89-year-old woman froze to death outside Colorado Springs nursing home

Following "numerous" complaints and investigations, including a death, a Colorado Springs assisted living facility had its license suspended.

The suspended license was confirmed by 11 News on Feb. 11.

On Wednesday, the McDivitt Law Firm announced they were looking into the death of 89-year-old Margarita Sam. According to the autopsy report, Sam froze to death outside the Union Printers Home. She was found on a bench outside the facility on Feb. 3. Attorney David McDivitt was retained by the family of Sam to look into the cause of her death.

"We’ve known for a while that something’s not right," David McDivitt told 11 News. "A woman is in a nursing facility. And then she goes outside and she’s found dead, hours later. Something doesn’t really seem to add up. She froze to death outside. And it’s significant. You don’t expect when you have a loved one in a home, where it is the job of the home, of the facility, to care for your loved one, to look out for their best interest, to ensure their safety."

"McDivitt Law Firm and Reddick Moss are looking into Sam’s death, along with several other cases of possible negligence at Union Printers Home," representatives with McDivitt Law Firm wrote in a release.

According to 11 News partner The Gazette,

more than 100 residents will be relocating from the Union Printers Home.

The assisted living and nursing facility is located off Union Boulevard to the east of Memorial Park.

The suspension came a little more than a week after Sam was found dead.

"The goal for us is to be able to provide answers, closure, and accountability," McDivitt added.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment sent the following statement to 11 News on Feb. 12:

"The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a summary suspension to the Union Printers assisted living and nursing facility on February 11, 2020. This action suspends the facility’s license and begins the process of safely transferring residents to other facilities, effective immediately. There have been numerous complaints and subsequent investigations at this facility in the past few years, most notably after a recent resident death. Findings from those investigations demonstrate that Union Printers does not have the ability to provide consistently safe care to its residents. For more information about those findings, please visit the department’s website - www.healthfacilities.info. Beginning today, the department will work with sister agencies to inform the residents, and begin safe transfers to other facilities. The department expects that process to take approximately 45 days. To ensure that all residents receive satisfactory care and services during this time, a management company has been hired. This management company will run the daily operations of Union Printers, with increased supervision from the department. In closing, the department has acted swiftly and decisively to close Union Printer’s home to protect the welfare of its residents and will remain involved until all residents have safe placement at another health care facility."