Volunteer Advocates Needed to Help Protect Our Elderly in NJ Nursing Homes

It’s no secret that elderly abuse is happening on a daily basis in nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout New Jersey. If you have family members living in skilled nursing facilities, no doubt you keep your eyes and ears wide open in an effort to protect your loved ones.

Now, James McCracken, NJ State Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly, is seeking to give you a helping hand. In an letter to the editor at the Trenton Times, McCracken called for volunteers to report incidents of abuse and neglect toward elderly patients living in nursing homes. The piece was short, but effective, highlighting an appeal for more volunteers interested in joining in the fight to act as advocates for the vulnerable elderly.

McCracken notes that volunteers are an essential part of protecting our state’s elderly. He noted that there are 16 nursing homes in Mercer County, NJ, and only seven volunteer advocates. Contact his office at (609) 826-5053 to learn how to become a volunteer advocate in a local nursing home. Volunteers get free training and spend four hours a week at local nursing homes talking with residents, listening to their concerns and advocating for them if there are problems.

While it is necessary that we do all that we can to prevent elder abuse, we also need to hold facilities responsible when their neglect and abuse causes injury or worse. If you discover that your elderly loved one has suffered mistreatment at the hands of their hired caretaker, you need experienced and dedicated legal assistance to hold them accountable and get the justice your loved one and family deserve. Please call us at Sugarman Law, let us know what happened, and let us help.

The Sugarman Law Firm has a successful track record of helping families win justice for their mistreated elderly loved ones. Call us now so we can discuss your options and move forward.