A Polk County judge has dismissed one of the principal claims in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed against Parkridge Specialty Care of Pleasant Hill, but the case continues to press allegations that the nursing home failed to provide required medical care to a man who died after a short stay.
Allegations centered on missed breathing treatments
The estate of Maris Bergis sued Parkridge and its corporate owner, Care Initiatives of West Des Moines, in Polk County District Court, seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. The complaint alleged dependent-adult abuse, recklessness, negligence and wrongful death tied to Bergis’ admission on Sept. 1, 2023, for what the suit describes as an intended 48-hour stay following hospitalization for pneumonia.
The lawsuit says Bergis arrived “alert, awake and oriented” and that staff were responsible for administering physician-prescribed breathing treatments and monitoring for breathing trouble and signs of anxiety, confusion or restlessness. According to the filing, Parkridge staff failed to administer those breathing treatments during Bergis’ four-day stay; regulators later cited the facility for delayed care.
“The Parkridge staff did not set up Maris’ breathing treatment equipment or have the albuterol — the medication — in his room,”
The suit includes a sworn affidavit from Bergis’ widow, Leila Bergis, recounting instances she says she found her husband unbathed and “soaked in urine,” in addition to describing the missing breathing treatments and the unplugged equipment she encountered.
What the court action means
The judge’s dismissal removes a central claim from the wrongful-death action but does not end the case. Other allegations—such as negligence, recklessness and dependent-adult abuse—remain in play and could proceed to discovery, settlement talks or trial. The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing cited Parkridge for delays in providing necessary medical care and treatment related to Bergis’ stay; that administrative finding is separate from the civil lawsuit.
- Admission date: Sept. 1, 2023
- Length of stay alleged: Four days
- Claims filed: Dependent-adult abuse, recklessness, negligence, wrongful death (one central claim dismissed)
| Item | Allegation/details |
|---|---|
| Initial condition at admission | Alert, awake and oriented (per lawsuit) |
| Prescribed care | Breathing treatments and monitoring for respiratory distress |
| Regulatory action | Cited by Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing for delayed care |
Families and advocates in Iowa closely watch cases like this because they touch on broader concerns about staffing, oversight and the quality of care in long-term and specialty facilities across the state. The civil suit aims to hold corporate ownership accountable for operations at the local facility; the administrative citation from state inspectors underscores regulators’ role in monitoring compliance with care standards.
The case will proceed with the remaining counts unless further rulings or a settlement resolve them. For families with loved ones in nursing homes, the dispute highlights the importance of documenting care concerns, keeping copies of physician orders and communicating promptly with both facility staff and state inspectors when standards appear unmet.
Parkridge Specialty Care and Care Initiatives of West Des Moines have been named in the court filings. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages; court records do not list a trial date in the filings reviewed. The judge’s dismissal of one claim narrows the immediate legal theory but leaves intact multiple allegations that will continue to shape this local controversy over elder care standards.
