A South Australian woman has mounted a direct and tearful appeal to South Australia's Premier, begging to be allowed to see her elderly grandmother who has been in hospital for the past four weeks.
Paige Carter, from Gawler in Adelaide's north, said her 95-year-old grandmother has been isolated from loved ones at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital after being admitted at the start of January following a fall.
Ms Carter's grandmother tested positive for COVID-19 while in hospital and after being cleared of her infection she was transferred to a rehabilitation facility.
However, she was taken back to the QEH on Thursday after becoming unwell.
Ms Carter posted a video of herself on social media platforms and tagged Premier Steven Marshall, describing her family's distress and frustration at being unable to see her grandmother.
In the video, she begs Mr Marshall not to make elderly South Australians "feel like they've been abandoned by their family".
"Steven Marshall, I have a question for you – if your 95-year-old grandmother, or mother, was laying in a hospital bed for over a month, would you be able to see her?"
Mr Marshall said today he was unaware of the situation.
Ms Carter told ABC News she had uploaded the video out of desperation.
Ms Carter said her grandmother, who has nine children and "many grandchildren", had limited contact with her large family as she needed help to pick up a phone.
"I've never gone this long without speaking to her or seeing her or knowing she's OK," she said.
Ms Carter said she grew up spending every day with her grandmother, who she described as her best friend.
"I miss my nana so much," she said.
In a statement, the Central Adelaide Local Health Network said visitors were allowed for "compassionate reasons or where it is critical to care", and that patients or their family could speak to staff to arrange a visit.
"We apologise to any patient who may not be aware of our guidelines," it said.
"We will work with our teams to ensure patients are aware that they can request a visitor to help support them and their wellbeing during their hospital stay."
However, Ms Carter said she was told by hospital staff that compassionate visits were only allowed for end of life and in that situation, two people would be allowed in.
"Two people out of a big family would be able to go in and say goodbye when the time comes," she said.
"How does a family make the decision of who that is going to be?"
Ms Carter, who has been double-vaccinated, said she understood the need for very tight safeguards to prevent the spread of COVID in hospitals.
But she said she was worried that her grandmother — who has been diagnosed with dementia while in hospital — may no longer recognise her.
"By the time I see her, she's not going to know who I am," she said.
"Don't get me wrong, we definitely had noticed some cognitive changes in her before she went into hospital however, now we can't even understand her on the phone, she's so confused."
Ms Carter begged Mr Marshall to ease visitor restrictions in hospitals to allow her to see her grandmother.
"We're being forced to abandon her and that's not OK," she said.
