CCTV in Care Homes

“I think this is something we need to look at, and I can see the case”.

He acknowledged the scale of the crisis and backed the press calls for safety monitoring in communal areas. Mr. Hancock was the first minister to publicly back safety monitoring and agreed with campaigners who say cameras would protect vulnerable residents and staff.  This raised hopes of CCTV cameras in care homes becoming a legal requirement.

CCTV may be controversial – so is ABUSE.

I think this needs to go further. Abuse doesn’t occur in communal areas. Undercover investigations by Panorama prove that most abuse happens in residents’ bedrooms.

Dignity

There is a debate about the loss of dignity for elderly residents, and cameras should not be allowed in bedrooms or bathrooms.

I disagree and feel CCTV is the only way to ensure elderly people are treated well at all times.

There is no dignity in abuse, only humiliation and pain.

Surely that can not be tolerated. The care system is creaking, like old joints, under the increasing strain of an ageing population.

Job of Last Resort?

Moving forward, the care sector needs an additional 500k care workers, and it doesn’t take a genius to understand that with good carers leaving in droves, the door is wide open for people for whom the job is not their first choice. Many times, care work is seen as a job of last resort.

Home Closures.

The system is spiralling out of control. The more homes that close, the more pressure is placed on the local authority to house those made homeless. With local homes often at capacity, elderly people need to move hundreds of miles away from loved ones and friends.

CCTV Cameras in care homes protect residents and staff and should be installed. I was working in a care home when I wrote this post. Residents understood that footage would only be viewed in the case of an investigation.