Action by nursing home employees with cameras draws attention of federal agency.
A new form of elder abuse has arisen through social media, according to a report by WTSP in “Feds crack down on degrading nursing home patient pics.”
Some nursing home employees are contributing to websites dedicated to publishing embarrassing photos of people and the federal government is considering stepping in.
This abuse happens often enough that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has decided that action is needed. It has warned state agencies to check that nursing homes in their states have a policy on employee cell phone use that prohibits employees from taking demeaning or degrading pictures of patients in their facilities.
While a policy in and of itself cannot stop all instances of elder abuse, this is a good and necessary step.
An elder law attorney can help you if you suspect a loved one is the victim of elder abuse.
Reference: WTSP (Aug. 23, 2016) “Feds crack down on degrading nursing home patient pics.”
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