The son of a 63-year-old woman who died last year at a south suburban nursing home claims she was sexually assaulted at some point during her seven-week stay at the facility.
The woman, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, was admitted Dec. 7, 2014, to GlenShire Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre at 22660 S. Cicero Ave. in Richton Park, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court by her son, Ronald Marks.
The suit claims the woman “developed a sexually transmitted disease as a result of being raped” while admitted, but does not specify when the alleged attack happened or who carried it out.
An attorney for GlenShire declined to comment on the pending litigation.
The woman lost nearly 30 pounds before she died Jan. 16, 2015, the suit alleges. An autopsy found the Harvey resident died of sepsis from a urinary tract infection, with heart disease contributing, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Her death was ruled natural.
The five-count wrongful death suit claims she was neglected by her doctor and the staff at the facility, where “no plan was implemented to prevent sexual abuse” given her condition. Her family is seeking more than $250,000 in damages.
Marks is survived by her son and daughter, the suit says.