Inquest hears of high care needs

AN elderly woman who died after spending the night in a shipping container in southern Tasmania needed around the clock high-level care, an inquest has heard.

Janet Mackozdi, 77, died of hypothermia in July 2010 while sleeping in the converted container at her daughter and sonin-law’s Mount Lloyd property.

Five years later, Jassy Anglin and husband Michael Anglin were convicted of Ms Mackozdi’s manslaughter.

An inquest into her death is examining broader issues of elder abuse and whether her family withheld care intentionally and depleted her money for their personal use.

Yesterday, the court heard from health staff, one who gave an assessment of Ms Mackozdi the year before her death after she’d fractured her neck.

Social worker Merrilyn Orr found she needed “a high level of care” and assistance eating.

It was her opinion 24-hour care was required even after the neck brace was removed.

One of her GPs spoke of the challenges her family would have faced in providing adequate at-home care.

“I think it would have been a very, very difficult thing to do,” Dr Sujeewa Fernando said.

Ms Mackozdi had dementia and mobility problems and weighed less than 50kg when she died.

She was placed in a bed in the container on a July night in 2010 because the family’s dilapidated hut was full of boxes from moving house. It is estimated the temperature dropped to 0.1C. Her body was found the next morning.

The Anglins drove her to Royal Hobart Hospital but initially claimed she had died on a trip to Mount Field.

Ms Mackozdi’s financial planners, other doctors and family are expected to give evidence this week. AAP