Lombardo Signs Law Protecting Seniors After Years of Abuse Scandals

Nevada has finally taken a step to protect some of its most vulnerable residents—though it should not have taken years of suffering and bureaucracy to get here.

Starting October 1, 2025, families will be allowed to place cameras in the private rooms of loved ones in assisted living facilities. This reform came only after one Henderson woman, Peggy Stephenson, refused to stay silent about the abuse her mother endured in multiple facilities. Her fight serves as a reminder that when government drags its feet, it’s everyday citizens who must push back to demand accountability.

Stephenson’s mother suffered abuse and neglect while shuffled between six facilities in as many years. The most painful part wasn’t only the mistreatment itself, but the lack of transparency. When Stephenson requested to install cameras to protect her mother, facilities retaliated rather than cooperate. This is the type of entrenched resistance that grows when oversight and responsibility are absent.

Governor Joe Lombardo, unlike many politicians, listened when Stephenson confronted him directly. He worked with Assemblyman Max Carter to close glaring loopholes in existing law. In 2023, legislation required cameras in skilled nursing facilities, but left out critical areas such as dementia and memory care facilities, physical rehab centers, and assisted living homes—precisely where vulnerable residents are most at risk. Carter sponsored AB368, ensuring that private rooms can now be monitored, giving families peace of mind and residents a layer of protection they were previously denied.

The law doesn’t apply to common areas and requires roommate consent, but it is a hard-fought win that puts power back in the hands of families, not faceless institutions. Currently, only 14 states have similar laws. Carter and Stephenson now want to see this protection extended nationwide, ensuring that no family has to fight years just to secure the basic right to know their loved one is safe.

It shouldn’t take grassroots activism and endless red tape to get such common-sense protections in place, but this victory proves what determined citizens can accomplish. Families know what’s best for their loved ones—and government, at every level, should stop standing in their way.

Source: FOX5