A Granite City nursing home allegedly failed to properly treat a man’s skin ulcers, causing him to develop an infected coccyx, which had to be removed.
Michael Wardein filed a lawsuit March 21 in the Madison County Circuit Court against Stearns Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Aurora Cares, Granite Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, D&N, DTD, Norbert A. Bennett and Donald Denz.
In his complaint, Michael Wardein alleges his father, Robert Wardein, was living at Stearns Nursing and Rehabilitation Center where he developed bed sores due to his limited mobility and incontinence. Robert Wardein developed the stave IV pressure ulcer on his coccyx between April 17, 2012, and Nov. 12, 2012. He also developed numerous other sores on his sacrum, left hip, left ankle, left heel and right ankle during that time, according to the complaint.
On Nov. 13, 2012, Robert Wardein was transferred to St. Anthony’s Hospital with a decubitus ulcer, a urinary tract infection, sepsis secondary to pneumonia, dehydration, malnutrition and acute kidney disease, the suit states.
Robert Wardein’s condition was so severe that he underwent a coccygectomy to remove his infected coccyx to the sacrum, the complaint says.
In his complaint, Michael Wardein says the defendants violated the Illinois Nursing Home Act by failing to prevent Robert Wardein from developing pressure sores, by failing to properly treat his skin breakdown and by failing to provide proper care to a resident at risk of pressure ulcers, among other negligent acts.
Michael Warden is seeking a judgment of more than $350,000, plus attorneys’ fees, costs and other relief the court deems just. He is being represented by Robert Sprague of Sprague and Urban in Belleville and Ashley Baird of Dollar, Burns and Becker in Kansas City.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 14-L-453.