HOPKINTON, Mass. — Officials are investigating an unattended death at an assisted living facility in Hopkinton after first responders reported the room where a resident was found was 99 degrees.
On Sept. 30, police responded to Golden Pond Assisted Living Facility after staff found an 86-year-old female resident deceased in her apartment.
According to a police report, the woman had moved into the facility just weeks before her death and was last seen alive the previous day in the facility’s function room and during a supervised trip to Walmart.
Staff told police there was no indication the woman had been sick.
While speaking with the facility’s manager, police learned the building’s air conditioning system had been switched to heat the previous day.
He stated that none of the other rooms in the building were experiencing heat issues, but that it was possible the woman could have “attempted to use the cool setting on her thermostat which would have continued to blow warm air into the room.” Her son also told police it was possible his mother became confused and turned the heat on too high.
Police noted that all of the windows in her apartment were open. It was also reported that the HVAC system in her apartment had allegedly not been working and had not been repaired.
Officials are investigating an unattended death at an assisted living facility in Hopkinton after first responders reported the room the resident was found in was 99 degrees.
On Sept. 30, police responded to Golden Pond Assisted Living Facility after staff located an 86-year-old female resident deceased in her apartment.
According to the police report, the woman had moved into the facility just weeks prior to her death and was last seen alive the previous day in the facility’s function room and during a supervised trip to Walmart.
Staff told police there was no indication that the woman had been sick.
When speaking to the facilities manager for Golden Pond, police noted that the A/C has been switched to heat the previous day.
He stated that none of the other rooms in the building were experiencing heat issues, but that it was possible that the woman could have “attempted to use the cool setting on her thermostat which would have continued to blow warm air into the room.” Her son also told police that it was possible his mother got confused and turned the heat on too high.
Police noted that all the windows in her apartment were open. It was reported that the HVAC system had allegedly not been working and had not been fixed.
The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office confirmed they are currently investigating the death.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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