NJ to offer home health care surveillance camera to spot aide abuse

The state is taking steps to provide families of the elderly with some peace of mind. More people these days are turning to home health aides to take care of loved ones, but state Attorney General

News 12 Staff

Dec 23, 2016, 3:57 AM

Updated 2,681 days ago

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NJ to offer home health care surveillance camera to spot aide abuse
The state is taking steps to provide families of the elderly with some peace of mind.
More people these days are turning to home health aides to take care of loved ones, but state Attorney General Christopher Perrino says they are seeing more abuse cases because of it.
"If you think that you are going to mistreat an individual that can't report your abuse, you may be on videotape," says Perrino.
The Division of Consumer Affairs is asking the families of those with home health aides to use the cameras if they are concerned about possible abuse.
They say the camera can be placed into everyday items and can go undetected.
For those interested, cameras can be picked up in Newark or Cherry Hill. The individual must be able to explain why they are concerned, and give their home address and signature. 
The camera is motion-activated so it will pick up what an aide does when they believe they're not being watched.
"You don't need evidence you don't need photos or anything like that. But if you suspect something, come to us and we'll loan you a camera," says Steve Lee, director of the Division of Consumer Affairs.
The attorney general's office says changes in licensing for aides may be coming in the future. 


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