Working people are relying increasingly on CCTV camera to monitor the well-being of parents
A CCTV camera fitted inside the house of a home-alone senior citizen (Photo: DC)
Chennai: Keeping an eye on the elderly seems to have taken on a literal meaning for many working people who are relying increasingly on closed circuit television camera to monitor the well-being of parents and in-laws at home from their place of work. A year ago, Jyoti Daswani from Harrington Road, Nungambakam, came to know about the use of video surveillance and immediately opted for it so that she could keep an eye on her 88-year-old, bed-ridden father-in-law.
“My children are settled at different places and I run my own business. I can’t be physically present at home, and most of the time, I’m away from home. After installing the camera, I log in to my mobile from anywhere and check on my father-in-law,” she says, adding that care providers and the help at home too know that they are being monitored and do their best.
Installed on top of the television in centre of the bedroom, Jyoti’s sister-in-law too monitors her father from the US. “Since we are away from home the best we can do is keep tracking his movements, and in case of any emergency, nurses call and inform us,” said Jyoti. Dr Anitha Arokiaswamy, president of India Home Healthcare (IHHC), says CCTV camera installations are new to this country. “One of our clients in Bengaluru was reluctant to leave for the US, leaving behind his ailing mother. That was the time we thought of this new concept. After installing cameras, we provide a user ID and password and people from anywhere can log in to check on elderly parents,” she said. It provides great relief and peace of mind to children and also to elders as they feel safe and secure.
The installation charges depend on the size of the house. “A 2BHK apartment could cost approximately Rs 20,000. There are no monthly charges except when there is a need to store the data. Otherwise, the data gets erased after three months,” says Dr Arokiaswamy. It’s not only home healthcare that wires the house, but any company can provide the service.
Installation of cameras should be done only after seeking permission from elders, says 80-year-old K. Janaki, a resident of Urapakkam, whose two children have settled outside the state. “Some elders might feel comfortable as they feel their children are watching them from somewhere,” she says.
Renowned geriatrician Dr V.S. Natarajan says that such practices should be resorted to without annoying them as parents like to age in familiar and comfortable surroundings so that they don’t feel monitored. “Almost all elderly people that I interact with want privacy, and at the same time, someone who is physically present to talk to them. This concept is new and has its own advantages, but not many elders like to be monitored. It can be applicable only to bed-ridden or acutely ill patients,” he says.
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