Rep. Kennedy Supports Bill to Protect Nursing Home Residents

HARTFORD – To improve resident safety in a long-term care facility, as well as providing better opportunities for a resident to maintain closer contact with their family members, friends and care giving team, State Representative Kathy Kennedy (R-119) today joined her colleagues to pass a measure to allow nursing home residents or their families to be able to install and use video monitoring and communication equipment in their room.

“The Covid pandemic has shown that the enforced isolation of seniors and the disabled has led to an epidemic of “failure to thrive” among this population and a desperate need for human connections with family and loved ones,” said Rep. Kennedy. “Social isolation, lack of exercise and mobility also substantially contribute to poor outcomes. In this process residents’ dignity and human rights must not be abridged, including the right to quality health care, fresh air and family interaction. We need a focus on patients and people. ”

According to an analysis from the non-partisan Office of Legislative Research, the bill, HB 6552 – An Act Concerning the Rights of Residents in Nursing Home Facilities to Use the Technology of their Choice for Virtual Connections to Family, Friends and Other Persons allows “a nursing home resident to use technology of their choosing that facilitates virtual monitoring or virtual visitation” with certain restrictions. The resident must pay for the cost of the technology and its installation, maintenance, operation, deactivation, and removal. Signed, written notice and consent must be provided at least seven days before installing or using virtual monitoring technology, and the resident must cease its use if any roommate withdraws his or her consent. Clear, conspicuous notice of video monitoring must be posted at the facility entrance and on the door of the resident’s room or living unit, and the technology and any recordings obtained are not used to violate an individual’s right to privacy under state or federal law.

The resident or their family will be responsible for all costs incurred in the purchase, installation or storage of any technology being added. The bill does not impact the state budget.

AARP, the leading senior advocacy organization in the state supports the legislation because it provides detailed responsibility requirements for both the resident and the facility to protect the privacy for all.

The bill has been placed to the Senate calendar and awaits action. The legislative session end at midnight on Wednesday, June 9th.