Nursing and Midwifery Board are investigating Abha Anuradha Kumar, the manager of aged care at Cambridge House, who has been left an estate worth $939,000 by a 92-year-old man whom she cared for.
reports that last winter, 92-year-old Lionel Markey Cox, who lived alone in Fitzroy, was moved to Cambridge House nursing home, after he was found too weak to live alone.
When he died of pneumonia in August last year, his neighbours were shocked to learn that the man had changed his will just before his death and had given away his $900,000 estate to nurse in charge of the aged-care facility.
Documents show Mr Cox's will had been changed in July, just weeks before his death, with Ms Kumar becoming the sole benefactor. Besides his estate, Ms Kumar also received $36,000 cash.
The document shows Mr Cox's Last Will and Testament had crossed-out corrections and two different handwritings. It also showed that ‘Fitzoy’ was misspelled and a crossed-out "O" before the state of "Victoria".
Neighbours, with whom Mr. Cox often chatted, told Fairfax Media that he planned to leave his property to the state. His neighbours say that Mr. Cox was particularly fond of St. Vincent’s Hospital and the Brotherhood of St Laurence’s Coolibah Centre on Brunswick Street.
After Mr. Cox’s death in August, Ms. Kumar in October 2015, advertised that she planned to apply to the Supreme Court of Victoria for a grant of probate of his will. In November, the court granted her application.
But just before Christmas, Mr. Cox’s neighbours made a complaint to St Vincent’s Health which runs the Cambridge House. The internal investigation conducted by the hospital found no evidence to suggest that Ms Kumar had exerted any influence or pressure over Mr Cox.
Ms Kumar, believed to be in her 30s, has been on leave since Christmas and did not return the call to discuss this matter.
Meanwhile, her lawyer John Bennison declined to comment, saying his client would not consider discussing the matter until the Nursing and Midwifery Board investigation was over.
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