Connecticut is working to find a new home for the residents of Bickford Health Care Center in Windsor Locks, after the state ordered all patients transferred out of the 48-bed facility following the death of a resident on Feb. 8.
The Department of Public Health facility licensing and investigation cited Bickford for over a dozen violations in the weeks after 93-year-old resident Margaret Healey wandered outside of the facility undetected, later dying after exposure to the extreme cold.
In a March 10 letter to the nursing home, the state Department of Social Services appointed a temporary manager of the facility and issued the transfer order following DPH’s report.
Mairead Painter, Connecticut’s long-term care ombudsman, said an annual survey done just before the incident found the nursing home had several areas of deficiency and the facility has not come into compliance.
“We have had an ongoing concern in that building regarding staffing,” Painter said. “Honestly, it's a concern in many buildings when they're accepting individuals, some will say that they're staffing at the minimum, but it's just that – it's a minimum."
Next steps for Bickford residents
The ombudsman’s office has been trying to help the residents answer questions and understand what other options are out there during the sudden transition.
“Which is always traumatic for someone, especially in a small nursing home,” Painter said. “Many of these individuals are from that area or have been there a long time, and it's a close-knit community. The family members are very close knit as well. They support each other.”
The initial date for patients to get new placement is April 10. Painter said the state DSS would look at modifying the order if a resident didn’t find a new spot by then.
“There's never been a nursing home that has closed with any people in it,” Painter added.
“DSS remains firmly committed to the well-being of every resident,” DSS spokesperson Christine Stuart said in a statement. “Funding will continue uninterrupted to ensure that no one experiences a disruption in the quality care they deserve, giving each resident and their loved ones the time and support needed to find a safe and suitable new home.”
Painter said she hasn’t heard of any residents at Bickford who feel like they have not found any options for where to go next. But bed openings in nursing homes are very fluid day-to-day, she said, and some residents have already transferred.
Healey’s death still under investigation
Healey was laid to rest last month in Waterbury where she was born and raised, according to her obituary.
“She will be remembered for her devotion to teaching, her love of language, animals, and family, and for the quiet, steady presence she brought to the lives of those who knew her,” the obituary read.
However, the cause and manner of her death is pending, the state Office of Chief Medical Examiner said Tuesday.
“The Windsor Locks Police Department has conducted extensive interviews with individuals connected to Bickford Health Care Center,” WLPD Operations Commander Lt. Paul Cherniak said in an email.
The department’s efforts are currently paused, Cherniak added, as they wait for results from the State Medical Examiner, “which are essential to determining the next steps in this death investigation.”
