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.

Benefits of an Ombudsman and How They Can Help You!

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!

Posted by win12dos at 9:00 PM 0 comments  

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

Federal Prison Inmate Locater - How to Find Someone in Prison

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 Prison

Posted by win12dos at 8:22 PM 0 comments  

Have 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.

Have You Been Arrested for Assault?

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?

Posted by win12dos at 7:44 PM 0 comments  

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.

Explaining Aggravated Vehicular Homicide

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 Homicide