WINDSOR LOCKS, CT — A 93-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease died after wandering outside a Connecticut nursing home in frigid temperatures early Sunday morning, according to the Hartford Courant. Margaret Healey was discovered facedown in a snowbank approximately 40 feet from Bickford Health Care Center, a 48-bed facility that holds the lowest possible federal safety rating.
Staff at the facility noticed Healey was missing from her bed around 4:45 a.m. and initiated a search, according to Windsor Locks Police Lt. Paul Cherniack, as reported by the Courant. By the time police were called at approximately 6:23 a.m., staff had located Healey and brought her back inside. Officers were told the resident had a pulse when she was found, but emergency medical technicians recorded her death at 6:46 a.m.
According to a preliminary police report cited by the Courant, Healey had been outfitted with an alert device intended to trigger an alarm if she passed through a facility doorway without authorization. Investigators are now working to determine whether the device malfunctioned or whether staff failed to respond to it. The Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner listed her cause and manner of death as pending further investigation, according to the report.
"We are not pointing fingers at anyone," Cherniack told the Courant. "We need to know if everything that was done was in their protocol and also reasonable and justifiable. When we look at it, there are big gaps there. We would like to know why."
Bickford Health Care Center officials declined to comment on the incident, according to the Courant.
State Officials Demand Answers
Multiple Connecticut lawmakers have called for a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding Healey's death. State Rep. Jane Garibay, a Windsor Locks Democrat who chairs the House Committee on Aging, questioned whether emergency services were contacted promptly when staff realized the resident was missing, as reported by the Courant.
"Was the ambulance called immediately when they found out she was missing, and the police?" Garibay told the Courant. "Both should have been called. I am waiting for the facts."
State Sen. Jeff Gordon, a physician and member of the Public Health Committee, said the incident demands a comprehensive investigation by the Department of Public Health. "For someone to wander and get out of the building — to me, this means that DPH has to do a very thorough review of what went on at the facility," Gordon told the Courant.
State Sen. Saud Anwar, co-chair of the Public Health Committee, described the death as both tragic and deeply concerning, noting that exposure to extreme cold likely contributed to Healey's death, according to the Courant. The state Department of Public Health confirmed it cannot discuss any active investigation but expressed condolences to Healey's family.
CMS Inspection History
Federal records paint a troubling picture of the facility's regulatory track record. According to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Bickford Health Care Center holds an overall rating of just 1 out of 5 stars — the lowest possible score. The facility's health inspection rating also sits at 1 star, while its quality measures rating is 2 stars. Its staffing rating of 4 stars stands in contrast to what police described as dangerously low staffing levels on the night of Healey's death, when only two of five required staff members were reportedly on duty.
CMS records show Bickford has accumulated 96 total deficiencies across 16 inspections. The facility was fined $55,635 by CMS in 2025 and an additional $13,380 by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, as reported by the Courant — a combined total of nearly $69,000 in penalties.
The most recent CMS inspection, conducted on November 4, 2025, cited the facility for failing to ensure its premises were free from accident hazards and for not providing adequate supervision to prevent accidents — a deficiency that takes on grim significance in light of Healey's death just months later.
An April 2024 inspection flagged multiple concerns, including failures to protect residents from abuse and neglect, deficiencies in honoring residents' rights to voice grievances, and shortcomings related to residents' rights to participate in treatment decisions and family groups. Federal regulations require nursing homes to maintain environments free of hazards and to provide sufficient oversight to prevent residents from harm, particularly those with cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer's disease who are at elevated risk of elopement.
The pattern of deficiencies at Bickford raises serious questions about whether systemic issues contributed to the conditions that allowed a vulnerable resident to leave the building undetected during dangerously cold weather.
Ownership & Operations
Bickford Health Care Center is classified as a non-profit corporation, according to CMS records. The 48-bed facility is one of the smaller nursing homes in Connecticut. Despite its non-profit status, the facility's record of repeated regulatory violations and substantial financial penalties suggests persistent operational challenges that its governing body has not adequately addressed.
The combination of a 1-star overall rating, nearly 100 documented deficiencies, and a resident death under circumstances that echo the facility's own cited safety failures will likely intensify regulatory scrutiny. Federal and state investigators are expected to conduct a comprehensive review that could result in additional penalties, enhanced oversight requirements, or other enforcement actions.
Resources for Families
Families with loved ones at Bickford Health Care Center or any Connecticut long-term care facility who have concerns about resident safety can contact the following resources:
- Connecticut Long-Term Care Ombudsman: 1-866-388-1888 — The ombudsman program advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities and can help families navigate complaints and concerns. - National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Hotline: 1-800-677-1116 - Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center: ltcombudsman.org
Families can also file complaints directly with the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Anyone who suspects a nursing home resident is in immediate danger should call 911.
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