A Winnipeg woman is raising concerns about the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority’s no camera policy.

The WRHA won’t allow staff to be videotaped or photographed and wants the woman’s mother-in-law to turn off her surveillance camera when WRHA home-care workers are around.

The camera was installed when the family suspected an Assiniboine Links employee was stealing from the 85-year-old woman but they don’t think they should have to turn it off for the WRHA.

When $600 went missing from her mother-in-law's apartment at the privately-operated assisted living facility in Charleswood, Debbie Fakes took matters into her own hands and installed a security camera in the suite.

In March, surveillance footage showed an employee of Assiniboine Links entering the suite and allegedly stealing Tylenol 3 pills. Winnipeg Police arrested the woman and charged her for theft. She's been fired from her job. She was not an employee of the WRHA.

"I thought okay let's look on the camera,” said Fakes. “We looked on the camera and that's what we found."

The incident alerted the WRHA about the camera

They've since asked Fakes mother-in-law to turn off the camera whenever a WRHA home-care worker is in the room.

"I got a call saying as long as home care is coming in I can't have a camera in her suite," said Fakes.

The WRHA’S Regional Director of Home Care, Vikas Sethi, said the policy is meant to address privacy concerns and to make sure clients and staff have a trusting relationship.

"We need to make a balance between the clients rights as well as staff's rights because there always could be concerns about staff safety in these situations and what happens to those images, what could people do with them," said Sethi.

He said if patients have concerns about a home-care worker's behaviour, they're encouraged to contact the WRHA directly and they will deal with the matter.

"We want to make sure if there's a worker and there are concerns, we want to make sure we are aware of that because at the end of the day, home care is responsible to make sure we're providing good care to our clients and they feel comfortable providing the care."

Fakes said the home-care workers looking after her mother-in-law have been helpful and she trusts them.

Fakes also works as a caregiver at a nursing home and said she would have no problem being filmed while at work.

"The only people that would have a problem with a camera is a person that was up to no good,” said Fakes.

Sethi said the WRHA usually finds out about a camera in someone’s home when the patient notifies staff or if a staff member sees the camera. The camera doesn’t have to be removed, but they do ask patients turn it off when home-care workers are present.

Al Nixon, Assiniboine Links board chairperson, said the residence doesn’t have the same policy. Nixon said residents are allowed to have cameras inside their suites and that there’s no rules preventing staff from being taped.

Nixon said since the alleged theft was caught on camera, a number of changes have been made, including re-keying all the suites and pursuing the installation of a video surveillance system in the hallways.

He also said staff will now be required to undergo a police record check and senior abuse and child abuse check before being hired.

Incident reports will also be reviewed and signed off by the patient or patient’s family when someone reports a problem involving their care at Assiniboine Links.