The Puerto Rico Federation of Long-Term Care Institutions (FICPRO) is urging lawmakers to reconsider a proposed measure that would let older adults or their representatives install and control surveillance cameras inside their rooms at long-term care facilities. The proposal, introduced by Representative Jorge Navarro Suárez, has raised concerns among providers about resident privacy, employee protections, cybersecurity and nursing homes’ operational responsibilities.
"Are we really protecting older adults when we allow people outside the institution to remotely observe these highly intimate moments?"
FICPRO President Jonathan Morales Adorno said privately controlled cameras could record highly personal situations, including bed baths, diaper changes, help with dressing and nursing procedures. "Are we really protecting older adults when we allow people outside the institution to remotely observe these highly intimate moments?" he asked. He questioned who would have access to the recordings, how viewers would be monitored and what safeguards would keep footage from being shared with unauthorized third parties, and warned footage could be circulated or taken out of context, compromising workers’ privacy.
FICPRO warned that connecting privately owned equipment to the internet outside a facility’s administrative control could create cybersecurity vulnerabilities, letting unauthorized people potentially access images of residents and information about employees’ schedules, movements and routines. Although families would pay for the cameras, facilities could still be required to accommodate installations, post notices and resolve privacy disputes involving roommates, the federation said.