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.
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.
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:
If one of the situations listed above applies, the resident or resident representative must do two things:
complete the section entitled “14-Day Exception to Notify Facility About Electronic Monitoring” on the notification and consent form, linked above; and
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.
You can learn more on the Minnesota Department of Health website.