Iowans could monitor their family member’s nursing home room through a video livestream under a bill advancing in the Iowa House of Representatives.
Rep. Brooke Boden, R-Indianola, said she is “ecstatic” that the bill she co-sponsored is being considered.
“We owe it not only to those residents, but we absolutely owe it to the staff and the facilities as well, because this is a protection for everybody,” Boden said.
The bill would require a nursing home resident or their representative to pay for a video system if they want one, and they would have to get permission from the resident’s roommate. It would allow for a video livestream, but not for recording video or audio. Rooms with cameras would have signs posted to inform staff and visitors that the room is being electronically monitored.
Nursing homes would be prohibited from discriminating or retaliating against residents based on their use of video monitoring.
Rep. Timi Brown-Powers, D-Waterloo, said cameras in nursing home rooms raise concerns about residents’ privacy and dignity. But she voted to move the bill forward.