The Terry Law firm has filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of former resident Darlene Kriedler against Meadowview Memory Care and the Woodlands of Arnold, both of which appear to be owned by the same ownership group and both of which are located on the same campus in Jefferson County, Missouri. Darlene Kreidler died on August 31^st 2023 as a direct result of negligent care she received from these two facilities.  

Plaintiffs have alleged in their lawsuit that Darlene suffered repeated falls and inaccurate medical charting during her residency at the two facilities. Darlene and her family relied on Meadowview Memory Care and The Woodlands of Arnold to provide safe and competent care her, which was ultimately not met.

Allegations of the Lawsuit

Meadowview Memory Care is located at 555 Woodland Villas, Arnold, Missouri 63010.

Upon admission to Meadowview Memory Care, it was noted that Darlene suffered from confusion, agitation, and occasionally combativeness. From the start this was not documented correctly. Her Individual Service Plan identified her as “Independent / Totally Able” and was allowed to wander on her own with little to no supervision. Just a few hours after being admitted to the facility she fell and hit her head, this fall resulted in a cranial laceration that required 3 staples.

A few months later, facility staff noted that Darlene was confused and going into other resident’s rooms and sleeping in their beds. On three separate Resident Summaries it was noted that she had not suffered any falls, which is inaccurate. By April 2023, Darlene’s cognitive status was severely impaired, yet her Individual Service Plan had not been revised to reflect the need for greater supervision or assistance.

On April 8, Darlene was walking unassisted in the hallway and fell. This fall resulted in bruising and swelling around her eye. No new Resident Summary was prepared nor was an updated Individual Service Plan prepared after this fall. On April 14, Darlene suffered another unwitnessed fall while moving from a chair and suffered a hematoma to her head. No new Resident Summary was prepared nor was an updated Individual Service Plan prepared after this fall. On April 15, she complained about right hip pain and was taken to the hospital. It was noted that she had hip tenderness and that her dementia and behavioral issued were contributing to her having difficulty get up and ambulating. No new Resident Summary was prepared nor was an updated Individual Service Plan prepared after this fall. On April 16 Darlene fell again, she was taken to the hospital where an x-ray revealed a intertrochanteric right femur fracture that needed surgery to repair. She was hospitalized for 3 days and then became a resident of The Woodlands of Arnold.

The Woodlands of Arnold is located at 100 Woodland Meadows Dr, Arnold, MO 63010.

Upon admission the defendants knew Darlene was a high fall risk and was totally dependent on the facility for transfers. It was also noted she had a surgical wound, but no pressure wounds, open lesions, or skin tears. Defendants knew Darlene was a risk for the development of pressure injuries due to her lack of mobility caused by the fall at Meadowview, yet they failed to implement a turning schedule during her entire residency.

A few weeks after her admission to The Woodlands of Arnold, Darlene was experiencing increased pain in her hip and was taken to the hospital. It was noted that she had experienced “multiple falls” over the last 5 days causing the increased pain, although there was nothing in the records to reflect that.

Again, about a month later Darlene was left alone while sitting in the dining room where she tried to stand without assistance. She fell and suffered a head injury and had blood on her nose. The staff at The Woodlands of Arnold picked her up and placed her back in her chair.  She was taken to the hospital with a closed fracture of her nasal bone. It was only after this fall that she was identified as “at high risk for falls”.

On August 21, 2023, Darlene fell out of bed and landed facedown. Her bed was not in the lowest position. She was taken to Mercy Hospital South where she was noted to have suffered a focal sub centimeter intraparenchymal hemorrhage in the posterior right frontal lobe and it was also noted that she suffered from pressure injuries on her coccyx and both feet. She was also suffering from a severe urinary tract infection.

Her family made the decision to move Darlene to hospice where she remained for the remaining eight days of her life. Plaintiffs have alleged that their mother died from the combined injuries she suffered at these two sister facilities.

You can read the full petition here:

Wrongful Death

Wrongful death is a devastating consequence of nursing home neglect or abuse, often resulting from a failure to provide proper care and attention to vulnerable residents. When staff members do not adequately monitor or respond to residents’ medical needs, serious complications can arise, sometimes leading to death. Common causes include inadequate staffing, medication errors, poor nutrition or hydration, and the failure to address medical issues promptly. Nursing homes have a legal and ethical duty to ensure residents receive appropriate care, and when they fall short, they should be held liable. Families affected by wrongful death may have grounds for legal action and could be entitled to compensation for their losses.

Darlene Kreidler’s family hired nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer David Terry at the Terry Law Firm to pursue this case on their behalf.