Coronavirus: Desperate families gather outside St Basil’s in Fawkner as COVID death toll soars
After being told his coronavirus-stricken father would likely pass away, Spiros Dimitriou just wants to say goodbye.
For the sons and daughters of the residents of St Basil’s, the desperate wait for news — any news — of their mothers and fathers has become utterly unbearable.
The wild spread of the coronavirus through the aged-care home in Melbourne’s north means they can’t visit their elderly loved ones. Phone calls to reception have now gone unanswered for several days, and exasperated, teary vigils outside the facility have proved futile.
The operators of St Basil’s Home for the Aged, in Fawkner, apologised on Saturday night, sheeting the “gap in communications” to the sudden handover to federal control on Wednesday.
But the apology, after days of silence and in some cases misinformation from the operators, failed to satisfy the relatives of some residents on Sunday.
At the entrance of St Basil’s on Sunday, a woman repeatedly hit the facility’s buzzer as she demanded information, while another sat nearby with her head in her hands.
A worker came out and warned the families she would call police if their behaviour escalated.
As he waited for answers, Ivan Rukavina said he didn’t know if his mother Marija, 86, was still inside the facility after she tested positive for the coronavirus last Saturday.
“They could possibly be on their last breath of air and no one’s letting you know about it,” he said. “No one’s answering the phone. Who’s supposed to be looking after them? Are they answering their calls for help if they’re not answering our calls?”
At the back of St Basil’s on Sunday, elderly residents were carried out on stretches and loaded into ambulances.
The number of COVID-19 cases linked to St Basil’s sits at 78.
Photographs supplied to The Australian show personal protective equipment discarded on the grass as well as the arrival of two federal communication consultants. There are even reports of distressed family members accusing St Basil’s staff of not wearing PPE.
Nicholas Barboussas said his father Paul died after catching the coronavirus at St Basil’s.
On the same day his dad was admitted to the intensive care unit of a Melbourne hospital, staff at St Basil’s told Nicholas his father was healthy and in his room at the aged-care home. “We were told that he was isolated in the dementia unit, which is basically the high care area,” he told Nine.
Mr Barboussas said he had to correct the misinformation that was provided to him by St
Basil’s staff, who were seemingly unaware that Paul was fighting for his life in hospital.
Christine Golding finally caught a glimpse of her mother Efraxia on Sunday, having not seen her, or been updated on her condition, for a week.
Denied entry to St Basil’s, she removed a fly screen from the window of her mother’s room and waved to her. “It was an emotional experience, like her soul was gone,” she said.
“She’s been in bed for two weeks without love and attention. We’ve heard people aren’t being fed and hydrated properly.”
Ms Golding said St Basil’s handling of the outbreak had been “a complete and utter disaster”. “We’re all petrified that COVID has spread like wildfire in that place.”
Helen Karikas said on Sunday she finally managed to catch a glimpse of her 85-year-old mother Vicky Patsakos, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, through a window at St Basil’s.
“I haven’t touched my mum since March and my mum is one of the most selfless people,” she said through tears. “Even the other day, I asked mum, ‘how are you?’ She said ‘I’m fine.’ She just looked at me with that look of despair.”
Minister for Aged Care Richard Colbeck said federal officials held meetings on the weekend with families of the residents, with expert teams deployed to ensure standards of care were being met.
“We understand the emotional impact the situation is having on residents, staff and families,” he said. “Our priority remains the health and wellbeing of those residents who remain on site while also ensuring families have the information they need.”
It’s understood one reason for the breakdown in communication is that staff have only been providing updates to the “registered contact” of residents, and some close relatives had not been formally registered with the home and were therefore unable to be given personal information.
In a letter released to the media on Saturday night, St Basil’s chairman Konstantin Kontis said staff were distressed.
“With all of our staff not being present and having vacated on Wednesday, there has been a gap until communications could be recommenced,” he said.
“We understand that all residents’ relatives have now been contacted by the communications team which has commenced operations and will be updating all next-of-kin on a daily basis on the condition of their loved ones.”
After waiting outside St Basil’s all day, Spiros Dimitriou said on Sunday night he still did not know when he would be able to see his father John, 73, who is receiving palliative care at the facility after being diagnosed with the coronavirus. “A nurse did call us twice … said his oxygen levels aren’t too bad … they said he looks a bit distressed and confused,” he said.
Despite his father being on a ventilator and barely responsive during a Skype call on Friday, Mr Dimitriou said when his sister called on Saturday she was told their dad’s condition had improved. “How can you tell me Friday he’s on his deathbed … and then Saturday night when my sister calls your staff in here they say he’s going good?”
The coronavirus has flourished in Australia’s neglected aged-care sector, with low-paid and largely casual workers believed to be responsible for spreading COVID through Victoria’s nursing homes.
Premier Daniel Andrews said his government maintained a “clear line of sight” on the aged-care sector as it co-ordinated with the commonwealth, which is the responsible level of government.
“The important point here is even though we don’t run these aged-care homes, we are working incredibly closely with the people who do,” he said.
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