CLEVELAND, OHIO — A tragic incident at the Avenue at Warrensville Care and Rehabilitation Center in Cleveland has led to a lawsuit filed by the family of 84-year-old Alvera Meuti, who died after freezing to death on the facility’s patio. The lawsuit claims negligence and improper supervision by the nursing staff, with one nurse facing criminal charges.
On the night of December 23, 2024, Meuti, a resident at the nursing home, disappeared from her room. According to the complaint filed in Cuyahoga County, a nurse at the facility, Amber Henderson, reportedly visited Meuti’s room around 9:30 p.m. but failed to take action when Meuti was not there. No report was made, nor was anyone notified that she was missing, the lawsuit alleges.
The family claims that additional checks should have been conducted to locate Meuti or to notify her family of her disappearance.
The complaint further details that the exit door near Meuti’s room, which was left unlocked, did not have a keypad or alarm—safety features that could have prevented her from leaving the facility unnoticed. The door, which led to a staircase and patio area, locked behind her, leaving Meuti unable to return to the building.
The next morning, December 24, 2024, Meuti was found outside the facility, on the patio near the locked door, suffering from hypothermia. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital after being transported by paramedics.
Nurse Faces Felony Charges
Amber Henderson, the nurse on duty at the time, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Meuti’s death. A March 2025 press release from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office revealed that Henderson allegedly assumed Meuti had left the facility with her family and continued her shift without raising alarm. It wasn’t until 12:36 a.m., hours later, that Henderson attempted to contact Meuti’s family, but they did not answer.
Henderson did not report the incident until the next morning, leading to a “Code Purple” being called. Meuti’s body was discovered shortly after.
Investigations by the Warrensville Heights Police Department (WHPD) revealed that Henderson was not qualified to work at the facility and that the nursing home was not properly secured. Nurses at the facility are required to check on residents every two hours, and new staff members receive four weeks of training, including proper procedures if a resident goes missing.
Henderson allegedly falsified documentation of required tasks during her shift and failed to take the necessary steps to ensure Meuti’s safety.
The investigation also revealed that the exit door near Meuti’s room was not properly secured, violating facility regulations. The door, which led to a staircase and patio area, was supposed to be locked with a keypad to prevent unauthorized access, but it was left unsecured, allowing Meuti to exit the building unnoticed.
Family Blames Negligence
In their lawsuit, Meuti’s family argues that her injuries and death were the result of the nursing home’s failure to provide adequate staffing, training, and secure facilities. The complaint alleges that the facility’s chronic understaffing and insufficient training led to the tragic incident, pointing to Henderson’s alleged negligence in not reporting the missing resident sooner.
“The lack of staff, training, and keeping the facility properly secured resulted in Alvera not being checked on, her absence not being promptly addressed, leaving the facility through an unlocked door, and not being able to re-enter the facility, which caused Alvera’s injury and resulted in her freezing to death,” the family’s complaint states.
Legal Proceedings and Defense
Henderson’s criminal case has a pretrial hearing scheduled for January 27, 2025. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and her defense attorney has stated that Henderson did nothing wrong, pledging to “vigorously defend her.” Lawyers and representatives for Avenue at Warrensville Care and Rehabilitation Center did not respond to requests for comment.
