N.J. Admin. Code § 15A:3-1.3

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 12, June 17, 2024

Section 15A:3-1.3 - Contact with the Office; information about rights and entitlements; communications

(a) Any person may contact the Office to report any complaints concerning the health, safety and welfare, and the civil and human rights of institutionalized elderly persons.

(b) The Office may be contacted by calling its toll-free telephone number (877-582-6995), 24 hours per day, any day of the year; or by writing to: The Office of the Ombudsperson for the Institutionalized Elderly, Department of the Public Advocate, PO Box 852, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0852.

(c) Any correspondence or written communication from any resident of a facility to the Office shall, if delivered to or received by the facility, be promptly forwarded, unopened, by the facility to the Office. Any correspondence or written communication from the Office to any resident of a facility shall, if delivered to or received by the facility, be promptly forwarded, unopened, by the facility to such resident.

(d) The Office shall prepare and distribute to each facility written notices which set forth the address and telephone number of the Office, a brief explanation of the function of the Office, the procedure to follow in filing a complaint, and other pertinent information.

(e) The administrator of each facility shall ensure that such written notice is given to every resident or his or her next of kin or guardian, as appropriate, upon admission to the facility and to every person already in residence or his or her next of kin or guardian, as appropriate. The administrator shall also post such written notice in a conspicuous, public place in the facility.

(f) The Office shall from time to time publicize its existence, function and activities by informing residents, their families and friends, facility staff and other caregivers, government agencies and representatives, private organizations and community groups, and the general public, about the Office and its function and activities, through "in-service training" presentations at facilities and elsewhere, participation in seminars or other informational programs, contact with the press and other media, and direct communication, in person or in writing, including the submission for publication of scholarly and informational articles and other materials concerning the Office, its functions and activities.

(g) The Office shall make itself available for the purpose of informing and educating interested individuals and groups about general issues of concern affecting the civil and human rights of the institutionalized elderly.

N.J. Admin. Code § 15A:3-1.3