skip to content
Primary navigation

Electronic Monitoring


Residents of long-term care facilities may want to install an electronic monitoring device in their rooms or private living units to help monitor whether they receive appropriate care and are treated with dignity and respect.   

Minnesota’s Electronic Monitoring Law permits residents of certain long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, boarding care homes, and assisted living facilities, to install and use an electronic monitoring device in their room or private living unit.  If there is a shared room or living unit, then the roommate must also consent.

The Minnesota Department of Health regulates Minnesota’s electronic monitoring law.

How to Begin Electronic Monitoring


Before using an electronic monitoring device, a resident must complete a notification and consent form and give the signed form to the facility. In certain situations, a resident representative may consent and complete the form.

Here are the links to the notification consent forms:

The forms explain when a representative may consent on behalf of a resident or roommate and when each of the forms may be used.

May I Begin Electronic Monitoring Without Notifying the Facility? 


A resident may electronically monitor their room or private living unit without notifying the facility for up to 14 days only if one of these situations applies:  

  • The resident or resident representative reasonably fears retaliation by the facility, and reported any suspected maltreatment to the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center or the police;
  • The resident or resident representative did not receive a timely written response from the facility to a concern the resident notified the facility about in writing, and that concern prompts the resident to use the electronic monitoring device; or
  • The resident or resident representative already reported concerns to the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center or the police and those concerns led the resident to want to use an electronic monitoring device.

If one of the situations listed above applies, the resident or resident representative must do two things:

  1. complete the section entitled “14-Day Exception to Notify Facility About Electronic Monitoring” on the notification and consent form, linked above; and

  2. send a copy of the completed form, including the completed 14-day exception section, to the Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care.

Once these two steps are completed, a resident may then electronically monitor their room for up to 14 days.  On the 15th day, the resident must give the completed consent form to the facility.  

For residents seeking a 14-day exemption, completed consent forms may be sent to the Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care at:

If a resident is not seeking a 14-day exemption, the resident does not need to submit anything to the Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care.  Facilities should keep a copy of the form in their resident files but do not need to submit a copy of any electronic monitoring consent forms to the OOLTC.  

Learn More

You can learn more on the Minnesota Department of Health website.

back to top