Local
Golden Pond moved 36 residents in weeks after Hopkinton woman’s death
At least five residents were transferred from the Hopkinton assisted living facility for heat-related concerns after 86-year-old Sheila Szczypinski was found dead in a room that reached 99 degrees. Town officials say 36 residents were moved from the facility between Oct. 1 and Oct. 17, but have not said how many transfers involved heat concerns.
Thirty-six residents were transferred from Communities at Golden Pond in Hopkinton between Oct. 1 and Oct. 17, according to town Health Director Shaun McAuliffe. At least five of those residents were moved because of heat-related issues in the weeks after 86-year-old Sheila Szczypinski was found dead in her room, McAuliffe said Wednesday.
Szczypinski was found unresponsive in bed in a room where the temperature registered 99 degrees. McAuliffe did not specify how many of the 36 transfers were tied to heat concerns or where residents were taken.
A former resident and a relative have described uncomfortable warmth at the facility before Szczypinski’s death, raising questions about conditions there and how residents were protected from excessive heat. The available information does not establish what caused the room’s temperature to reach 99 degrees or whether the facility’s operations contributed to the death.
The transfers followed a fatal incident at a residence serving older adults, including people needing memory care. The town has not provided further details about the circumstances of the moves.