A new proposed bill called ‘Esther’s Law’ would protect patients in nursing homes from elderly abuse by allowing cameras in their rooms.
The bill’s name was chosen after the mother of Ohio resident Steve Piskor, who advocated for change after his mother was abused in a nursing home by her caretaker.
istockphoto.com/byryo
After he suspected that his mother was abused by her caretaker in a nursing home, Ohio resident Steve Piskor decided to put a hidden camera in his mother’s room. According to Title Law Firm, this was the event that started the processing of the bill called Esther’s Law.
When Piskor put the camera in his mother’s room, he ended up finding that his mother was indeed abused by her caretaker including yelling and physical abuse. Steve ended up posting the footage to his Youtube channel and then started working with lawmakers to make sure that future incidents–like what happened to his mother Esther Mitzi Piskor, who passed away in May of 2018–wouldn’t continue to happen to elderly loved ones in nursing home situations.
istockphoto.com/RawpixelSteve claimed that he had suspected the abuse and tried to address the issue with the nursing home, but he was repeatedly ignored. This is what led him to hide the camera in his mother’s room, which then only confirmed his suspicions. If Esther’s law is passed by Ohio lawmakers, it would allow family members to monitor their loved ones via video cameras in individual rooms. According to Title Law Firm:
“If Esther’s Law goes into effect, the resident of the nursing home or their appointed power of attorney would be required to agree to a surveillance device being installed in their room.”
istockphoto.com/Heiko119In the United States, there are currently ten states that allow cameras inside of nursing homes, including:
- Illinois
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
Unfortunately, abuse in long-term care is frequent, but one should always watch out for warning signs including bruises and/or depressive moods. If Esther’s Law is passed, Ohio could take one further step to prevent elder abuse.
istockphoto.com/FredFroeseWhat do you think about the proposed bill? Which of your older loved ones do you think about when you read this article? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments and pass this on to others so they can give us their thoughts, too.
