The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs and the state Attorney General have expanded a hidden camera program to protect elderly and disabled patients from caregiver abuse.
The "Safe Care Cam" program, which launched in December 2016, now allows residents access to micro-surveillance equipment on loan to monitor loved ones living in nursing homes or other institutional care facilities. The loan program was previously limited to individuals who wished to monitor home caregivers.
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Additionally, the state's Consumer Affairs division plans to eliminate legal provisions that permit new healthcare workers to begin working in patient homes while a criminal background check was pending.
"New Jersey families deserve assurances that the person spending hours alone caring for their loved one has a clean criminal record and is performing their caregiver duties with the respect and kindness every patient deserves," said Steve Lee, director of the state Division of Consumer Affairs. "Our initiatives today are designed to provide families with increased peace of mind that their loved ones are safe and in good hands."
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