Husband of woman who was one of 19 residents to die in Covid-19 outbreak claims nursing home communication was ‘horribly bad’ during crisis
Study told of shocking lack of communication in Covid-stricken nursing home
Husband of Covid victim says Newmarch House lacked care and empathy either
Staff member called husband to say he could visit wife after she already passed away
37 residents of Newmarch House contracted the virus and 19 died afterwards
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Newmarch House management lacked care and empathy in its response to a deadly COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, an investigation has said.
Lloyd Sullivan appeared via video link in Lidcombe Coroners Court on Wednesday to tell what happened to his wife and Newmarch resident Margaret Sullivan, who died on 11 May 2020 at the age of 71 after contracting COVID-19.
When asked what he thought of the Anglicare-run home’s response to the outbreak, Mr Sullivan said the organization wouldn’t get its act together if her life depended on it.
Sydney’s Newmarch House was the scene of a major Covid-19 outbreak in early 2020, with 37 residents contracting the virus and 19 related deaths
‘Management seemed to be lacking – lack of care and empathy, and good business practices. Communication between March 23 and the day she died was terribly bad, terribly bad,” he said.
Newmarch went into lockdown on March 23 as the outbreak spread. In April and May, 37 residents contracted the virus and 19 died afterwards.
A total of 34 staff members also tested positive, with 87 percent of staff either sick or in self-isolation.
Mr Sullivan, who sometimes sobbed at the memory of his wife, said he realized carers would be caught off guard during the lockdown.
He requested that he stay at home to take care of his wife who suffered from dementia and needed someone to feed her.
However, this was beaten back by the manager of the house, Melinda Burns.
Banning family members from accessing their loved ones had a dramatic effect on Mr Sullivan and the relatives of other residents he had come to know over time, the court heard.
“I just can’t describe how everyone felt. Because we all have our loved ones and they are all very special to us. Taking something like that is horrible, absolutely horrible,” he said.
Flowers were left outside the entrance to Anglicare’s Newmarch House retirement home where 19 residents died from COVID-19
Other flaws came to light, such as maintenance personnel walking around without PPE when family members had to dress completely.
Sullivan also said he received a call the day his wife died from a staff member who, not knowing what had happened, said the family could have a window visit with her the next day.
“You just get annoyed by things like that,” he told the court.
An ambulance leaves the Anglicare retirement home at Newmarch House on May 7
Alice Bacon died on May 19, 2020 in Newmarch at the age of 93.
Her daughter Mary Watson also testified on Wednesday.
The lockdown had left Ms Bacon lonely and depressed, deprived of the social life interacting with residents and seeing her family had created, the court heard.
At one point, Mrs. Bacon was forced to drink from a bathroom faucet without anyone opening the water bottles for her anymore.
‘She asked a gentleman to open it for her and he said he couldn’t, he was not allowed to touch anything in the room and ring her doorbell. No one ever came,” said Mrs Watson.
No one would pick up the phone, leaving Ms Watson with no choice but to constantly ring her phone again in a desperate attempt to find out what her mother was like during the lockdown.
The investigation continues.