New Jersey Surveillance Camera Program Expanded To Include Nursing Homes
New Jersey’s Safe Care Cam program has recently been expanded to include inclusion into nursing homes and other institutions. The program lends hidden surveillance cameras to individuals for free that suspect their family members are being mistreated or abused, so they can gather evidence against caregivers to prove their suspicions.
The Safe Care Cam program previously was made available only for private home care use, but New Jersey Attorney General Porrino announced that families can now get cameras to place in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and all areas of nursing home care.
The program expansion comes after an increase in misconduct complaints and specifically three abuse incidents that were caught on camera. The misconduct ranged from slapping to rough feeding to ignoring patients that were elderly or bed-ridden.
While the cameras are intended to catch abuse amid a growing health care provider surge, the Attorney General’s Office also cited incidents of loving care that were captured on video, calming any concerns family members had.
New Jersey has seen a rise in nursing misconduct as the State Board of Nursing disciplined 307 home health aides in 2016. This is an increase from the 207 that were reprimanded in 2015 and 140 in 2014, as reported by state data.
Fight back against nursing home abuse by contacting Attorney Barry Sugarman at Sugarman Law. Call 866-740-9185 or fill out this contact form for a free initial consultation. You can count on Sugarman Law to provide you with the experience and knowledge you need to file an abuse or neglect claim against a nursing home provider.