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Family accuses Kempton home of negligence after elderly women dies of injuries

The investigation is still premature as the investigating officer received the docket on February 23 for investigation.

The family of Annette Hoppe (79) have accused a Kempton Park-based old aged home of negligence after she allegedly fell and later succumbed to injuries in hospital after surgery.

Her daughter, Nicole Paterson, said she believed her mother could still be alive if the caregivers at Herfsland Old Age took care of her on the day that she fell.

On January 29, Paterson said she received a call around 12:30 from the home, stating that her mother had fallen and she had small bruises on her shoulder.

It is, however, alleged that her mother fell at 07:00. Paterson said she only received the call five hours later.

“I rushed to the home during visiting hours, but they did not tell me she fell at 07:00 in the morning.

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“When I arrived, I could not speak to my mom. I could not interact with her and she was totally disorientated,” said Paterson.

“I asked the matron if my mother injured her head during the fall and if she had a concussion because she was vomiting.”

Paterson said she was told it could never happen.

She added the matron spent the afternoon trying to convince her that her mother had a bladder or urinary infection.

“The matron eventually called me in the late afternoon to say because my mom had been vomiting so much, she needed to go to the hospital for IV fluids.

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“I agreed because she was not herself. We met with her a day before and she was happy and laughing,” said Paterson.

She said she offered to call an ambulance for the ride from the home to the hospital through her mother’s medical aid.

“I was told that the home would arrange everything.

“I met up with the ambulance at Arwyp Hospital and my mom was handed over to the emergency trauma unit.

“The doctor came to me and said he was confused because my mother was in and out of consciousness.

“He said he was told that my mother had a bladder infection, but it did not make sense. He asked me to brief him about what happened,” she said.

According to Paterson, the doctor was not told that Annette had fallen at 7:00 that morning.

“The doctor said they needed to do a range of tests, which later confirmed my mother had a massive subdural haematoma or brain bleed,” said Paterson.

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“The neurosurgeon and the trauma doctor said my mother injured her head from the trauma of the fall and they needed to do emergency brain surgery,” she added.

Paterson said her mom was taken into the theatre at about 03:00 on January 30 after further tests.

“The doctors explained the risks involved with the surgery and my mother’s age and the fact that she was frail.”

“After the surgery, my mom was on a ventilator in the ICU before she died on February 3.

“My mother’s death was noted as unnatural. The contributory factor for this was the fall and her needing surgery was because she fell,” said Paterson.

She said the matron from home called her the morning after her mother was admitted to hospital.

“I explained to her that the doctor said that because of the fall, she had a brain injury. All she said was okay; we wish her well.”

Paterson said her mother’s fall happened on the home’s watch. The police will now investigate.

“My mother was frail. She walked with a walker. She could not get out of bed by herself.

“Staff at the home left her alone. If she was not left unattended, she would not have fallen,” said Paterson.

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She said after her mother died the hospital filled in the wrong form, which caused delays in funeral arrangements.

“The doctor filled in a B1 form instead of a D28, which led to my mother’s body lying in the mortuary for three weeks,” said Paterson.

“No one spoke to me about an autopsy or police investigations. I was just asked which funeral home I wanted to use.

“Someone should have told me that the police needed to come and take the body.”

Paterson feels her mother’s body was disrespected because she was ‘laying in limbo’.

“We could not get closure. I needed to get her death certificate to close her accounts.”

She added on February 21, her mother’s body was taken to the state mortuary where an autopsy was performed as part of police investigations.

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“The autopsy revealed my mom died from intracranial haemorrhage, due to blunt force injury to her head.

“My mother had been staying at the home for weeks, and if she had not fallen, I would still be with her today.”

Paterson described her mother as a caring and compassionate woman.

Anette is survived by her daughter and four grandchildren.

The Kempton Express requested comment from Arwyp Hospital, Hersfland Old Aged Home and Kempton Park SAPS regarding the incident.

“Our understanding is that the case is currently under investigation by the police, and we therefore cannot comment on this matter,” said Ronel de Lange, executive personal assistant to the CEO of Arwyp Hospital.

Herfsland’s Johannie Louw said they managed any information about their residents according to the POPI Act, no 4 of 2013, The National Health Act No. 61 of 2003, and the South African Nursing Council Code of Ethics.

“All our staff members sign declarations on the protection of personal information of the residents and therefore, we cannot provide any information to you. We had communication with the family.

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“We can only express our condolences to the family as we already have. It is also a sad day for especially our nursing staff when one of our residents passes away as they care for them to the best of their ability,” said Louw.

SAPS communications officer for the Ekurhuleni district, Captain Neldah Sekgobela said an inquest docket was registered on February 22 and is under investigation.

“On February 26, we received additional information from the deceased’s daughter on allegations that her late mother fell while at an old age home on January 29. She stated her mother allegedly fell in the morning and she received a call at about noon,” said Sekgobela.

She confirmed the deceased was admitted to hospital on January 29 and died on February 3.

“The investigation is still premature as the investigating officer received the docket on February 23 for investigations.”

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