Nursing home investigating complaint that elderly woman was made to wear mask soiled with vomit

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St Luke's ElderCare is investigating a complaint that an elderly woman at their Hougang centre was made to wear a mask soiled with vomit.

The incident came to light after Facebook user Royston Tan shared what happened on his page.

In his post, he criticised the centre's staff for 'insensitive and inhumane treatment'.

St Luke’s ElderCare Hougang centre staff at Hougang Ave1 Blk 126 shame on you to treat a helpless elderly with such...

Posted by Royston Tan Wee Pheng on Tuesday, September 15, 2020

He said his elderly mother was not feeling well and had vomited after lunch, soiling her mask.

He wrote: "The staff at the centre after cleaning up reused this soiled and dirty mask on her.

"When my mum helplessly told them the mask was dirty, the staff told her it's ok and went ahead to reuse the mask.

"Can't you simply offer a clean mask for this poor elderly, does it really cost you so much for a new mask??"

He added that hygiene when it comes to the elderly should be 'top priority', especially during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

He alleged that on other occasions, the centre's staff would also leave his mum in soiled diapers for hours, causing her to suffer rashes.

He said: "I wished that I could have got there earlier to relieve the suffering of my dearest mother.

"I am so sorry Mum!!"

St Luke's Eldercare addressed the incident in a statement on their Facebook page: "We are aware of a complaint and news article that are circulating on social media platforms.

https://www.facebook.com/206523956041985/posts/3780703628623982/

"The alleged incident involved our care staff allowing an elder to wear a soiled mask.

"We are investigating the matter and have contacted the family members involved.

"Any such treatment of an elder in our care would not be consistent with our care values.

"We will take action if we find any lapses, and review our processes to see if they can be improved.

"We remain committed to providing the best care for our elders."