Social Media and Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes

As social media platforms increase, the lines are being blurred on what is acceptable to post online. There have been instances in nursing homes where a patient’s privacy has been violated. Nursing home attendants have posted embarrassing and degrading pictures of their patients on social media, namely Snapchat and Facebook. Unfortunately, many patients fail to report that this is happening because they have dementia or are otherwise unaware of the occurrences. If you suspect this is happening to a loved one, you should report it to the owners or management. If that doesn’t bring action, you can contact either the Long-term Care Ombudsman or Adult Protection Services so your loved ones lives remain private and off the internet.
(From “Nursing Home Residents Privacy-Violations” by Rebecca C. Morgan)