Is it Legal to Use a Nanny Cam in a Nursing Home?

When we have loved ones in nursing homes, we want to make sure they are well taken care of, and receiving respectful, professional care. In an ideal world, we would trust that this is the case, but as we have seen from countless news stories, this is not always the case. One modern trend that is gaining traction is using nanny cams in the nursing home.

What Are Nanny Cams?

Nanny cams are simply surveillance cameras that are placed strategically to monitor and record a caretaker, such as a babysitter, nanny, or nursing home care aide. Nanny cams are available in two types, exposed nanny cams or hidden nanny cams. Exposed cameras are clearly visible, and the caretaker will be aware of its presence. Hidden nanny cams are disguised, and may have the appearance of a different object such as a book or clock, or are completely hidden. These are often used without the caretaker being aware of their presence.

Are these Legal to Use?

Using a nanny camera in your own home is perfectly acceptable, as long as it is not intended for commercial purposes. There are, however, privacy laws in place that protect citizens from being recorded by businesses and government. Placing a nanny camera in a care home in the suite of a resident is a legal grey area, and this area has yet to be settled in Canadian Law.

The concern is that the use of the hidden camera brings up many ethical and legal issues, for both sides of the argument. The person placing the camera will want to ensure their loved one is being treated with respect and dignity, and at the same time, the care aide has the right to privacy at work. One legal case from 2010 allowed the use of nanny cam footage as evidence against a worker who was fire for mistreating a resident. The key decision in this was that the daughter of the resident installed the camera without the knowledge of management of the care home, removing the privacy law issue of being monitored by businesses.

For now, the use of nanny cams in nursing homes continues to be a highly debated topic, but if you suspect your loved one is not being treated with dignity, then make sure you pickup a nanny cam from SpyStore and take the steps to protect them today.