CHICAGO –– The estate of a man has sued his former nursing home over allegations that negligence in the care he received ultimately led to his death.
Noemi Perez, special administrator of the estate of Nicanor Cabrera, filed a suit in the Cook Circuit Court on Feb. 26 against Lakefront Nursing and Rehabilitation Center LLC and associated entities.
Court documents state that Cabrera was admitted to Lakefront Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Feb. 6, 2014 and his medical records allegedly indicated his skin was intact at the time of admission.
The suit alleges that the center's staff knew that he was at high risk for pressure sores.
On April 6, 2014, the staff documented excoriations to Cabrera’s left hip, left buttock and scrotum; and by May 5, 2014, it was noted that there was redness in Cabrera’s left hip area, according to the suit.
Court documents state that by September 2014, Cabrera had developed a stage three decubitus ulcer to his sacrum and a stage two ulcer of the same kind to his left hip. Cabrera’s medical woes continued; and by October 2014, the sacral ulcer had become a stage four ulcer.
Cabrera was diagnosed with sepsis and stage four decubitus ulcer, which he underwent a surgical debridement for at Presence Saint Francis Hospital in October 2014. After the surgery, Cabrera was readmitted back to Lakefront Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. By Nov. 13, 2014, however, Cabrera was transferred to RML Specialty Hospital where he was diagnosed with MRSA infections in both his sacral decubitus ulcer and left hip decubitus ulcer.
Cabrera died on Nov. 17, 2014.
The suit alleges that it was negligence on the part of the staff at Lakefront that led to his death. The suit lists a number of claims of negligence including failure to appropriately assess Cabrera, failure to properly treat Cabrera’s decubitus ulcers and failure to reassess Cabrera’s need for skin care.
Cabrera's estate is requesting a trial by jury and damages in excess of $50,000. The plaintiff is being represented by Brian J. Holmes of Hurley, McKenna and Mertz P.C. in Chicago.
Cook Circuit Court Case number 2016L002068