Kevin Wallace Whalan, 93, passed away on June 25, 10 days after testing positive to COVID 19 in Kiama's Blue Haven aged care facility.
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His daughter Jane Carratt says the decision to ease COVID restrictions in residential aged care facilities is concerning.
"We've been following all the rules and regulations when visiting Dad and he still got COVID," she said.
"These are some of the most vulnerable members of our community and this disease is deadly."
From Monday visitor limits at aged care facilities across NSW will be lifted and people will no longer have to be vaccinated to visit a loved one.
Individual aged-care facilities can choose to keep vaccination requirements for visitors, while staff will still be required to be fully vaccinated.
The decision to relax the restrictions came a week after warnings that COVID cases are expected to spike by the end of the month.
Ms Carratt says it's contradictory health advice.
"Dad had just celebrated his 93rd birthday, he was still clear of mind, still enjoying visits from the family and short drives to Jamberoo for a pie.
"We weren't expecting he would dead within weeks."
Ms Carratt says her family are still waiting for answers from Blue Haven.
"There was no mention of his passing in the recent newsletter, there was no condolence card or presence at his funeral and no explanation as to how he had contracted COVID."
This is in an excerpt from the Blue Haven newsletter sent to families on June 17, two days after Mr Whalan tested positive to COVID:
"The Public Health Unit closed our Influenza Outbreak.
"However, unfortunately we are now in a COVID Outbreak as we had four residents test positive to COVID (three via PCR testing, and one via RAT testing.
"Family members of those residents have been contacted.
"Please note we are still allowing visitors but we ask that visiting is once again confined to resident's rooms and masks and face shields are worn."
Blue Haven has so far, not responded to questions from the Illawarra Mercury.
Ms Carratt says it was a distressing series of events for the family exacerbated by not being able to say they're final goodbyes on the day of his funeral.
She's concerned it could happen to other families when COVID restrictions in aged care facilities are lifted today.
Authorities that infections numbers may rise by the end of the month.
The weather compounded the family's grief as Kiama Cemetery inundated by floodwaters, putting all burials on hold.
The water peaked at about one metre and headstones were submerged.
Kevin Whalan was finally laid to rest at the Kiama cemetery at Bombo on Thursday - eight days after his funeral on Wednesday, July 6.
Ms Carratt said her father's original plot was still in the mud so Kiama Council offered them a new spot away from the flooded area.
"The day went as well as could have hoped," she said.
"The weather was kind and there was a bit of blue sky.
"Dad's new plot is closer to where mum is interned in the memorial wall, so there's a nice ending to the story. They're together again."
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