Care Worker’s Experience after Mandatory Installation of CCTV in Long-Term Care Facility in Korea

Abstract

This study examined the experience of care worker after the mandatory installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in long-term care facilities in Korea. In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 care workers working at long-term care facilities. Giorgi (1997)’s phenomenological method was used to for data analysis and the results show six and three emerging and essential themes, respectively. The essential themes included “CCTV that operates 24/7, 365 days a year,” “guardians who place more trust in CCTV than in care workers,” and “concerns about one’s appearance on CCTV.” The themes resulted in the following: “I am concerned about my appearance on the CCTV because of guardians who place more trust in the CCTV system, which operates 24 hours, than in care workers.” Based on these findings, this study suggests the following policy and practice recommendations: ensure rest time and space for care workers; add a voice-recording function to CCTV; and reduce the care worker-to-resident ratio.