Suit accuses Meridian Village of failing to provide appropriate care

An Illinois woman claims her mother died after staff at a Madison County nursing home allegedly failed to provide her with appropriate care.

Deborah A. Hawkins filed a lawsuit Aug. 14 in Madison County Circuit Court against R.N.s Marsha Moore, Carol Kinser, Rachel Staggs, Lisa Coan, Donna Miller and Tonya Koonce; L.P.N.s Favour Djukpen, Peggy Gude, Nichole Gustafson, Shereia Acoff, Jocelyn Barham, Joanna Reed, Candice Sharp and Robin Sims; Meridian Village Association and Lutheran Senior Services.

In her complaint, Deborah Hawkins alleges her mother, Charlotte Hawkins was living in the long-term care facility Meridian Village Association when she was sent to the emergency room at Anderson Hospital for evaluation of her arm on Aug. 16, 2011. In the past, Charlotte Hawkins had a mastectomy during which some of her lymph nodes were removed, according to the complaint. As a result, Charlotte Hawkins was susceptible to cellulitis, the suit states.

Staff at Anderson Hospital checked Charlotte Hawkins for cellulitis, but transferred her to Barnes Hospital in St. Louis after diagnosing her with respiratory acidosis, which is a condition that occurs when decreased ventilation causes increased carbon dioxide concentration and decreased pH levels in the blood, the complaint says.

Deborah Hawkins claims her mother developed the condition due to the care staff at Meridian Village Association gave her. Specifically, staff at Meridian Village Association failed to provide necessary care and services to her mother, failed to inform her mother’s physician of significant changes in her physical status and failed to maintain clinical records regarding changes in her mother’s condition, among other negligent acts, according to the complaint.

Because of the care she received at Meridian Village Association, Charlotte Hawkins suffered respiratory failure and sepsis in addition to respiratory acidosis, the suit states. Due to her medical conditions, Charlotte Hawkins died, the complaint says.

Before her death, Charlotte Hawkins experienced physical and emotional trauma, endured disability and disfigurement and incurred medical costs, her daughter claims.

In addition to the R.N.s and L.P.N.s who worked at Meridian Village Association, Deborah Hawkins names the long-term care facility and Lutheran Senior Services for causing her mother’s injuries, saying they failed to report changes in her condition, failed to protect her from abuse and neglect, failed to provide appropriate medical care to her mother, failed to provide necessary treatment and services to her, failed to identify and treat changes in her mother’s skin, failed to anticipate and provide appropriate infection control measures and failed to provide necessary care and services, among other negligent acts.

In her complaint, Deborah Hawkins seeks a judgment of more than $200,000, plus attorneys’ fees and costs.

Deborah Hawkins of Hawkins Law Office in Edwardsville will be appearing pro se.

Madison County Circuit Court case number: 13-L-1363.