Benefits of an Ombudsman and How They Can Help You!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Every state has ombudsmen at both the state and local levels who are dedicated to protecting the rights of nursing home residents. An ombudsman is an official who is appointed to receive and investigate complaints on behalf of a group of people. A long-term care ombudsman is there to listen to and help resolve complaints on matters affecting residents and their families. Where one complaint might not be enough to cause significant change, an ombudsman can collect and organize information from a large number of individuals, and help direct their collective voice into action.
Because they specialize in issues surrounding nursing homes, this type of ombudsman can also be a valuable source of information if you are considering a skilled nursing facility for yourself or a loved one. They can provide tips on what to look for in order to make your search easier and more successful using their expertise. They also help promote awareness of the issues affecting residents to the general public, helping give the elderly a voice in their larger community. A long-term care ombudsman serves as a "watchdog" and an agent of change where there are problems that need to be solved.
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Your local ombudsman is not affiliated with your skilled nursing facility or insurance agency, and therefore can provide you with uncompromising, objective counsel on matters that you are concerned about. They can provide you with information free of charge, that might otherwise require consultation with a lawyer. A nursing home ombudsman also tries to come to you, to be accessible to everyone, and do the best they can to make sure the people they represent are heard and responded to.
With all the issues to consider when choosing a facility, weighing pros and cons, and then continuing to make sure the resident's needs are met over the long term, it is reassuring to know there are services out there working on your behalf. Allowing someone else to do the monitoring lets you concentrate on the more personal details of your loved one's life in the nursing home, and relax and enjoy your visits.
If you have questions or concerns about any number of issues regarding your nursing home, your rights as a nursing home resident, and more, contact your ombudsman. If they can't take care of your inquiry directly, they will be able to refer you to someone who can. Take advantage of the benefits of an ombudsman and how they can help you; they are a valuable source of information and support. It is their job to work on your behalf and for the continued quality of life for residents of nursing homes across the nation.
Benefits of an Ombudsman and How They Can Help You!Federal Prison Inmate Locater - How to Find Someone in Prison
Friday, December 9, 2011
How can I find out if someone is in jail?
When I recently went looking for someone who I thought was in federal prison I was sure that I would have a near impossible task on my hands but I was wrong. It might have been difficult a few years ago but not anymore. Let me show you how to find someone in prison and get loads of background information about them at the same time.
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Step 1: Use the BOP Federal Inmate Lookup
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) provides a website at bop.gov. On the site you will find the BOP federal inmate locater which is a searchable database of all federal inmates since 1982.
Type in the details of the person that you're looking for and click the button to see a list of names together with the prisons where they're being held. When I did this recently the site gave me a long list of inmates because of the common name that I was searching for so I had to find out which one, if any, of the inmates was the person that I was looking for.
Step 2: Get more background information on someone
You may find like I did, that when you've narrowed down your search by race, age and sex you're still left with more than one name and you can't be sure that any one of them is the one you're looking for. You need to get more information on this person.
The BOP site is ok, it's free and it might just tell you everything you need to know. If it doesn't then you should subscribe to a web site that will give you all the information you could ever wish for on prison inmates and anyone else you fancy looking up. These websites gather information from thousands of places all over the Internet and offline too. They are easy to search and when you find the person that you're looking for you can do a full criminal records and background check on them. When you've done this you'll be far more confident that you've found the person that you're looking for.
Federal Prison Inmate Locater - How to Find Someone in PrisonHave You Been Arrested for Assault?
Monday, December 5, 2011
Historically, men have been known to settle their differences with physical altercations. From old bar fights in the Wild West to young war soldiers fighting over a girl; men and women have been fighting for what they thought was right for centuries. Today, times have changed and nobody can get into a physical fight without facing criminal consequences.
The crime of assault involves the threat of violence coupled with the ability to carry it out. If a woman tries to hit her husband in the head with a frying pan and misses she can still be charged with the crime of assault. If a man forcefully pokes another man in the chest in a manner that would be construed as violent or offensive, he can be charged with assault.
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Assault is often times confused with battery. The main difference between the two is that assault does not require that actual physical contact took place, whereas battery does. With a battery conviction, there must have been physical contact between the suspect and the victim.
Assault charges are tricky because there are always two sides to a story and there aren't always witnesses. Even men can be victimized by women with assault charges. Some men were raised to never hit a girl, yet their angry wife or girlfriend physically assaults them in a heated argument.
If the man tires of the abuse and slaps the women he might be the first suspect. The police are more accustomed to female assault victims as opposed to male. The male victim might have a more difficult time explaining that he acted in self defense, even if he truly did.
Even if you were in the right, you will need to have your own representation if you have been charged with assault. Since assault can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or a felony, you can't afford to make the mistake of thinking that your innocence will avoid a conviction.
With many assault charges, it is your word against the other person's, which means it will be up to your criminal defense lawyer to prove your innocence. If you are ultimately convicted of assault, you could be facing steep fines, jail time and victim restitution. It is your right to have an attorney and it is your right to defend yourself when someone is physically attacking you, but you need to act fast by securing a skilled criminal defense lawyer.
Have You Been Arrested for Assault?Explaining Aggravated Vehicular Homicide
Thursday, December 1, 2011
In the state of Ohio, the safety of all drivers and their passengers is of the utmost concern. Unfortunately, auto accidents remain one of the leading causes of death for Americans, especially young children and young adults. Because of the sobering statistics, the state legislature has sought to deter unsafe driving habits by stiffening the penalties for traffic-related offenses.
Vehicle homicide is the criminal offense of causing the death of another human being or unborn child while operating a motor vehicle. There are varying degrees of such a crime, with aggravated vehicular homicide being the most serious offense, followed by vehicular homicide and vehicular manslaughter. With aggravated vehicular homicide, certain aggravating factors were present at the time of the accident. These factors can elevate a standard homicide or vehicular manslaughter case into aggravated vehicular homicide.
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The most common aggravating factor is alcohol. When an individual kills another person in a drunk driving accident, they will most likely be charged with aggravated homicide. Furthermore, Ohio's impaired driving laws not only encompass alcohol intoxication, but they include driving while under the influence of illegal drugs and controlled substances as well.
Such homicide is not limited to drug or alcohol use. A person can be found guilty of aggravated vehicular homicide if they were found to be driving in a reckless manner which displayed a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of other people or property. A good example would be drag racing, if a person was racing at 65 mph in a 25 mph zone and struck and killed a pedestrian, they could be charged with aggravated vehicular homicide.
In addition to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or reckless driving, a person can be charged with aggravated vehicular homicide if they cause the death of another person while driving recklessly in a construction zone. Ohio legislature added this new aggravating factor in 2004, in order to combat unsafe and hazardous driving in the state's construction zones.
It's tragic that anyone can accidentally cause the death of another human being if they are involved in an auto accident, but it happens every day. In Ohio, a person can be criminally charged for accidentally killing another person in a motor vehicle accident, regardless of whom they are or if they don't have a prior criminal record. What this means is that even if you are a young college student with a promising career ahead of you, even if you are a medical doctor or a lawyer, or if you are a stay at home mom with kids at home, you could still be criminally convicted if you kill another person with your motor vehicle. For this reason, it is absolutely critical that you enlist the services of an experienced attorney. You don't want your future and your fate to be solely in the hands of the criminal justice system.
In Ohio, aggravated vehicular homicide when impaired is a second degree felony. Penalties for a second degree felony can include up to 8 years in prison and up to ,000 in fines. If the driver was under suspension at the time of the offense, then the offense is charged as a first degree felony which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and ,000 in fines. If you or someone you love has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, it is extremely important that you enlist the services of a skilled and knowledgeable Columbus criminal defense attorney immediately. A conviction can destroy your life; therefore, you will need an aggressive and meticulous lawyer to fight on your behalf.
Explaining Aggravated Vehicular HomicideDUI Records and Pre-Employment Background Checks
Sunday, November 27, 2011
If you've recently been arrested and/or convicted of a DUI or drunk driving offense there are many things to consider before actually disclosing your DUI on a job application. First, if you are eligible to clear the DUI record (immediately or in the near future) it might make more sense to explore those avenues before you apply for a job that you really want.
9 times out of 10 most every employer will do a pre-employment background check on you and will uncover the DUI offense which most likely will cause them not to hire you. Most pre-employment background checks are conducted by 3rd party HR companies that are contracted by your potential employer specifically to do background checks. A lot of the big companies use the same outsourced HR company to do their checks so if you get flagged within their system that could in effect ruin your chances of ever getting hired from any company who uses them to perform pre-employment background checks.
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So it's definitely something you want to think about and clear up BEFORE you apply and agree to a background check.
But if you take the steps to clear or expunge the DUI record prior to applying for the job there is a good chance that they will never find out about it. So, by spending a little bit of time and educating yourself on what you need to do to take care of your record could pay off big time.
Not every state allows the clearing or expunging of DUI records but even in those states that won't clear your record there are remedies to minimize the damage by keeping it from showing up on background checks. You can get more information at www.duiprocess.com
How to File Veterans Affairs Claims
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Filing compensation claims under the US Department of Veterans Affairs is not as easy as it may seem, especially if you're into it for the first time in your life. Rules and regulations that govern the working of the Veterans Affairs (VA) system keep changing almost everyday. So, it's almost impossible for an individual to keep track of the extremely dynamic provisions of the VA system and make claims accordingly.
Thus, when you think about filing a VA claim, the wisest thing would be hiring the services of a reputed VA attorney who's practicing in your region. Such lawyers would be able to help you with the paper-work that's necessary for filing a VA petition and would also extend his assistance while you start gathering different evidences which are crucial in filing such claims. Now, let's look at some of the basic steps involved in filing a VA claim:
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Before you start arranging the documents required to file such petitions, you must request a copy of your official military personnel records file. You can get this by sending a document request to the National Personnel Records Center.
After you get the records file, you must start collecting other documents which include:
1. The Report of Separation (DD - 214)
2. Your healthcare provider's statement(s) which should make reference to different medical findings, treatment procedures, diagnosis, and so on.
3. Social security number for each of your family members and also that of any dependent relative who may be residing with your family. Together with these, you must also present the social security award letter (or the exact amount of payment received)
4. Marriage certificate (in case you are presently married) and the birth certificates for all your kids being claimed as immediate dependents (also includes adopted and step children).
Once you gather all these documents, your VA lawyer would use these records to make sure that the Veterans Affairs system follows their own rules and gives you the money you really deserve.
Finally, when you are done with arranging all the documents, visit the Veterans Affairs Regional Office in your area and file your claim. You must remember to follow up with the VA Regional Office to ensure that you get the money in time.
However, when in need of legal assistance for filing a claim under the US Department of Veterans Affairs...Columbus (OH) residents must seek guidance from experienced lawyers only!
How to File Veterans Affairs ClaimsWhat You Should Know About Court Reporter Services
Saturday, November 19, 2011
A large amount of people think that court reporting is a boring job, but it can be such an exhilarating one. The reason it has a reputation for being so dull is because, a court reporter must turn out page after page of legal jargon, but what they don't consider is that the reporter is a first hand witness to some exciting and dramatic court room drama.
What Qualifications Do You Need To Be Able Offer A Court Reporting Service?
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In order to be a certified reporter, an individual has to pass the State Licensure Exams which is executed by a panel of court reporting specialists. He or she may be a member of either the National Verbatim Reporters Association (NVRA) or the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). To become eligible to be a member of the NVRA you will have to be able to type 250 words per minute, and to qualify as a member for the NCRA the minimum requirement is 225 words a minute.
For additional improving of abilities in the reporting field, they are obligated to undergo quite a few tests like writing, transcriptions examinations, and speed tests categories like Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR) or Real Time Verbatim Reporter (RVR).
Court reporting services
Aside from documenting and transcribing the depositions and litigation in court, a court transcriptionist ought to offer various services:
A good quality transcript or report of all the occurrences that happened in the courtroom. The stenographer should preferably write in flawless grammar with the proper spelling and punctuations. For that reason, the court reporter should have an outstanding knowledge of the spoken and written language.
A quality litigation reporter would certainly also know the fundamental facts of the case they are reporting on. This is so that they can completely understand the proceedings amongst the lawyers, Judge, Defendant, Plaintiff and the Jury, and what charges or complaint is against the accused. This can also help the reporter to keep themselves updated on all of the jargon, and they might be able to predict what could be said in future proceedings.
Through voice, electronic or stenotype reporting, the reporter may render service by transcribing every one of these into a written format that is legally recognized in court. They will have to create a transcript that can be read.
The reporting services he supplies will need to be speedy and effective, so the reporter should be be trained well enough to handle stress and pressure and sustain grace under pressure.
Court reporting services don't only involve court proceedings but also outside services. A person that is trained to do court reporting may also be able to work as a broadcast captioner or a webcaster. An individual that can transcribe live TV for disabled people can earn an excellent salary.
They could also work from a home office as a freelance reporter, or as a independent reporter. If someone decides to work in this way, they are able to have a flexible schedule, which can be much less demanding and stressful.
If you love and have a good understanding of the written and spoken English language, you will make an excellent court reporter. It is an exhilarating and challenging job. Court reporting also requires you to have remarkable documenting skills, and the ability to make good decisions. The lawyer requires all the support he can get from a certified court reporter or an official court reporter to win his case. In conclusion, the role of a court reporter is a extremely important when it comes to providing documentation for proceedings, dispositions and court litigation.
What You Should Know About Court Reporter Services