Cameras to be installed in SA nursing home rooms

Cameras to be installed in SA nursing home rooms

Five nursing homes in South Australia will be the first in the nation to have CCTV cameras installed in a pilot program established in the wake of widespread abuse and mistreatment of residents.

Northgate House, Mount Pleasant Aged Care, Bordertown Memorial Hospital as well as facilities in Waikerie and Port Pirie have been selected as the first sites for the national CCTV trial. Cameras will be installed in every bedroom – but won’t be activated without the consent of residents and families.

Participants will also be able to opt out of the trial at any time. South Australian Health Minister Stephen Wade says the pilot aims to see if surveillance systems are a cost-effective way to improve safety and quality of care for residents.

“We believe that the CCTV trial is an important opportunity to both monitor care and monitor the welfare of residents so we can deliver better care to them,” he said. It will also determine if those benefits outweigh the privacy issues that come with the audio-visual monitoring systems.

The trial will run for 12 months with cameras set to be rolled out next year.

This article was originally published on 9News on 5/11/19 by Rory McClaren.