Green Bay memory care facility Moraine Ridge sued after man died from complications of a bedsore

GREEN BAY — A woman is suing a Green Bay senior care provider where her husband died after developing complications from a bedsore that wasn't properly treated, according to the lawsuit filed in Brown County Circuit Court.

Bruce Jerovetz moved into Reflections at Moraine Ridge, 2929 St. Anthony Drive, on Sept. 30, 2021, left three months later and died March 27, 2022. Jerovetz, 70, developed a pressure ulcer, but staff didn't take care of it properly, the lawsuit says.

Complications that developed from the "negligence" of care "caused his death" on March 27, 2022, the lawsuit says.

Moraine Ridge Senior Living and its memory care unit are run by Inspired Senior Healthcare, which also owns Bayview Senior Care in Sturgeon Bay and Park House South Field Senior Living in Southfield, Michigan.

Moraine Ridge officials didn't comment on the allegations in the lawsuit because of privacy laws regarding resident records, Michael Klein, Inspired Senior Healthcare's president and CEO, said in a statement, adding they have "fully cooperated" with the state's review of the allegations.

ABC Insurance Company and Care Improvement Plus Wisconsin Insurance Company were also listed as defendants in the case.

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Multiple violations previously cited at facility

Jerovetz was a resident at Reflections until Dec. 23, 2021. The suit did not detail the care or complications Jerovetz faced, though the facility had a history of similar neglect.

Reflections had several violations reported by DHS surveyors. A January 2023 investigation identified 11 violations ranging from inadequate staff to missed medication disbursement.

Typically, only one or two caregivers were working at the facility, according to timecards cited in the investigation. Usually there was just one caregiver working night shifts, but they were not always a trained med-passer, someone who administers residents' medications. The staffing shortages led to many residents not getting their pain or comfort medications on many nights, according to the DHS report published in April.

Two residents had multiple injuries following suspected falls, according to the DHS report. The injuries were not properly investigated by the center, according to the report. The residents died in the days after they were injured from the falls, though DHS ruled that their injuries weren't the cause.

A previous DHS report, from in July 2022, found that two residents had many falls and would be left on the floor because no one had been checking on them. One family decided to move one of those residents out of the facility three weeks after they moved in because of the "lack of supervision," the report states.

Following the DHS investigation in January 2023, the memory care facility was banned from accepting new residents, though that ban was lifted in June.

Moraine Ridge has until Jan. 5 to respond to suit

Jerovetz's wife, Cheryl, is seeking the cost of Bruce's medical and funeral expenses.

She "sustained the loss of society and companionship of her spouse prior to and after his death and is entitled to damages under the wrongful death statutes," the lawsuit states.

Reflections at Moraine Ridge has 45 days to respond to the lawsuit, which was filed Nov. 22.

More information on inspections and violations at senior care centers can be found at dhs.wisconsin.gov/guide/provider-search.htm.

More: A guide to finding a senior care facility in Wisconsin

Benita Mathew is a health reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. Contact Benita at bmathew@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter at @benita_mathew.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Moraine Ridge sued after her client died from complications of bedsore