Yet unsuspecting people have hired her, and her state certification is valid through 2001. The Record's inquiry even found some certified aides working in home care while on probation for crimes committed against former patients. Most home health aides are trustworthy, well-intentioned people. And no one is arguing that people with criminal pasts should not be allowed a second chance, once they've served their time. The state, which pays for the checks now, should continue to do so.
New Jersey allows unchecked aides to work longer than any other state.
New Jersey's nursing-home registry identifies people who are barred from working in nursing homes because of criminal pasts or evidence of abuse. In recent years, Arizona, Florida, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts have created such registries for anyone who works with the elderly, including home health aides. Require police and home-care agencies to report arrests and convictions of aides to state regulators, who could then add the information to a registry. Now an agency that learns of an aide's arrest or conviction is often reluctant to pass that information along for fear of legal action. But the state could give agencies immunity.