Serious mismanagement claims at Epping Gardens Aged Care, more than 77 coronavirus cases linked to facility
By 9News Staff
8:04pm Jul 27, 2020
Grief-stricken families are demanding the federal government take immediate control of a coronavirus-riddled aged care home in Melbourne's north after 77 infections have been linked to the facility.
Confirmed COVID-19 case numbers continue to soar at Epping Gardens Aged Care home with one residents' family members alleging serious mismanagement to stop the virus outbreak.
Anna Maria Mattia has joined others in raising concerns about the treatment of residents in lockdown after her grandmother Carmela tested positive to COVID-19.
Grief-stricken families are demanding the federal government take immediate control of a coronavirus-riddled aged care home in Melbourne after 77 infections have been linked to the facility. (9News)
"My grandmother's lying in a hospital bed fighting for her life, she's pretty important to us," Ms Mattia told 9News.
"She was riddled with infection when she arrived at hospital. Urinary infection, lung infection, dehydrated."
Sixty-one aged care homes across Victoria are infected with coronavirus. There are 683 active virus cases connected to aged care in the state.
Six Victorians who lost their lives to COVID-19 overnight, five were linked to aged care facilities.
Confirmed COVID-19 case numbers continue to soar at Epping Gardens Aged Care home with one residents' family members alleging serious mismanagement to stop the virus outbreak. (9News)
Family members and workers have claimed the facility is significantly understaffed, resulting in residents waiting hours for food and medicine and days for showering.
Robert Guruskovski said his grandma was among a number of residents being left in soiled bedding for most of the day.
"Being in a bed flooded with urine that is unacceptable - absolutely unacceptable," he said.
"It's really distressing."
Carla Cinel, a 73-year-old resident of the facility, died on Saturday. Her family said she had complained of chest pain, confusion and difficulty breathing, but was only taken to hospital after they demanded it.
Sixty-one aged care homes across Victoria are infected with coronavirus. There are 683 active virus cases connected to aged care in the state. (9News)
They claim it was there she was diagnosed with COVID-19 and passed away soon after.
Ms Cinel's grieving son Luciano believed her carers were not equipped to deal with the pandemic and the system failed her.
"I'm completely baffled as to why the symptoms weren't picked up," Mr Cinel said.
"Within a couple of hours from there I was told that she was going to die."
Epping Gardens is yet to respond to 9News about the claims.
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