BELLEVILLE - A nursing center faces a suit over claims that it contributed to the death of a resident.
Aldin Lolic, as administrator of the estate of the late Refik LoIic, filed suit against the owners of the Willowcreek Rehabilitation and Nursing Center and its owners Helia Healthcare of Belleville.
The suit was filed Dec. 10 in St. Clair County Circuit Court with claims centering on the treatment of the deceased in late November and December 2017. The parent company of Helia Healthcare did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Record.
Lolic was admitted to the center suffering from underlying conditions. It is claimed that staff failed to obtain orders for the use of a catheter and that there are no documents relating to its use.
The deceased suffered sepsis, shock and pneumonia during his few weeks stay at Willow Creek prior to his death of Christmas Day, according to the complaint. On the day before his death, there was "a bloody discharge and foul smell" connected to the catheter.
Included also among the counts are alleged violations of the Nursing Home Care Act, specifically staff failed to abide by a fall care plan and there was no proper monitoring to ensure it did not happen. This amounted to negligence, the suit claims.
The plaintiff is also claiming negligence under the Wrongful Death Act, with allegations that staff failed "to obtain orders for necessary and life-saving medical treatment" and failed to prevent the resident from developing infections, including pneumonia and septic shock.
There were also failures, it is alleged, to transfer the resident to an acute care facility in time and to follow the orders of a physician.
The plaintiff is represented by Jonathan W. Young of Sukhman Yagoda in Chicago.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 2019-L-883.