17 Residents Still Without a New Home as Connecticut Nursing Home Shuts Down After Alzheimer’s Patient’s Death

Windsor Locks, Connecticut — Nearly two months after a 93-year-old Alzheimer’s patient wandered out of a Connecticut nursing home undetected and later died from exposure, the fallout continues — and 17 residents are still waiting to find out where they’ll go next.

Connecticut officials ordered Bickford Health Care Center, a 48-bed skilled nursing facility in Windsor Locks, to transfer all of its residents after the state Department of Public Health cited the facility for more than a dozen violations following the February 8 death of Margaret Healey.

Healey left the building just before 2 a.m. Staff didn’t notice she was missing until nearly 4:45 a.m. — nearly three hours later. By the time they found her, she had been outside in the winter cold for more than three hours. She never recovered.

A Closure That’s Upending Lives

Since the state’s Department of Social Services issued its transfer order in early March, 19 residents have already been moved to other skilled nursing facilities. But as of late last week, 17 remained at Bickford, some still waiting for placement.

The court-ordered deadline to transfer everyone out is April 10.

Connecticut’s long-term care ombudsman, Mairead Painter, said her office has been working closely with residents and their families to navigate the transition — one she called nothing short of traumatic.

“Many of these individuals are from that area or have been there a long time, and it’s a close-knit community,” Painter said. “The family members are very close knit as well. They support each other.”

State Rep. Jane Garibay, who co-chairs the Aging Committee, described five families at Bickford who had developed an informal care network — covering for one another when someone couldn’t make it to feed a parent or sit with a loved one.

“They all took care of each other’s loved ones,” Garibay said. “And many of them moved to Windsor Locks so they could be close by. So for them, this is devastating.”

Staffing Concerns Had Been Raised for Years

Painter said her office had ongoing concerns about staffing at Bickford even before the Healey incident — and that those concerns weren’t unique to this facility.

“Honestly, it’s a concern in many buildings when they’re accepting individuals,” she said. “Some will say that they’re staffing at the minimum, but it’s just that — it’s a minimum.”

An annual survey conducted just before Healey’s death had already flagged multiple deficiencies at the facility. The Department of Public Health found after the death that Bickford had failed to notify police in a timely manner and failed to maintain an alert system designed specifically to prevent Alzheimer’s patients from wandering off.

When the state originally ordered Bickford to close its doors, officials said the health, safety, and welfare of residents was being “jeopardized.” The Department of Social Services later appointed a temporary manager, Katharine Sacks, to oversee the transfer process.

What Happens If No Spot Is Found by April 10?

Sacks told reporters last week that the facility expects to meet the transfer deadline for most residents. But for anyone still without a placement by April 10, DSS has said it would consider modifying the order.

“There’s never been a nursing home that has closed with any people in it,” Painter noted.

The state’s Department of Social Services said that funding would continue uninterrupted throughout the transition. “DSS remains firmly committed to the well-being of every resident,” a spokesperson said.

Healey’s cause and manner of death remains under investigation. Windsor Locks police said their inquiry is on hold pending the results of a state medical examiner’s report — results that are still pending.

For the residents still at Bickford, the clock is ticking.