On March 23, 2022, a new Ohio law went into effect to grant nursing home residents and/or resident representatives the ability to authorize and install electronic monitoring devices in the rooms of residents living in nursing home care facilities. This law is the result of years of advocacy by the family members of residents who experienced abuse and neglect within nursing homes.
Esther’s law has been put into place in an effort to prevent nursing home abuse in Ohio.
Who is Esther?
Esther Piskor was a woman in her 70s living in a nursing home. She suffered from dementia and needed care around the clock. Her son, Steve Piskor, was suspicious of the care she was receiving and installed a hidden camera in her room. That footage helped Steve and their family prove that she was in fact a victim of nursing home abuse and the guilty party was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Esther passed away in May 2018. Steve has been advocating for Esther’s law in an attempt to prevent other nursing home residents from experiencing what Esther had to.
Esther’s Law
Esther’s law allows residents or their caregivers to install cameras within their personal rooms. It requires facilities to make reasonable accommodations in order for cameras to be installed and inhibits staff from retaliating against those who wish to install surveillance.
Nursing homes are allowed to post a sign outside of a resident’s room stating that cameras are present and monitored in a resident’s room. The law requires consent by either a resident or their representative before a camera can be installed.
When a resident has a roommate, consent must also be given by the roommate or their representative as well.
As part of Esther’s Law in Ohio, only residents, their representatives, law enforcement, or whomever else is otherwise permitted by the resident can watch or listen to camera recordings. While it can incentivize staff “to provide quality of care and treatment with dignity to residents,” it also is not a substitute for good care and family involvement according to the Department of Aging.
Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer in Hamilton, Ohio
As nursing home abuse lawyers in Ohio, we are grateful for this extra layer of protection and accountability being put in place for the elders in our community.
If your loved one has experienced nursing home abuse, we can help you through the legal process.
We can be reached at 513-868-2731, ext. 219 or visit us at https://richardsinjuryfirm.com.
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