worst APS, but you better have some strong evidence. Hunches don't count. Neither does hearsay from ex-employees.

When caring for your LO at home would you stand for your sibling, for instance, placing a camera in your home so he can watch your every move and make sure your caring for your LO to his expectations? What would his expectations be? What are your expectations of the facility? So if you want to smuggle a camera in it's your choice. Don't be upset that when the camera is discovered your LO is evicted. COVID is not an excuse for you to believe the facility is abusing your LO.
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ThereIsNoTry Nov 2020
Sometimes there is no choice as to placement for LO - for many reasons, there is just a lot to placement that we have NO control over. In my case, for instance, the VA pays for his care and we are grateful and lucky to have it. BUT, on the weekends, it is a sh** show in there. And, we would normally do his laundry - partly to help out, partly because he normally doesn't get his own clothes back when others do it. There is a reason to have face to face talks with LOs with dementia - we say hello through a window at the end of a hallway while he talks on a phone if we are lucky enough that he is awake. If we don't look in on him, let staff know we care, he could be one of the unlucky who just are forgotten other than at the regularly scheduled times to bathe, change, or feed. One needs to appreciate the staff that does a good job, this discourages others from slacking. You, seem to me, to have a great deal of confidence in your care home. Maybe it's because you have a little more money than some of us do. As it is, our attention is about all we CAN do for our LO, and not being able to talk to them has got to be super hard on everyone. Especially them. (have you never heard of a nanny cam? understand why it exists.
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