Taking Photos on Your Mobile Phone in a Aged Care Facility

[miss flossy]

What do u think of taking photos on your mobile phone in a aged care facility do u think its acceptable or not, i am a nursing student, who for my assignment needed photos wasnt alowed inside to take one, and was told i should no not to take photos of aged care facilities by the rn

i want to know your opinions on this

miss flossy:monkeydance::balloons:

[JBudd, MSN]

People have the right to their privacy, taking photos of people in LTC without their permission or consent for your own purposes is taking advantage of them. In our hospital, even the police have to have a consent to photograph signed by the patient, whether they are the perp or the victim.

Not trying to sound harsh here, but you have no more right to take their photos than anyone else has permission to walk into your house and take pictures of you and your family without your knowledge or consent.

So, your RN was right. Does the school really expect you to have photos for an assigment? They should certainly know better. :trout:

[Scrubby]

I have to agree with JBudd. You don't have the right to take pics without going through the appropriate process.

[Zookeeper3]

with camera phones, this has become a problem in our ICU.. but our facility has a standardized form, that you can use on admission to give clearance for wall photos, room photos, get togethers and group activities. Long term care is different than a hospital, the residents LIVE there and you want to have their pictures plastered enjoying things everywhere. A standard permission form will protect you, and those declining will protect you from those that don't always have best interests intended.

[Liberty Bellpn]

It's posted at the entrance to our facility--No Camera Phones--due to privacy policy.

I think it's absolutely appropriate.

(of course it doesn't really stop anyone from bringing their phones in, but I've never seen them using the camera! I'd have a problem with that.)

[TazziRN, RN]

I'm really surprised your school even gave you that assignment, they should have known better. HIPAA is a big thing right now, and taking photos without permission is definitely a huge HIPAA violation.

[ERRNTraveler, RN]

As others have said, this is a HUGE HIPAA violation! Even in the ER, if the police come in to take pictures of an assault victim, we still have to get the patient to sign a photo consent.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Note that OP is in Australia ...

Privacy laws may well be very different.

[TazziRN, RN]

Note that OP is in Australia ...

Privacy laws may well be very different.

Ah......whoopsie!

BUT.....even if privacy laws are different, the RIGHT to privacy is not. It's obvious that Australian facilities believe the same way we do about that.

[Cosper123]

The OP never said their school required pictures of residents in the home. It simply said she needed pictures.

First thing that came to my mind...as a student...was get non copy-righted pictures online...

I can't see on any level how the OP would interpret that as a reason to violate someone's privacy....standards I would at least strongly assume are similar to our own since her RN told her that it wasn't acceptable.

So -again an assumption- I figure what the school intended was simply pictures, and the OP misunderstood the directions.

[justme1972]

I look at it this way....

You aren't there on a social visit, you are there for an educational opportunity and the patients and facility that have allowed the arrangment also need to provide their clients with privacy....clients are not there for entertainment/documentary purposes.

To take pictures, would never cross my mind.

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

she is asking what our opinion is of taking pictures in a aged care center. for the patients in that aged care center that is their home.

the op never said their school required pictures of residents in the home. it simply said she needed pictures.

first thing that came to my mind...as a student...was get non copy-righted pictures online...

i can't see on any level how the op would interpret that as a reason to violate someone's privacy....standards i would at least strongly assume are similar to our own since her rn told her that it wasn't acceptable.

so -again an assumption- i figure what the school intended was simply pictures, and the op misunderstood the directions.