NYDailyNews

Granny Cams Help Kin Watch Over Elderly

By GREG GITTRICH Daily News Staff Writer

irst there was the nanny cam — now there is the granny cam.

In a statewide first, a Bronx nursing home has installed six cameras in its center, making it possible for family and friends to watch their elderly loved ones' every move via the Internet.

The granny cams have drawn rave reviews from families of the elderly who attend a day program at the Hebrew Home for the Aged in Riverdale.

"It is nice to know that we can look in on the center if we wanted," said Daisy Boyer, whose 61-year-old husband, Edward Thomas, attends the home's day-care program.

"It's pretty cool. Right now I'm watching him from home. I'm going to plug into this every day. I can see if he's being abused or taken care of."

Advocates for the elderly and civil libertarians warn the technology could be misused. But they agree the constant surveillance — if done with consent as at the Hebrew Home — could prove to be a valuable tool against elder abuse.

"We are the first program to do this," said David Pomeranz, associate executive director of the senior center. "Our program gives families the freedom to maintain their daily lives. They can log onto their computer, take a quick peek, watch mom or dad and see what's going on in our center at all times."

Only four of the 75 senior citizens in the center's day-care and overnight programs have balked at being on camera, Pomeranz said.

The cameras, which cost a total of about $20,000, are focused on the center's recreational areas, music rooms and arts and crafts rooms.

When a senior who has not given consent enters a room with a granny cam, the individual camera is turned off.

The Hebrew Home insists the camera setup is secure and cannot be accessed by just anyone on the Internet. Families need a password to gain entry, and the state Health Department is monitoring the program. If deemed successful, it could be picked up by other senior centers.

The American Association of Retired Persons called the cameras "a reasonable attempt" to combat nursing-home abuses.

"We work with a lot of families and there is enormous concern about what is going in the nursing-home business," said Fred Griesbach of the AARP New York chapter.

"As long as the Health Department is going to monitor this ... and families have signed off, we think it is a good attempt to address the growing concern about the quality of care and patient abuse," Griesbach said.

Original Publication Date: 7/9/01

-- Anonymous, July 09, 2001