It was a sombre mood on the streets of Cooma on Friday as friends and family awaited updates on the health of Clare Nowland, the 95-year-old resident hospitalised after being Tasered by police while holding a knife at her nursing home earlier in the week.
Ms Nowland was reportedly in a serious condition following the incident involving a senior member of the NSW police force, alleged to have occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Residents described a sense of disbelief, expressing their hope the nation's attention would shine a spotlight on perceived shortcomings in the aged-care facilities in the town.
The media were set up outside the Cooma hospital and the council run Yallambee Lodge - where Ms Nowland was a resident - from early Friday morning.
Despite requests for comment, Snowy Monaro Regional Council largely remained silent on the incident, issuing a statement requesting all queries regarding police conduct be directed to NSW Police.
"Our focus remains on supporting and caring for the residents of Yallambee Lodge during this exceptionally difficult time," the statement said.
Multiple people who spoke to The Canberra Times on Friday expressed their concern for the quality of care being provided to the elderly at the facility.
Locals spoke of short staffing and inadequate training for those tasked with providing care to some of the most vulnerable in the community, including Ms Nowland, who has dementia.
How an elderly woman with a serious neurological condition came to be in possession of a knife and whether first responders were equipped to de-escalate a dangerous situation was on everyone's minds.
Beverley Hedger's father was housed at Yallambee recently. She also worked in aged-care in Cooma, alongside one of Ms Nowland's daughters.
She described the 95-year-old as a lovely woman who always stopped for a chat during her visits with her dad.
Ms Hedger said she hoped an investigation into the police conduct included what could have been done better at the facility.
"We're all just totally in shock," she said.
"I hope the investigation shows that things need to be done and fixed."
Police will hold an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the discharge of a Taser.
The duty status of the senior constable who activated their Taser was also under review.
Andrew Thaler, a Cooma resident who has acted as spokesman for the family, said the residential home had failed its recent Commonwealth assessment.
He said dementia patients in town were at risk, due to a lack of adequate facilities for people like Ms Rowland.
"How can this happen?" Mr Thaler said.
"She's in what we expect to be a nursing home, which is more of an assisted living situation.
"There's a fault element of the council as the owner and operator on behalf of the community.
"They are failing the community."
Cooma priest, father Mark Croker, had sat with Ms Nowland a week ago. The parisher at St Patrick's church, where Ms Nowland had attended, often visited the nursery home to pray, alongside the 95-year-old's daughter.
"That was very much part of her everyday life right till this last incident, so that's the lady the people know her as," he said.
Mr Croker said the "matriarch" of the large Nowland family was respected and loved in the community for her charity work, which included providing meals to those in need.
