Social Security ensured this Friday, March 10, that makes technical monitoring of continuity to Lar do Comércio, which has been accused of mistreatment of users of the institution, advancing that since 2020, 58 visits were made and an inspection action
"In September 2022, the Social Security carried out an inspection action to 'O Lar do Comércio'. This action, a report was drawn up and sent to the Public Prosecutor's Office," indicates the entity responsible for the supervision of nursing homes.
In addition to the inspection action, adds the response to Lusa, that "Social Security proceeds to technical monitoring of continuity, having, in this context, since 2020, made 58 visits to the institution "O Lar do Comércio".
The public institute says nothing, however, about the conclusions of these visits or the inspection action, or about possible actions to be taken following allegations of mistreatment known last week and that led the Public Ministry to open an inquiry into the actions of the Lar do Comércio.
Because it is under investigation, Social Security refuses to comment on the complaint of a group of members of that Private Institution of Social Solidarity (IPSS) who claim that the "mistreatment never stopped happening", - a situation that reported to the institute itself more than a year ago -- stressing that "does not comment on cases under criminal investigation".
This Friday, the Attorney General's Office (PGR) confirmed to Lusa that in addition to this investigation, the Lar do Comércio is also being investigated for mistreatment in the context of another investigation resulting from a report of the PSP of Matosinhos.
The PGR does not clarify, however, if there are other investigations open to the actions of Lar do Comércio, an institution about which the council received, since 2020, 38 complaints from 32 people, 12 filed between 2021 and 2023.
These complaints were, according to the municipality, referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP).
In 2020, more than 100 elderly people from that institution were infected with covid-19, 24 of whom ended up dying. The actions of the home led the MP to open an investigation already in trial phase where the former president of the board and the former director of services respond for 67 crimes of mistreatment for situations that occurred between January 2015 and February 2020.
Also the investigation, confirmed this Friday to Lusa by PGR, results from a participation of the Division of Matosinhos PSP that, after receiving, in July 2022, complaints about that institution, drew up an "Auto de Notícia for crimes against physical integrity, including crimes of mistreatment, being the file forwarded to the Health Authority of Matosinhos, Social Security Institute and the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Matosinhos Court".
In the complaint sent to the police authorities and that Lusa had access, the complainant, family member of a user who died infected with covid-19 asks that "end once and for all" with "little health care", with "mistreatment", the "lack of hygiene that is alarming", the "constant disorganization and most importantly the dehumanization really atrocious" that "there is in Lar do Comércio".
In the letter addressed to the PSP, the complainant also states that the institution is warned of the visits of the inspection entities, adding that since they are external companies to the home to ensure some services that there was "worsening of the conditions of users, because most of the people they present have no training in geriatrics and treat users like things".
Already this year, in January, the complainant reported that, "besides there being numerous cases of COVID 19 in the Lar do Comércio, the users since two weeks ago, also do not bathe properly, since the Legionella problem is still not solved.
"The so-called 'portable showers' that were opportunely arranged to resolve the situation, were left as definitive", he said, adding that they have broken down, and the elderly are now "taking baths in bed and [being] washed with Third World sponges, by employees who know nothing of geriatrics and don't even have the skills to perform this activity", which he considers "regrettable".
Asked for further clarification to the PSP, the police authority indicated that it has no powers to act in this matter, so it reported the facts to the competent entities - Social Security, Local Health Authority and Public Prosecutor - which, yes, they can request, if they so wish, the collaboration of the Public Security Police.
Faced with these reports, the Local Health Authority claimed that because it is a witness in court in a case involving the home in question, it is "not appropriate", at this stage of the process, "to make any statement on this matter.
Last week, users and staff denounced that there are elderly people with a place for life leaving, in the absence of conditions, the institution dubbed by some employees as a "ghost house" and where, they say, people are "dying in pieces for lack of care.
Faced with these accusations, the Lar do Comércio assured that the accusations of mistreatment are "false and execrable outrage", saying it takes all measures to ensure that "users are well treated.
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