Blood clot not treated, says suit against Rosewood

A lawsuit has been filed suit against Rosewood Care Center of Swansea over a resident's blood clot and subsequent death.

John Goodwin claims Alice E. Goodwin sustained a left hip fracture and went to Rosewood Care Center, Larry Vander Maten, Darrell Hoefling and Dr. Brain O'Neill for treatment of her broken bone.

While at Rosewood, however, Alice Goodwin developed deep vein thrombosis, also known as a blood clot. That blood clot traveled to her lungs, a condition known as pulmonary embolism, causing her death on Nov. 26, 2009, according to the complaint filed Feb. 11 in St. Clair County Circuit Court.

Before her death, Alice Goodwin suffered severe pain, mental anguish, emotional distress and loss of dignity and became further debilitated and disabled, the suit states.

John Goodwin blames Rosewood Care Center and its owners Maten and Hoefling for negligently failing to provide Alice Goodwin with proper supervision, for failing to protect Alice Goodwin from neglect and for failing to provide necessary treatment to keep Alice Goodwin at the maximum level of functioning. In addition, the defendants failed to provide 24-hour nursing services, failed to provide a nursing home plan based on Alice Goodwin's needs and failed to timely notify Alice Goodwin's physician of changes in her condition, the complaint says.

O'Neill negligently failed to keep Alice Goodwin on Lovenox and failed to maintain her on Teds Hose following her fractured hip, according to the complaint.

In his five-count complaint, John Goodwin is seeking a judgment of more than $525,000, plus attorney's fees and costs.

Samantha S. Unsell of the law office of Thomas Q. Keefe Jr. in Belleville will be representing him.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 11-L-66.