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COOK COUNTY RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

Woman's estate sues over her care just before death

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The estate of a woman whose condition quickly deteriorated before her death is suing the medical institutions that oversaw her care in her final months.

Raephel Young, as administrator of the estate of Delores Cooper, filed a complaint July 8 in Cook County Circuit Court against THC-Chicago Inc., doing business as Kindred Hospital Chicago-Northlake; Loyola University Medical Center; Berkshire Nursing and Rehab Center LLC; YAM Management LLC, and nurses Elizabeth Woo and Tiffany Osiol.

Delores Cooper was admitted to Kindred Hospital in Northlake on July 14, 2013, the lawsuit states, and she exhibited no skin breakdown.

A day later, the lawsuit states, she had several areas of hyperpigmentation or redness on her lower legs, feet, buttocks, heels and perineum. Three days after that, the lawsuit states, and she was experiencing increased pain and couldn't move her right leg. Then, on July 20, 2013, she was transferred to Loyola University Medical Center for emergency treatment. But by Aug. 9, she had two stage II decubitus sacral ulcers, the lawsuit states, and three days later, she'd developed deep tissue wounds to both heels.

On Aug. 26, 2013, the lawsuit states, Cooper was transferred to the Berkshire Nursing and Rehab Center. At the time, she had a stage IV sacral ulcer, but during her stay there, her decubitus sacral ulcers became infected and her heel ulcers worsened, the lawsuit states.

By Sept. 9, 2013, Cooper started having shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and fever, which, upon being transferred to Westlake Hospital the next day, had intensified to septic shock, malnutrition, multiple infected ulcers and pneumonia. She died three days later.

The plaintiff, citing wrongful death, survival and, for the rehab facility, violations of the Nursing Home Care Act, seeks damages in excess of the court's jurisdiction, plus costs.

The plaintiff is represented by Jacqueline Kanter of Kralovec, Jambios and Schwartz in Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court case number 2015L006912.

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