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The family of a 95-year-old woman says a Brisbane aged care home neglected their mother after she developed painful bedsores in its care.
Melinda Pahany claims the Arcare aged care centre in Taigum failed to provide even basic care for her mum, Maddalena Frangiosa, who has suffered several instances of bedsores since moving into the home three years ago.
Ms Pahany, who is battling breast cancer, said the ordeal has taken a significant toll on her mother.
“You wouldn’t want anyone to go through the pain she went through, she was severely upset,” Ms Pahany said.
“Mum’s lost the use of her legs, she’s high-care and its a level of care I can’t do from home and I’m not well myself.
“I have been so stressed out. It’s gone downhill.”
Ms Pahany said she has raised concerns about her mother’s health with the home.
A government nurse confirmed the bedsores were a result of not being cleaned regularly.
“She was crying and screaming, and they just said, ‘oh, you know,'” Ms Pahany said.
“They’re not changing her enough… and she’s obviously sitting in her faeces, et cetera, and she needs to be changed regularly.”
Ms Pahany said she believed issues within the home boiled down to management, rather than individual nurses.
“They need to have more staff and they need to treat them with respect, no matter what age,” she said.
9News provided a copy of the allegations to the aged care home but did not receive a response.
An investigation into the complaints is underway.
It’s the second recent allegation against the aged care centre, following claims the facility failed to notify another family of their mother’s death.
Steve Grady said when he went to visit his mother, 90-year-old Norma Grady, at the Arcare facility on January 31, he saw a body being loaded into a van by police.
He was only later notified the body belonged to his mother, who had died earlier that morning.
After being informed of that case, Federal Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck said he was “shocked and saddened by this report”.
“Communication with families is a key ingredient of quality care,” he said.
“Providers have an obligation to provide a high level of care under the quality standards and there is an expectation that families receive appropriate communication.”
Mr Colbeck said the incident involving Ms Grady is under investigation by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
Labor Senator Murray Watt said he wouldn’t wish the situation on any family.
“The entire time that Richard Colbeck has been the Aged Care Minister of this country, the system has got worse,” he said.
Source: 9News
