Alden Courts Hit With Negligence Lawsuit Over 2018 Death

SHOREWOOD, IL — A recently filed negligence lawsuit at the Will County Courthouse accuses Alden Courts of Shorewood of deviating from its standard of care surrounding the Jan. 18, 2018 death of Joliet resident Betty Stukel, who was 90.

"Betty Stukel was denied the opportunity for proper assessment and standard medical care at Alden Courts of Shorewood and as a direct result she suffered rental failure, dehydration" and a urinary tract infection, argues the lawsuit filed by Michael Stukel, administrator of her estate.

The plaintiff retained the Chicago law firm of Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz. The defendants consist of: Dial Willow Falls, Dial Senior Management Inc., Alden Courts of Shorewood, Alden Management Services and Alden Estates of Shorewood.

According to her obituary published by Fred C. Dames Funeral Home, Betty Stukel had retired from the dental office of Dr. Nicholas Grabavoy after 15 years of service. She previously worked for the Joliet Area YMCA and Joliet School District 86.

"A devout Catholic, Betty was a member of St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church and an avid bingo player. Betty was blessed and blessed others with a remarkable 90 years of giving and sharing her joy and love," her obituary reads.

So far, the defendants have not filed any legal briefs in response to the lawsuit.

Patch left a message seeking comment on Tuesday with Alden management representatives in Chicago, but no one called back.

On Sept. 26, a board-certified physician licensed to practice medicine submitted his medical opinion regarding last year's death of Betty Stukel as part of the plaintiff's suit.

As is customary in such lawsuits, the physician's name is redacted from the court records.

"Betty Stukel was a 91-year-old woman with a medical history including arthritis, bilateral knee replacement, falls with complications including brain bleed and dementia. She was not decisional," the medical expert opined, in a letter provided to the plaintiff's Chicago law firm.

Betty Stukel fractured her left hip on Oct. 4, 2017, causing her to remain hospitalized at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center for 17 days, according to the plaintiff.

Afterward, she was admitted to Alden Estates of Shorewood for skilled therapy, where she developed skin impairments in November 2017, according to the lawsuit.

By Nov. 30, 2017, Betty Stukel was moved to the memory care unit at Alden Courts in Shorewood. "She was assessed as at risk for dehydration due to her dementia because she would forget to drink and how to drink, although her initial care planning did not address this risk," the plaintiff's physician expert wrote in a letter accompanying the lawsuit.

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During her first three weeks at Alden Courts in Shorewood, Betty Stukel lost 12 pounds and "she continued to lose weight over the following weeks and months, yet the physician was not notified. She also suffered four falls," the plaintiff's contend.

By Jan. 6, 2018, Betty Stukel was transferred back to St. Joe's hospital because she was dehydrated. After three days in the Joliet hospital, she was discharged to home hospice. She died on Jan. 18, 2018, the lawsuit notes.

"The Alden Courts of Shorewood staff failed to promptly notify the physician about her poor intake and general declining condition," the plaintiff's medical expert stated. "They also failed to recommend a patient care conference with the family to discuss treatment options and end of life wishes.

"Betty Stukel was denied the opportunity for proper assessment and standard medical care at Alden Courts of Shorewood ... These deviations and injuries at Alden Courts of Shorewood caused significant pain and distress, led to hospital care and ongoing care needs, caused Betty Stukel's overall decline and deconditioning and contributed to her death," the plaintiff's physician expert stated.

Willows Falls Retirement Community was also named in the lawsuit because that's where Betty Stukel resided prior to her steep decline in health in 2017.

The lawsuit states that Willow Falls failed to protect the resident from abuse and or neglect.

According to court records, Betty Stukel resided at Willow Falls Retirement Community from Dec. 18, 2015 until Oct. 4, 2017, she then stayed at Alden Estates of Shorewood from Oct. 20, 2017 through Nov. 30, 2017 and Alden Courts of Shorewood from Nov. 30, 2017 until Jan. 12, 2018.