Not in a remote village, not on a remote island, but in the metropolitan area of Korydallos, more than 40 elderly people live in appalling conditions in a private nursing home.
The old people are emaciated, dehydrated and dirty, as their personal hygiene has not been given due attention. Several of them tested positive for Covid-19 and three older people had scabies. Some were found to have bruises and wounds on their heads and eyes, as shown in photographs obtained by Alpha TV. TLife.
A similar situation was discovered at the nursing home on Friday, when authorities raided the building after complaints. There was no owner or management staff in the building, the authorities found only one member of the “nursing” staff plus a cleaner.
The facility was padlocked and the authorities had to force their way in.
Complaints were received in December 2022, ANT1 TV reports. A former employee of the nursing home told the TV channel that the elderly were systematically subjected to physical and psychological abuse, including being deprived of essential medicines and tied to batteries or beds for “aggression”.
The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claims the owner and his son used boxing gloves to beat the elderly. She also said nursing home management had ordered staff to make sure patients looked good during their relatives’ visits, even if basic standards of care and sanitation weren’t being followed.
Horror for an old woman
Aliki K. told the news website enikosthat her mother lost 10 kg in 40 days and looked terribly scared. Her mother was in a private nursing home from January 10 to February 20, 2021. She condemns the abusive behavior of the director of the nursing home towards the elderly: “My mother weighed 70 kg and lost 10 kg in 40 days. She was in good condition and had no problems with mobility, but then I learned that she was “found” in a supine state with necrosis of body tissues.” At some point, Aliki’s mother told Aliki in a telephone conversation that she was tied up and complained about the food, that they gave very little, only a small plate, and basically the menu was rice, barley soup and some compote.”
On February 20, she was informed about the group transfer of elderly people to different hospitals and about the mother with symptoms of gastroenteritis: “I immediately went to Athens to be near her, and I was informed that she had coronavirus.” After the hospitalization, the mother did not return to the house The woman hired a lawyer to return her mother’s things, clothes and medicines.It took her 5 months to return to normal life.Aliki regretted that she did not go to court then.
Nursing home license revoked in 2020
In addition to inspections of the Attica region and expected fines, the criminal investigation of the case is also ongoing. According to the state television and radio company ERTthe criminal case was initiated in agreement with the competent prosecutor. Life magazine contacted the former owner of the nursing home, who spoke of “slander coming from malicious competitors.”
The first calls to the police came in 2016. The results of the investigation were handed over to the responsible persons. According to media reports, violations were revealed even then. Fines of 30,000 euros were imposed, but the nursing home continued its work.
This is not the first and certainly not the last nursing home with unacceptable behavior and conditions. This is largely due to the inspections of authorized bodies, local authorities, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, or rather, their absence.
It is indeed strange—if not suspicious—that the public was not informed about the revocation of the license in 2020 and continued to bring older people into the facility. From this, only one conclusion can be drawn – the institution had patrons who “brought a small fraction of the bounty.”
In a similar situation in Crete, where in a private nursing home there were killed about 80 old people, 7 employees and owners were arrested. There is a court (as usual, extremely slowly) and, according to the prosecutor’s office, the defendants face life imprisonment.
No one would be surprised if, in the proceedings against the capital’s nursing home, it turns out that the elderly were killed. After all, if the employees raised their hands to beat the elderly, you can expect anything from them.
More Stories
Greek mafia: photographs of eight arrested released
"Bloody" fountain on May 1
They cut it off or bit it off, but… part of the ear is missing