Investigation announced after revelations of maggots growing in a dementia patient’s leg

An independent inquiry has been launched into the “horrendous” neglect of a 78-year-old dementia patient, found with maggots inside an open wound on Christmas Day. LATEST >>

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AN INDEPENDENT inquiry is being launched into a “gross breach of human rights” incident whereby a dementia patient in government care was found with maggots growing in his leg.

The incident, revealed by the Mercury yesterday, has sparked serious concerns from the man’s family, with his daughter calling for answers about why his maggot-infested leg wasn’t attended to and why he apparently wasn’t showered for days.

The 78-year-old man’s condition was discovered by his family during a Christmas Day visit to Hobart’s Roy Fagan Centre.

Maggots crawling on the floor after the wound was undressed.

Advocacy Tasmania chief executive Leanne Groombridge said the elder abuse support organisation received weekly “horrendous” stories of senior citizens suffering abuse.

“These abuses have included older people being denied their basic rights in state hospitals such as being prevented from leaving the facility, not being given access to phones to make calls for help or receiving minimal care and inadequate rehabilitation,” she said.

“We have raised this with various ministers, and several weeks ago we met with the head of the Hobart and Launceston hospitals to highlight those abuses.

“We hold grave concerns for older Tasmanians who have no close supports and where the abuse goes on unchecked.”

The 78-year-old’s infested wound.

Ms Groombridge said Advocacy Tasmania was “repeatedly” told of aged care workforce pressures which she said continued to lead to the abuse of those in aged care facilities.

“One woman in her late eighties told us she had to wait for over two hours for help to get to the toilet and then had to wait for hours until a worker could come to assist her back to her chair,” she said.

“Our elders living with chronic pain are waiting too long to get their pain medication and are suffering as a result, and they are waiting hours to get out of bed or to retire for the night.

“One older person recently came to us desperate for help as their behaviour was being managed by their residential care staff yet they had an infection that had not been picked.

“It is abhorrent that any older Tasmanian is being abused yet to see this in our state hospitals or in residential care where they are specifically charged with protecting and caring for the most vulnerable is shameful.”

The unidentifiable woman’s father was found with maggots in an open wound while at care in the Roy Fagan Centre.

Australian Lawyers Alliance Human Rights spokesman Greg Barns SC described the incident of maggots found in a patient’s leg as a “gross breach of human rights owed to vulnerable people”.

“The Tasmanian government has not only breached fundamental rights but WorkSafe Tasmania should investigate and look at charges under the work safe legislation because of a breach of the duty of to provide a safe environment for residents and staff,” he said.

Mental Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff, who labelled the maggot findings “completely and utterly unacceptable”, on Wednesday announced an independent review into the incident would be undertaken.

He said an initial report was expected to be delivered by April.

Mr Rockliff suggested the inquiry should examine the care of the patient leading up to his admission to the Royal Hobart Hospital on Christmas Day and the Safety Learning Reporting Systems incidents which identify patient care issues across the 12 months prior.

Minister Jeremy Rockliff. Picture: Zak Simmonds

He said it should also consider any matters which have been the subject of an open disclosure process in the past 12 months.

Australian Medical Association Tasmania president Helen McArdle said she expected the inquiry would highlight under-resourcing of mental health and geriatric services at the Roy Fagan centre.

“The staff there are dedicated to their patients and work tirelessly to deliver the best care they can in the circumstances,” she said.

“But they have to rely on too many casual staff and they have trouble recruiting to Registered Nursing positions.”

“In order to attract good people into dementia care, they need to be paid more than their counterparts in other nursing disciplines.”

Labor Health spokeswoman Sarah Lovell said the independent inquiry into the incident must not be a smokescreen, saying the state government “needs to start addressing the fundamental problems in our healthcare system”.

“It’s appalling to think the state government could allow a situation where funding and resources are so parlous that these circumstances can occur,” she said.

Originally published as Investigation announced after revelations of maggots growing in a dementia patient’s leg