Hidden surveillance cameras have helped convict 30 employees of New York nursing home neglect or abuse, according to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has convicted one nursing home company and, in another case, Cuomo said a corporate owner agreed to pay a civil settlement.

"With the consent of family members, we put hidden cameras in nursing homes across the state, watching over the vulnerable who often cannot advocate for themselves," Cuomo said last week. "My office is strongly committed to using all the tools at our disposal to make sure people are getting the medical treatment and care they deserve."

The Attorney General announced charges against 14 employees at Northwoods Rehabilitation and Extended Care Facility in Troy and eight employees at Williamsville Suburban Nursing Home near Buffalo.

Northwoods employees are accused of failing to move an immobile patient and failure to take other steps to prevent bedsores. In Williamsville, two nurses and an aide are accused of failing to provide necessary treatment to an elderly woman and of falsifying records to cover it up. Five other aides are charged with misdemeanors for allegedly moving the woman without using a mechanical lift.

Last month, the New York Injury Lawyer blog posted information based on an article in the New York Times, which outlines steps families can take to help ensure their loved one is placed in a safe nursing home.