In a groundbreaking revelation, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has identified the state of New Jersey’s egregious missteps, likening its actions at two veterans homes to a breach of the Fourteenth Amendment rights. These homes bore witness to the chilling loss of dozens during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing shadows of an ongoing and deeply rooted issue with basic infection control.
Menlo Park and Paramus: Sites of Controversy
Announced on Thursday, the DOJ shed light on its meticulous probe into the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Homes situated in Menlo Park and Paramus. While the department urges immediate remedial actions, it doesn’t mince words, emphasizing that a lawsuit under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act is on the horizon should the state lag in its response.
Drawing an unsettling parallel, the federal body found the homes to be nests of unreasonable harm and risk, stemming from ineffective infection control and medical care – practices so flawed they seemed to spit in the face of the Constitution.
Beyond Just Infection: A Cascade of Failings
Delving deeper into the 43-page DOJ report paints a grim picture. The risks to the vulnerable residents echo beyond mere infection. These homes, described by traumatized workers with war-like analogies as “pure hell” and “a battlefield”, showed cracks in basic medical provisions. The range of deficiencies stretched from monitoring acute health changes to adequate medication administration, and even fall prevention.
