93-Year-Old Alzheimer’s Patient Dies After Being Left Outside for Hours in Frigid Weather; Investigations Underway
A tragic and deeply troubling incident is under investigation in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, after a 93-year-old woman was found dead outside a long-term care facility in freezing temperatures. Margaret Healey, an Alzheimer’s patient residing at the Bickford Health Care Center, was discovered unresponsive in the snow early Sunday morning-more than three hours after she had left the building unnoticed.
According to Windsor Locks police, Healey exited the facility around 1:50 a.m. on February 8. Staff didn’t realize she was missing from her bed until approximately 4:45 a.m., at which point a search began-first inside the facility, then outside.
She was found at about 5:07 a.m., just 40 feet from the building, lying in the snow. Temperatures at the time hovered around zero degrees.
Staff brought out a wheelchair to bring her back inside and attempted to warm her using blankets. Despite their efforts, Healey was pronounced dead at 6:46 a.m. Emergency medical personnel had arrived on the scene after police were called at 6:23 a.m.
The Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner has not yet released an official cause of death, stating it is “pending further studies,” and the manner of death remains under investigation.
Lt. Paul Cherniak of the Windsor Locks Police Department confirmed that authorities are reviewing the timeline of events-specifically the gap between when Healey was last seen, when staff noticed she was gone, and when emergency services were contacted. Cherniak emphasized that police should have been called immediately once Healey was discovered outside.
Both the Windsor Locks Police and the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) have launched investigations into the incident.
Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators revealed that Healey exited through an employee-only entrance at the rear of the building. That door, police said, is not connected to the facility’s alert system, which is designed to notify staff if a resident with dementia or Alzheimer’s leaves a designated area.
The door is supposed to remain locked and requires a keypad code to open. However, investigators noted that the door is frequently propped open, and the access code was visibly posted next to the keypad.
Healey was known to wander-something not uncommon among Alzheimer’s patients-and had been equipped with an alert device. Police are now working to determine whether that device failed to trigger an alarm or if the alarm simply went unnoticed by staff.
The Bickford Health Care Center has not issued a public comment regarding the incident.
This isn’t the first time the facility has come under scrutiny. According to records from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Bickford currently holds a one-star overall rating, the lowest possible, based on performance in health inspections, staffing, and quality measures.
In the past three years, the facility has received 24 health citations-well above the national average of 9.6. In March 2025, Bickford was fined $55,362 for failing to report the deterioration of a resident’s wound to a physician, failing to follow prescribed wound care protocols, and not providing an air mattress in a timely manner.
That lapse resulted in the worsening of a pressure ulcer. The DPH also issued a $7,600 fine in connection with that incident.
Another investigation in December 2024 led to additional penalties. In that case, the facility failed to perform required monthly maintenance checks on bed frames, which are supposed to be free of sharp or jagged edges.
That failure led to a resident suffering a leg laceration that required eight stitches. DPH fined the facility $6,200, while CMS imposed an $8,900 penalty.
Now, with Healey’s death, the spotlight is once again on Bickford’s safety protocols-or lack thereof. Investigators are working to determine whether this tragedy was the result of human error, equipment failure, or systemic negligence. For the family of Margaret Healey, and for the broader community, the hope is that this investigation brings answers-and accountability.