Doctor said bedsore is about two weeks old

SAVF invited WITBANK NEWS to a meeting on May 5 where they asked for the opportunity to put the incidents in perspective.

May 5, 2021

Zita Goldswain 2 minutes read

Ms Koekie Steynberg (93) is happy in Eden Park Retirement Village.

The articles the past few weeks regarding alleged neglect at Immergroen Old Age Home were met with resentment from the community.

In the articles, WITBANK NEWS reported about 93-year-old Ms Koekie Steynberg’s who was apparently strapped to a chair with a sheet after she refused to sit in a chair.

SAVF admitted that Steynberg was tied to a chair.

“Ms Steynberg was periodically placed on a chair on a soft pillow for short intervals, as she could not stand or walk on her own. This was done as part of the prevention of bed rest complications. CCTV footage reflects the care of her back and pressure parts. Ms Steynberg was according to prescriptions restrained with a draw sheet on a chair when the nurse attending to her was called to an emergency in another room. It was done responsibly and as a precaution, as she could easily fall off a chair when not supervised,” said Ms Nelie Viljoen-Toet (acting director of Social Services).

Steynberg’s daughter, Ms Sophie du Preez was livid when she told WITBANK NEWS that Steynberg had a huge bedsore on her lower back and that was the reason she in pain when she was put in the chair.

“Poor skin integrity could be the result, amongst others, of systemic or physical impairment, and in SAVF Old Age Homes the next of kin is informed likewise. Nursing care intervention is reviewed accordingly. The professional nurse in charge of SAVF Immergroen informed Ms Du Preez about her poor skin integrity in the week before her transfer. Measures were constantly implemented to prevent or minimize further skin deterioration and the formation of pressure sores,” Viljoen-Toet explained.

WITBANK NEWS asked a local doctor’s opinion about Ms Steynberg’s bedsore.

“The top bedsore has been forming over two weeks. This is because of lying in the bed,’ the doctor that is kept anonymous said.

He said the skin on the second bedsore is still intact, but the bedsore is busy forming. Bedsores are common in the elderly because their skin is so thin.