Healthcare Compliance Perspective – Hidden Cameras :
The Compliance Officer should be aware of the state laws governing the placement of a hidden camera in a nursing home (or visual) within a resident’s room and the facility’s policies regarding residents’ privacy and notification regarding cameras. The Compliance Officer should follow-up to ensure that an in-depth investigation was done and also follow-up to ensure that staff receive ongoing training about abuse and neglect and their responsibility to report suspected issues of non-compliance. Residents, family and staff should be reminded about the availability of a Compliance and Ethics Hot Line as a means of reporting any sort of non-compliance.
A Raleigh, North Carolina nursing home has been accused and the state is investigating the allegation of abuse regarding a 68-year-old resident. The resident is recovering from a stroke and initially complained to his daughter that he was not being treated very well. So, the daughter hid a video camera in a nursing home within her father’s room to try and determine the kind of care he was receiving.
The events recorded on the hidden camera was disturbing-particularly a portion recorded from about 4:20 a.m. to 5:40 a.m. that shows the resident slipping off the bed onto the floor. The resident can be heard calling out to the nurses for help. A little more than an hour passes before anyone enters the resident’s room. When someone does come in, that person never speaks to or checks on the resident who continues to call out for help.
Another 15 minutes passes and some staff members enter; but, instead of trying to assist the resident, they begin questioning him. One staff person asks, “What are you doing there? What are you doing on the floor?” The resident responds, “I need help.” He tells those staff members that he needed to go to the bathroom and had an accident while he was waiting.”
The staff changes the resident while he is still on the floor and telling them that he is cold. One of the staff says to the resident, “You were on the bed. You decided to go on the floor, so don’t complain that it’s cold.” This staff member even ridicules the resident for having had the stroke-“You had to do something very wrong with your life. What did you do?” the staff member asks and then continues, “You’re suffering so bad, so you’ve done something wrong. Yes, you did!”
The staff continue to berate him after they get him back into bed saying, “How old are you? You’re supposed to be enjoying your retirement. Instead, look what you are doing, pooping on yourself. Shame on you!”
The facility responded to the family’s allegations by launching an investigation that resulted in the termination of the staff who were involved. The facility spokesperson reported that the facility provided additional in-service training for the remaining staff members
