Two Indian-origin respite carers are at the centre of a coronial inquest probing the death of a teenager with severe disabilities who died at a care home in February 2017.
Sandeep Mangat and Charanjit Singh were caring for sixteen-year-old Sophia Alessia Nisco when she swallowed a latex glove and choked to death at the Disability Living Inc facility in Adelaide, nearly two years ago, the South Australian Coroner’s Court heard on Tuesday.
Sophia Nisco had multiple serious health problems
Teenager Sophia Nisco who had cerebral palsy and a number of other serious health issues was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of a care facility and could not be revived.
When paramedics arrived at the scene, they removed a latex glove from her throat during resuscitation attempts, the inquest heard.
Sophia’s mother says carers were warned about the risk
In her evidence, Sophia’s mother, Nella Nisco previously told the inquiry that she had warned the carers about her daughter’s fixation with gloves and balloons.
She also claimed that she had told the staff that Sophia was not to be left unattended and would need constant supervision when she was not in her wheelchair.
Carer denies knowledge of Sophia’s ‘fixation’ with gloves and balloons
Appearing in the court on Tuesday, Ms Mangat rejected the mother’s claims.
She told Deputy Coroner Anthony Schapel that while she was aware that Sophia would grab at food and toys and try to put them in her mouth, she did not know about her particular fascination with latex gloves or balloons.
She also disputed suggestions that Sophia’s mother had warned them in a staff meeting about the girl’s ‘glove fixation’ or the fact that she would require constant supervision outside her wheelchair.
Ms Mangat, however, did admit that Sophia was left unsupervised for “probably two minutes” while she and Mr Singh were taking care of another child.
The two carers were attending to four children with disabilities, including one who required one-on-one supervision on the day of Sophia’s death, the court heard.
