‘Assault’ at Glenview nursing home was homicide, officials say
By Abdon M. Pallasch and Rosemary SobolStaff Reporters July 16, 2011 10:22PM
Updated: July 17, 2011 10:03AM
Glenview Police are investigating the “homicide’’ of longtime village resident Mercedes Iverson, 86, at a nursing home.
The incident that lead to Iverson’s death happened over a week ago but the Cook County Medical Examiner only ruled her death a “homicide” Friday, the day after she died.
An “assault” by another patient was involved in her death, the medical examiner said.
Officials at the Maryhaven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 1700 E. Lake Ave., cannot say for sure what happened between Iverson and another patient in the nursing home’s dementia unit.
“Within the past couple of weeks, an unfortunate incident occurred in a private room” in the section of the nursing home that handles patients with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, said Brian Crawford, a spokesman for Resurrection Health Care, which runs Maryhaven.
Iverson did not recover from the injuries and was moved to hospice care at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where she was pronounced dead Thursday. The medical examiner’s office said Friday that her death was caused by craniocerebral injuries from an assault, and from heart disease.
“We reported the incident to all the proper authorities as soon as we became aware of it,” Crawford said. “The Illinois Department of Public Health came out and did an investigation. We did our own investigation.”
State investigators did not find any fault with Maryhaven’s handling of the incident, Crawford said. Officials with the department could not be reached for comment Saturday.
After the medical examiner ruled the death a “homicide” Friday, the Glenview Police visited the facility, Crawford said.
“The detectives came out. They have interviewed staff about what happened. We are not aware of them making any charges or arrests,” Crawford said.
Glenview police said they would have no comment on the case before Monday.
Patients interviewed by the Sun-Times Saturday said they were happy with their care at Maryhaven and were unaware of the incident.
Crawford emphasized that there is no danger to the community or to other staff or patients.
“Everyone is safe,” he said. “While this is very sad and tragic, right now the best thing we can do is cooperate with the authorities.”
A neighbor of her former home in Glenview said Saturday that Iverson’s daughter moved her to Maryhaven after she began showing signs of “advanced Alzheimer’s.”
Iverson used to work at the make-up counter at the old Renneckars drug store, then for Kraft Foods in Glenview before retiring, She raised four children and was a parishioner at Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, the neighbor said.
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