Belleville nursing home accused of negligence in wrongful death claim

A Belleville nursing home failed to adequately care for one of its residents, leading to her death, according to recently filed court documents.

Brenda Lee Cooper, who is the administrator of Mildred Hale’s estate, filed a lawsuit May 6 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Midwest Rehabilitation and Respiratory Center and Senior Healthcare Management.

In her complaint, Cooper alleges Hale was living at Midwest from March 1, 2011, through her death on Jan. 14, 2012, where she developed pressure sores and a fractured left tibia.

Cooper says Hale had been complaining of pain in her left leg, but staff failed to diagnose the source of her pain.

Cooper complains of a number of other allegedly negligent acts performed by nursing home staff, including their failure to provide adequate supervision to prevent accidents, their failure to provide adequate treatment to Hale and their failure to timely notify Hale’s physician of significant changes in her medical condition, the suit states.

Because of staff’s alleged failure to treat Cooper’s pressure sores and their failure to provide her with a safe transfer technique, she experienced severe pain and suffering, mental anguish and emotional distress; became further disabled during the time she spent at the nursing home; incurred medical costs; and lost her ability to enjoy her normal life, according to the complaint.

In addition to Midwest Rehabilitation, Cooper names Senior Healthcare Management as a defendant. It operated and managed the nursing home, but allegedly failed to provide adequate care, failed to protect Hale from neglect, failed to properly supervise its managers and employees, failed to adequately screen employees when it hired them, failed to terminate incompetent employees, failed to provide nursing personnel duties consistent with their education and failed to take reasonable steps to correct problems in resident care, the complaint says.

In her complaint, Cooper seeks a judgment of more than $100,000, plus attorney’s fees and costs.

Staci M. Yandle of The Law Offices of Staci M. Yandle in O’Fallon will be representing her.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 13-L-231.