Published: April 01, 2009 07:58 am      

Nursing home suit alleges negligent care

The estate of a former Kenwood nursing home resident filed suit March 25 in Madison Circuit Court, alleging that negligent care caused Kimberly Hamilton to suffer injuries to both body and mind and incur medical expenses before her death Dec. 22, 2007, when she was 45.

The suit was filed by husband, Ricky D. Hamilton, administrator of his wife’s estate.

According to the suit, Kimberly Hamilton was admitted to Kenwood on Aug. 3, 2007.

In addition to allegedly deviating from acceptable standards of care, the suit claims that through “gross negligence” the defendant failed to maintain a safe environment at the nursing home. The suit offers no details, however.

The litigant seeks a jury trial to recover legal and medical expenses and asked the court to award punitive damages.

Kenwood is part of the Richmond Health and Rehabilitation Complex that is owned by Extendicare of Wisconsin.

Madison Manor, another nursing home in the complex, received a Type-A citation from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in 2008 after state officials viewed a video recording of alleged abuse of a resident.

Nine staff members were dismissed, new management was installed and retained staff received new training, Cindi Simpson, regional manager for Extendicare said in December 2008.

One former Madison Manor employee, Jaclyn Dawn VanWinkle, was changed with wanton endangerment in connection with the investigation. She pleaded not guilty in Dec. 22, 2008.

When news of the Madison Manor investigation surfaced in October 2008, nursing home ombudsman Kathy Gannoe said her agency had received 26 complaints regarding 14 Madison Manor residents. Of those, 80 percent were verified, and 44 percent were resolved.

However, a larger number of complaints, 56, were received in 2007 regarding 26 residents of Kenwood, she said.

Of those, 96.5 percent were verified, 46 percent were resolved and 5 percent were withdrawn. Nearly one-fourth of the complaints were referred for enforcement, Gannoe said then.

Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.