An elderly man developed gangrene and later died in hospital after staff at a Gold Coast nursing home failed to properly monitor and treat pressure wounds on his buttocks and feet, according to the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner. Zdenek Selir, who was known to friends and family as Danny, moved into the Leamington nursing home in Southport in June 2015 after suffering a stroke. The 88-year-old had minor pressure wounds when he arrived, but the operator of the facility acknowledges his condition deteriorated during his stay. Unsatisfied with the initial response from the nursing home’s operator, Opal Aged Care, Ms Selir referred the matter to the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner. It found in her favour, noting there was “insufficient recording of wound care” and that nursing staff were not “monitoring the wounds consistently” or keeping Mr Selir’s GP up-to-date on his condition. Gary Barnier, managing director of Opal Aged Care, acknowledges mistakes were made, adding that Mr Selir should have been referred to a specialist. “Not only should the registered nurses have paid a bit more attention to the dressing and so forth of the wound, I think, really, it should have been escalated in a more effective way,” he said. “All I can say is how sorry I am that the family feels the way they do.” When asked whether the failure to properly monitor and treat Mr Selir’s wounds hastened his death, Mr Barnier said: “I don’t know enough detail to comment.”
