FEBRUARY 22, 2012 -- ST. LOUIS -- Daughters of a man who died after wandering away from a nursing home here filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Tuesday alleging negligence.
Aubrey Giles, 75, who had dementia, was reported missing from the Midwest Rehab and Respiratory Center on Jan. 14. His body was found two days later in a wooded, frozen ravine nearby. Officials said he appeared to have died of hypothermia.
The four-count lawsuit, filed in St. Clair County Circuit Court, alleges that the home knew Giles had a pattern of trying to leave but failed to monitor him. It further alleges the nursing home was negligent, violated various state regulations and failed to provide adequate supervised care.
The suit was filed by O'Fallon, Ill., lawyer Staci M. Yandle on behalf of Terri Dancy and Linda Woods, who are Giles' daughters and administrators of his estate. It seeks damages in excess of $50,000.
The suit also alleges the nursing home "failed to timely notify local law enforcement and Aubrey Giles' family of his elopement."
The nursing home, at 727 North 17th Street, did not return calls seeking comment on Tuesday. The facility is better known by its previous name, the Calvin Johnson Care Center.
Giles had lived there for seven years.
This month, the incident spurred the Illinois Department of Public Health to issue eight citations against the home.
