St Basil’s has blood on their hands over COVID-19 deaths, family claims
A family of a St Basil’s aged care home resident who died from coronavirus says the facility has blood “on their hands” over the death of 96-year-old Dimitrios Roussos, who was a much-loved grandfather and the rock of their family.
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The managers of St Basil’s aged care centre in Fawkner have “blood on their hands” after the death of a beloved grandfather, according to his heartbroken family.
Dimitrios Roussos, 96, died in hospital on July 22 after contracting COVID-19 at the aged care home.
His grandson, Perry Tseros, said the family — many of whom live “quite far away” — had wanted to protect him by putting him in a home where “he would get the best care”.
“As my brother said to me, we put him in there so he could stay alive — but he probably would have more of a chance if we pushed him in front of a train,” he said.
“I feel as though his blood is on their hands, and all my brothers say the exact
same.”
The Broadmeadows man, who was born in Greece, was farewelled by loved ones on Tuesday.
“He was big on family, that was his pride,” Mr Tseros said.
“When us grandkids or his great grandkids would walk into the room, he would light up. It kills me to think how he felt, not being able to see any of us (before he died).
“He will never be forgotten — all the time we spent together, all the stories he told me, are all in my mind and in my heart.”
Mr Tseros, who lives in Ballarat, said St Basil’s management needed to be held accountable for the outbreak that had ravaged the home.
“I’ve just lost my grandpa, the one person I could talk to about anything. I’ve just lost someone I love and nothing is happening — we need something to come from this,” Mr Tseros said.
“Whoever is running that place needs to be held accountable. We need some sort of retribution.
“Elderly people with underlying health conditions are the ones who are most vulnerable, so they are the ones you have to be most careful with. Why weren’t they being cautious?”
In another horrifying story emerging from the St Basil’s aged care home, the family of Vicky Patsakos said she had been bed-bound for 10 days without a shower or proper food, water and administering of medication. “And she’s one of the lucky ones because she’s still alive,” her son-in-law Jack Karikas said.
A frantic Mr Karikas and his wife Helen visited the home on Sunday and brushed past the sole staffer to see the Alzheimer’s sufferer through the window.
“She was unresponsive, just laying there on the bed,” Mr Karikas said.
“We started banging on the window and took our face masks off so she could recognise us, and she started motioning for water.
“These residents aren’t dying from coronavirus, they’re dying from neglect,” he said.
Mr Karikas said he yelled through a closed glass door to staff, pleading with them to give his mother-in-law water.
“She’s just laying there neglected,” he said.
Mr Karikas said Ms Patsakos was transferred to hospital on Monday night.
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