Discrete/dementia cameras

[heisthegaffer]

Hi all

My folks are both still at home and sadly deteriorating but not at the stage of going in a home but we want to get some cameras to remotely monitor.

The issue is my stepmum is very suspicious of anything, she's always been a bit funny but this is exasperated by the condition. We therefore need something discrete if possible and obviously remotely viewable.

Any ideas people?

[Derek Smith]

heisthegaffer said:

Hi all

My folks are both still at home and sadly deteriorating but not at the stage of going in a home but we want to get some cameras to remotely monitor.

The issue is my stepmum is very suspicious of anything, she's always been a bit funny but this is exasperated by the condition. We therefore need something discrete if possible and obviously remotely viewable.

Any ideas people?

Seems to me that your step-mother's suspicions are well-founded.

[rek]

Not discrete as such but I bought a very cheap Tapo camera with SD card (no subscription needed then) for my mums living room for exactly the same reasons you have. She saw that the red light came on when it was in use and so was happy she'd know if I was spying. In the settings you can turn off the status LED which I then did. For her privacy I also had one of the cheaper echo devices which have person detection so I could have a routine tell me if it hadn't detected movement for a time, then I could check the camera. After a fall a few months later she asked me to put one in the hallway too!

Later we put in a better echo device so we could video call and found it didn't have the detection feature any more.

[heisthegaffer]

Derek Smith said:

heisthegaffer said:

Hi all

My folks are both still at home and sadly deteriorating but not at the stage of going in a home but we want to get some cameras to remotely monitor.

The issue is my stepmum is very suspicious of anything, she's always been a bit funny but this is exasperated by the condition. We therefore need something discrete if possible and obviously remotely viewable.

Any ideas people?

Seems to me that your step-mother's suspicions are well-founded.

What do you mean by this please Derek?

[heisthegaffer]

rek said:

Not discrete as such but I bought a very cheap Tapo camera with SD card (no subscription needed then) for my mums living room for exactly the same reasons you have. She saw that the red light came on when it was in use and so was happy she'd know if I was spying. In the settings you can turn off the status LED which I then did. For her privacy I also had one of the cheaper echo devices which have person detection so I could have a routine tell me if it hadn't detected movement for a time, then I could check the camera. After a fall a few months later she asked me to put one in the hallway too!

Later we put in a better echo device so we could video call and found it didn't have the detection feature any more.

Thanks.

I use Tapo devices and they're pretty good.

[Gerradi]

Derek Smith said:

Seems to me that your step-mother's suspicions are well-founded.

Hmmm...

[2172cc]

heisthegaffer said:

rek said:

Not discrete as such but I bought a very cheap Tapo camera with SD card (no subscription needed then) for my mums living room for exactly the same reasons you have. She saw that the red light came on when it was in use and so was happy she'd know if I was spying. In the settings you can turn off the status LED which I then did. For her privacy I also had one of the cheaper echo devices which have person detection so I could have a routine tell me if it hadn't detected movement for a time, then I could check the camera. After a fall a few months later she asked me to put one in the hallway too!

Later we put in a better echo device so we could video call and found it didn't have the detection feature any more.

Thanks.

I use Tapo devices and they're pretty good.

I got the Tapo cameras as well for my mum when she was still alive and they do work very well providing you have decent broadband WiFi coverage. The small ones are pretty discreet and you can log into them remotely using the app on a mobile phone.

[heisthegaffer]

2172cc said:

heisthegaffer said:

rek said:

Not discrete as such but I bought a very cheap Tapo camera with SD card (no subscription needed then) for my mums living room for exactly the same reasons you have. She saw that the red light came on when it was in use and so was happy she'd know if I was spying. In the settings you can turn off the status LED which I then did. For her privacy I also had one of the cheaper echo devices which have person detection so I could have a routine tell me if it hadn't detected movement for a time, then I could check the camera. After a fall a few months later she asked me to put one in the hallway too!

Later we put in a better echo device so we could video call and found it didn't have the detection feature any more.

Thanks.

I use Tapo devices and they're pretty good.

I got the Tapo cameras as well for my mum when she was still alive and they do work very well providing you have decent broadband WiFi coverage. The small ones are pretty discreet and you can log into them remotely using the app on a mobile phone.

Thank you.

[Derek Smith]

heisthegaffer said:

What do you mean by this please Derek?

You are spying on her. It might be with the best of intentions, but it is still spying.

Are there no other methods of ensuring whatever it is you wish to ensure?

[rek]

Derek Smith said:

heisthegaffer said:

What do you mean by this please Derek?

You are spying on her. It might be with the best of intentions, but it is still spying.

Are there no other methods of ensuring whatever it is you wish to ensure?

In my case it was never something i wanted to do. I would welcome your advice on what to do differently to ensure the safety of a loved one who needs support, even if they might not realise they need it.

[SlimJim16v]

Maybe just a motion detector.

[RotorRambler]

Providing they consent, Tapo are good

• You generally cannot legally install hidden cameras in someone else’s private home without their consent, even if it’s for their safety.
• Doing so can breach privacy laws (specifically, the Data Protection Act 2018 and Human Rights Act 1998, which protect an individual’s right to privacy in their home).
• If your stepmum or father have mental capacity and don’t agree, installing cameras secretly could be considered an invasion of privacy or, in more extreme cases, covert surveillance, which would require very specific justification (e.g., police or safeguarding authority orders).

If you share the home or have power of attorney
• If you have lasting power of attorney (health and welfare) and can make decisions on their behalf due to lack of capacity, you may be able to authorise monitoring — but it still has to be:
• Proportionate (only as much surveillance as needed for safety)
• Least intrusive (avoid private areas)
• Documented (it’s good practice to record why and how you’re doing it)
• In line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 principles

If they lack capacity and it’s for safeguarding
• Care organisations (like social services) sometimes use covert cameras to investigate suspected abuse or neglect — but only after formal approval and under strict conditions.
• Family members generally shouldn’t do this without at least consulting the GP, social worker, or a legal advisor, because it can have legal implications if discovered or challenged.

If you do it with consent
• If both parents agree and you install the camera in common areas (not bedrooms or bathrooms), that’s completely legal.
• You should also make sure:
• The footage is securely stored (password-protected, not shared publicly)
• You don’t record carers without their knowledge (that can raise employment and privacy issues)

[Derek Smith]

rek said:

In my case it was never something i wanted to do. I would welcome your advice on what to do differently to ensure the safety of a loved one who needs support, even if they might not realise they need it.

I obviously can't give advice for particular circs. I can say what my brother and I did, although there was no dementia, just getting old and infirm.

We organised a rota for regular visits, despite there being a fair distance between us and our parents. We phoned every day, and towards the end twice a day, four in total. We paid a neighbour to knock on the door if we had no reply to the phone. A son of ours visited regularly. We had a cousin in the area to whom we gave a key and they would visit if there was NR to the knock. Only happened once, but once was enough. We just started extended stays with the two families, the intent being to assess the individual's, by then, condition, to see whether a professional carer was required. But they had a stroke on the first organised stay.

My parents were intensely private, as am I, and a hidden camera, not that they were available then, would have been a betrayal of all they, and we, believed in. My mother, who'd worked in a couple of care homes, made us promise not to put both or either in one. While is was a bit of a demand, it was nothing like the level my brother and I put on them.

[a_dreamer]

We have tapo at home. More for the dog to be honest.

If you are worried about falls, you can get pendant devices, some recommended by NHS, which can also track movement etc.

The problem with these devices is the compliance of the person wearing them

As someone points out, the cameras are a legal issue if it's against their will or without their knowledge

[Actual]

A doorbell camera may be useful and possibly more easy to justify. I find doorbell cameras don't look so intrusive. As well as getting alerts when people leave and return there would also be the possibility of recording any unsavoury or predator callers.

[heisthegaffer]

Thanks for the positive comments and suggestions people, really appreciate it.

RE the situation, I dont really want to put camera in but when my dad calls us because my stepmum has fallen down but due to his condition articulate what the problem is, perhaps having cameras would be a massive help? Fortunately she just bruised her knee and wasn't as serious as it could be albeit still meant a trip to a walk in centre.

Honestly Derek, I usually respect your posts but I'm not keen on this vibe from you. My siblings and I visit regularly, I've even changed my hours to support more but we can't be round there every minute of the day.

[Doppel99]

heisthegaffer said:

Thanks for the positive comments and suggestions people, really appreciate it.

RE the situation, I dont really want to put camera in but when my dad calls us because my stepmum has fallen down but due to his condition articulate what the problem is, perhaps having cameras would be a massive help? Fortunately she just bruised her knee and wasn't as serious as it could be albeit still meant a trip to a walk in centre.

Honestly Derek, I usually respect your posts but I'm not keen on this vibe from you. My siblings and I visit regularly, I've even changed my hours to support more but we can't be round there every minute of the day.

I think the point he is making is that eve though obviously your actions are well intentioned, it’s a good idea not to blatantly ignore laws regarding privacy etc.

Would you also want access to their bank card PIN numbers etc.

Again even if well intentioned you can see why that would be a bad idea, unless you’ve gone through the necessary steps to make it all legal (ie POA)

[br d]

Completely unnecessary from Derek in my opinion, a poster I have always respected but this isn't the place for judgement.
Your situation is personal to you and in no way could be construed as spying. Trying to shame you for your genuine concerns is a low blow.
Hope you find the solution you need.

[butchstewie]

Do you think you've any chance of them being able to use something "on demand" like FaceTime if it's less of a "monitoring" thing and more of a "can you show me what you mean" thing?

I can genuinely see both sides of this and I think perhaps Dereks tone might have been a little better it's a reasonable point that it is quite a leap to put cameras in someones house if they don't know you're doing it however good the intentions.

[heisthegaffer]

Doppel99 said:

heisthegaffer said:

Thanks for the positive comments and suggestions people, really appreciate it.

RE the situation, I dont really want to put camera in but when my dad calls us because my stepmum has fallen down but due to his condition articulate what the problem is, perhaps having cameras would be a massive help? Fortunately she just bruised her knee and wasn't as serious as it could be albeit still meant a trip to a walk in centre.

Honestly Derek, I usually respect your posts but I'm not keen on this vibe from you. My siblings and I visit regularly, I've even changed my hours to support more but we can't be round there every minute of the day.

I think the point he is making is that eve though obviously your actions are well intentioned, it s a good idea not to blatantly ignore laws regarding privacy etc.

Would you also want access to their bank card PIN numbers etc.

Again even if well intentioned you can see why that would be a bad idea, unless you ve gone through the necessary steps to make it all legal (ie POA)

Thanks.

We have POA in place. We are trying to keep them at home as long as we can as dad is very independent despite struggling to talk. This is just for the odd occasion to understand any situations that arise. We're not monsters but do appreciate there are some nefarious folk out there