Nji`s mother, Santoro, previously lived at the Melbourne Geriatric Care Center Asisi Center. (photo of Australian news agency)
In a recent survey, a Melbourne woman described the discovery of maggots in her mother`s heel wound, which had not been treated for months at the Melbourne Geriatric Care Center (Assisi Centre).
According to the Australian news agency, Engie (Anamaria Ng), from Melbourne, said her mother might still be alive if her stress wounds were properly treated. The pressure wound was later infected and maggots were found in it.
On Wednesday, Engie was shocked to tell the Royal Australian Council for Geriatric Care that her mother, Santoro (Annunziata Santoro), had not been treated for months at the center of Assisi as she wept and told the Royal Council for Geriatric Care that her heel wound had not been treated for several months.
She said Jacob (Jamuna Jacob), head of nurse at the Assisi Center, had tried to stop her general practitioner, Teri (Eric Tay), from telling her and other family members about maggots.
Taili confirmed this on Wednesday. Santoro, who has dementia, died in October 2018 at the age of 94 because of a bone infection in the heel, Taili said.
Staff at the Assisi Center told Nji and Teri that Santoro`s growing anxiety was a behavioral problem. She "didn`t hurt at all." she had not been given painkillers for more than three months when her wound gradually aggravated osteogenic infection.
The mistake led Dr. Taili to prescribe antipsychotic drugs that Santoro did not need, leading Engie and her two brothers to pay extra physiotherapy for their mothers, including painful weight-bearing exercises.
Engie said her mother spent her last days in pain and took a lot of sedatives, which also led to a rapid weight loss, but the Assisi Center did not solve the problem.
She said Jacob dismissed the maggots and blamed the family who took her for a day trip.
Enji transferred her mother to other places for palliative care, but Santoro died within a few days. "I believe that if her pain and care are properly handled, she will still be alive today," she said. (Zheng Peiyu)
