Wood River nursing home blamed for resident's death

The daughter of a recently deceased woman who died while in the care of a Wood River nursing home has blamed staff at the facility for causing her mother’s death.

Patricia Panzier filed a lawsuit April 15 in the Madison County Circuit Court against SA-ENC VIP Manor, LPN Donna Slinkard, Dr. Louis Gary and General Medicine of Illinois Physicians.

In her complaint, Panzier claims her mother, Pauline Hendricks, had been living at VIP Manor when she was found gurgling and unresponsive Jan. 28, 2013. Gary assessed her and ordered staff at VIP Manor to transfer her to the emergency room, according to the complaint.

VIP Manor staff neglected to call 911 until half-an-hour after Hendricks was found, the suit states. When staff did place the emergency phone call, they requested a “non-emergent” transfer, the complaint says.

Emergency medical responders did not reach Hendricks until 12:38 p.m. By that time, she was cyanotic, hypotensive and unresponsive with clumps of food in her mouth, Panzier claims.

EMTs transported Hendricks to Alton Memorial Hospital, where she died Jan. 28, 2013, according to the complaint.

Panzier blames Slinkard and VIP Manor for causing her mother’s death, saying they negligently failed to ensure the facility was adequately staffed with licensed medical professionals and failed to enforce appropriate policies or procedures, among other negligent actions.

The doctor caring for Hendricks, Louis Gary, negligently failed to appropriately monitor and treat her condition, failed to assess her airway, failed to clear her airway, failed to appreciate and note changes in her condition, failed to ensure that she was transferred to the hospital immediately and failed to properly assess and reassess her.

Panzier is seeking a judgment in excess of the minimum jurisdictional limits. She is being represented by Kenneth T. Lumb of Corboy and Demetrio in Chicago.

Madison County Circuit Court case number 14-L-602.