Oklahoma City Elder Abuse Lawyers

Senate Bill 587 -
Electronic Monitoring in Oklahoma Nursing Homes

Senate Bill 587, which was signed into law by Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin on May 6, 2013, now allows the families of nursing home residents in the state to install electronic monitoring devices in their rooms. The bill is meant to increase the rights of families when it comes to monitoring their loved ones and the care they receive from professionals.

Attorney Ray Maples believes that every Oklahoma resident has the right to receive proper medical care and families have the right to ensure the safety of their loved ones. If you or a loved one has been harmed by a nursing home staff’s abusive or negligent actions, you have the right to hold them responsible. Through a no-cost consultation with a call to our legal team at (405) 883-4487, you can better understand your rights and the actions you can take.

Provisions of the New Bill

Under Senate Bill 587, nursing home residents and their legal representatives can now pay to have their own electronic monitoring. What is important to note is that nursing homes are under no obligation to install their own devices, but must inform residents and their families of their rights to have electronic monitoring within their own private rooms. Additionally, nursing homes cannot refuse to admit a person because he or she wants to have the room electronically monitored and staff members are barred from tampering with these devices. Nursing homes will have to post a notice near the front door that informs visitors that audio devices and electronic monitoring may be in use.

Importantly, the law allows evidence that is found through electronic monitoring in nursing homes to be used in court. This footage can be used in both civil and criminal court.

The law goes into effect on November 1, 2013.

The Importance of Nursing Home Monitoring

Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse is an unfortunately frequent occurrence in nursing homes in Oklahoma and across the country. In these incidents, victims will often be intimidated and threatened into silence and staff members will try to cover up their illegal actions. As such, it frequently falls to loved ones to discover and put an end to abuse. While physical and emotional symptoms of abuse can be detected by loved ones, these are not always readily apparent. By having video and audio recording of a person’s room, a loved one can have definitive proof that his or her loved one is being abused and can take action as quickly as possible.

Protecting the Rights of Victims

If you believe that your loved one is being abused in his or her nursing home, do not delay in protecting him or her with the skilled legal representation from Ray Maples. Getting your loved one out of an abusive situation is vital in preventing continued harm, but only through holding those who committed such actions responsible will you be able to find justice and compensation for an elderly family member’s trauma. Call today at (405) 883-4487 to learn more.