Some of us might choose to entrust elderly homes with our loved ones in the event they require both care and medical attention.
Thankfully, most of these centres are trustworthy and we can leave them in their care with a peace of mind.
However, on Tuesday (15 Sep), a netizen named Royston Tan took to Facebook and shared a rather distressing incident at a nursing home in Hougang. He alleged that his mother was told to reuse a piece of soiled mask she had earlier vomited into.
According to Mr Tan, his mum is currently residing in St Luke’s ElderCare Hougang Centre.
One day, his mum was apparently not feeling well and vomited after having lunch.
An employee at the elderly centre helped to clean up after her but allegedly handed the elderly woman the soiled mask she had regurgitated on.
The mask shared by Mr Tan – presumably the one that his mother had to reuse – was visibly stained and filthy.
When Mr Tan’s mother pointed out that it was dirty, the staff reportedly said that “it’s okay”, and told her to reuse the mask.
Mr Tan was understandably upset about the incident, pointing out that hygiene should be of top priority, especially since we’re living in the midst of a pandemic.
He was also annoyed over the fact that masks are relatively inexpensive and that it wouldn’t cost the home much to provide a new mask for his mother.
The next day, St Luke’s ElderCare’s management team responded to the allegation in a Facebook statement.
In the post, the elderly care home acknowledged the complaint and stated that they’re investigating the matter.
They’ve also contacted the family members involved.
St Luke’s ElderCare added that the alleged treatment is not consistent with their core values.
The management will also not hesitate to take action if such lapses are found.
While it is disturbing to hear of such an incident in an elderly home, we’re glad that the care centre’s management team responded with haste.
We hope members of the public would give the management the necessary time and space to carry out their investigations and avoid jumping to conclusions.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and Google Maps.
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The police are investigating the incident.