Heartbreaking details revealed in day one of aged care inquest
The families of residents who died at the Newmarch House aged care facility at the start of the coronavirus pandemic are learning more about what went on behind closed doors, after they say they were kept in the dark for so long.
A coronial inquest into the deaths began yesterday and it was revealed residents were locked in their rooms and at times went without food and medical attention, all with Nepean Hospital just a short drive away.
Nicole Fahey, whose grandmother Ann was one of the 19 residents who lost their lives during the 2020 outbreak, shared details with Today about one of the heartbreaking final conversations she had with her nan.
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Nicole Fahey, whose grandmother Ann was one of the 19 residents who lost their lives during the 2020 outbreak, shared details with Today about one of the heartbreaking final conversations she had with her nan. Today
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"I had a call with her Easter weekend and I remember some words she said to me that really stick with me," Nicole told Today.
"She said: 'Everyday I long for a face to walk in and come in the room to see me.' That was really gut-wrenching for us to deal with.
"So this over the next three weeks we are just really looking to find out those final hours, how her final days were because we don't know. We just don't know."
Nicole Fahey's family want answers on what happened in her grandmother's final hours. Today
A coronial inquest into the deaths began yesterday and it was revealed residents were locked in their rooms and at times went without food and medical attention, all with Nepean Hospital just a short drive away. Today
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The inquest found residents in need of medical help were kept in their room and Nicole said she believes lives could have been saved if they were taken to hospital.
"It was a home, it wasn't a hospital and that's a key statement that people need to remember," she said.
"If it's a child, they go to hospital. If it was Ronald McDonald House, they go to hospital.
"Why the hell were these people not taken to hospital? That's what we want to find out over the next three weeks, and who was responsible for these decisions?"
Watch the full interview with Nicole above
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