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My 85yr old mother lives alone and now needs an in home caregiver. I have cameras installed in various places so I can watch my mother while I’m at work. I know as a courtesy I should say something but is it illegal not to mention it?

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Audio recording is not permitted in most states unless all parties agree to it but video is permitted.
Even if you mention it I think 99.99% of people soon forget that they are being recorded. Do you think about it every time you walk into a store, the bank, a mall, just walking down the street in most metropolitan areas we are recorded.
Make sure if you are hiring privately that you do thorough background checks. And most background checks will only show convictions. If you are going through an agency it can be easier.
In either case make sure ALL valuables are locked up. All financial information is secure. There is very little if any cash in the house.
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A little online sleuthing tells me that nanny cams are permitted in CA, provided that you respect private areas such as the bathroom. That applies to video only, audio recordings are not allowed without consent from both parties.
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vaccagirl, hopefully you have also locked down any of your LOs sensitive information, paperwork, checkbooks, devices and passwords, mail, IDs, etc. Also make sure if she uses any "desirable" medications (like oxy) that those too are out of temptation's view. I think cameras are a good idea.
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Vaccagirl, my boss had installed cameras at his home as his wife had Alzheimer's and did tell the caregiver. The caregiver tried her best to deal with the cameras as my boss just wanted to see how his wife was doing but it made the caregiver quite nervous as she was a private person. Eventually she resigned.

Well, my boss had a terrible time trying to find a new caregiver as his wife wouldn't accept anyone new, she wanted the original caregiver back as they had bonded, and the caregiver understood every aspect of Alzheimer's. My boss had tried to rehire the original caregiver, telling her the cameras were gone, but she had already accepted a new client.

Thus, there are pro and cons to doing this.
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You may install cameras in your own home. I certainly would not install them in a bathroom, or anywhere it looks as though you might find someone changing clothing, but it is not uncommon today. I pet sit. When I enter a home I ASSUME there are cameras on me every second; it's the nature of our city at this point with all the high tech and package thefts and etc. Gone are the days when I as a teen baby sitter felt comfortable exploring the medicine cabinets belonging to others, hee hee.
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Recording is legal here. Audio is legal here even without having the other person's knowledge. So if it is legal where you are and it makes you feel more comfortable, go for it. People have cameras on them all over now, stores, banks, casinos, airports, etc. You would think everyone would be used to it by now. I am. I don't even think about it anymore.
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Alva, interesting about snooping in homes when babysitting. We had a teen down the street who sat for us occasionally. She wasn’t the one who snooped. Her father would come over and snoop!

Another neighbor told me not to use this sitter. When I asked her why she told me that she came home early and caught him going through nightstand drawers. She was furious. I never used that sitter again. Some people are so weird!
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We have a baby monitor that helps friend keep eye or audio of my mom after I leave for work. She listens to my mom breath, snore, etc before care giver gets there.
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Where I live, legal to have cameras except in bathroom, we have two baths, one for LO, one for caregiver.
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I think if you are using cameras especially & not just audio, then you should tell the caregiver whether it's legal or illegal. The majority won't have a problem with it. Explain it protects the caregiver as much as it gives you solace to be able to watch over your loved one and communicate with her via the two way feature that's built in on cameras for such purposes.
Honesty from day 1 helps build a positive rapport and trust.
I used to record my students and I when I taught school. It protected them and me. I had the parents sign waivers that they agreed and no liability would be held against me. I got approval from the school district first of course. The students forgot they were being recorded daily before we knew it so their behaviors became normalized to their personalities quickly.
I say keep them but definitely be upfront about them. Educate the caregiver on how to use the cameras even, to provide more comfort if necessary.
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