The family of 74-year-old Geneva Mackrides, who passed away after a medical episode at a Philadelphia senior living facility, has filed a lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia, housing authorities, and the building's owners and managers. Mackrides had the episode on December 23, 2023, at the Anthony Wayne II Senior Housing Center, located at 1701 South 28th Street. Mackrides, a Life Alert customer, activated her emergency button, but EMS workers were unable to enter the building and left without providing treatment, according to NBC Philadelphia.
Ronald Scott, the son of Mackrides, told CBS News Philadelphia that EMS could have saved his mother if they had been able to enter her apartment. Scott, who had installed Ring cameras, saw her collapse and later managed to get EMS back to the residence, but by then it was too late. He said, "No one has reached out to me. They even sent me a bill for the ambulance. I'm like, this is unbelievable." The legal complaint states that despite being notified by Life Alert, the EMS team left after being unable to access Mackrides and did not attempt to forcibly enter the apartment or contact the Fire Department or police for assistance.
A lawsuit has been filed against multiple defendants, including the City of Philadelphia, Anthony Wayne II Senior Housing, Elon Group (the building's owner), and Altman Management Co., Inc. (the property manager). The lawsuit alleges that "At all times relevant hereto, Defendants Anthony Wayne II Housing, Elon, and Altman knew or should have known that the lack of ability for emergency responders to access residents caused a hazard to the safety and health of the residents." Philadelphia officials have stated that they have not been served with the lawsuit and typically do not comment on active litigation, as stated by NBC Philadelphia.
The Scott family is seeking accountability after a serious incident at a senior housing facility. Their attorney, Emeka Igwe, stated, "They certainly, as a property that houses seniors, should have had a mechanism to allow emergency personnel to easily access their residents," as mentioned by CBS News Philadelphia. The family is suing for at least $50,000 in damages from each party involved. Representatives from Anthony Wayne Senior Housing and Altman Management Company have not commented on the situation.
