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Frail care facility revealed to be anything but a haven

by Luqmaan Rawat

A patient’s family has spoken about alleged abuse at the frail care centre

Johannesburg – Services at Abida’s Frail Care Centre in Johannesburg have been found wanting. 

According to the Callaghan family, their fifty-eight-year-old mother was allegedly tortured, starved, burnt, and beaten at the facility – and they want answers.

According to Virginia Keppler, Callaghan Family spokesperson and CEO of Rea Thusa/We Help, the family visited their mother religiously for as long as she has been in the frail care centre but it was only recently that they became aware of the abuse she suffers.

“She has a lot of bruises. She’s got fresh bruises as well as old bruises on her body, and her back especially. And I think that is one of the reasons the family never noticed over this four-year period. Fatima didn’t speak out at all. I can assure you the family visits her every week as much as they can. They are tremendously devastated about what happened here. They found out now because there were injuries on her face and that is how it actually came out.”

Fatima Callaghan was admitted to the frail care centre four years ago after her mother had passed away. She suffered a stroke shortly after which affected the left side of her body. Her family looked after her, but they decided to place her in an institution that could help Fatima recover.

“When she went into the frail care centre she could walk and she could talk, though, with difficulty. They saw that there was a possibility that she could recover and maybe start using the left side [of her body] as well. They then looked for an institution that promised them that she will get physiotherapy and that she will get all the care she needs,” said Keppler.

Abida could not provide any records regarding injuries or medical records when asked by the family for such. Furthermore, the family found out that their mother suffered a broken finger which was allowed to heal on its own.

“Fatima had a broken finger that healed on its own. It was confirmed by a doctor at Helen Joseph hospital. She [Abida] told the family that she had taken Fatima on numerous occasions to the Helen Joseph hospital. We couldn’t find any record of it.” 

The promises made to them were never kept. According to Keppler, not only has Abida “not been forthcoming with the family,” they have also heard from another patient’s family that they too have seen bruises on their family member.

“Abida has been very arrogant and rude to the family. She has told them that they cannot enter the facility anymore. There is in fact another patient whose family also contacted me last night and they said their family member also had bruises before, but they never thought that was the case. There was always a story that Abida used to give them, ‘oh they fell when the bathroom floor was wet’ or whatever. It’s concerning because if you know you’re looking after frail patients why would you have a slippery bathroom floor where people can fall and why would you allow your patients to go and bathe alone and be alone on their own when you know they can have an accident?”

The family has not been allowed back at the facility. The Department of Social Development has visited the facility but was not let in. They were allowed in the following day however and spoke to Abida. Keppler said the family is awaiting their report 

They want the centre to be shut down, said Keppler, “We want the people who are currently in there to find better accommodation where they will really be taken care of.”

Keppler confirmed they will be opening a case against “Abida, her daughter and the staff,” whilst encouraging other family members who are in the same situation to come forward and report it to the police. 

Comment from Abida’s frail centre was not forthcoming.

 

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