Thursday, May 7, 2009

Australian Nursing Home Horror

A pack of mice mauled a bedridden 89-year-old man at an Australian nursing home, shredding parts of his ears and prompting the government to launch an investigation into the facility.

Ray Hopper, a state opposition legislator who was alerted to the mauling by the man's family, said the resident had been found covered in blood by nursing staff. "An elderly, bedridden gentleman had the tops of his ears severely chewed, his head badly bitten and a very bad wound in the throat," Hopper said. "His hands were covered in blood when they found him; he'd obviously been so distressed trying to get the mice away."

Hopper accused health officials of being slow to respond to an out-of-control mouse infestation at Dalby Hospital, where Karingal Nursing Home is located. "It is the most disgusting, horrific thing," Hopper said. "There wasn't a wall of mice suddenly hitting the place — this has been building up for three weeks. They had plenty of time to act."

Federal Minister for Aging Justine Elliot ordered a probe into what the government-run nursing home in Queensland state was doing to protect residents, saying in a statement that the attack was "extremely disturbing and traumatic for residents and their families."

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