Union Printers Home shut down, residents being forced to vacate following state investigation
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Union Printers Home's licenses have been suspended and all of the facility's residents will be forced to find new homes following the State's week-long investigation into the facility's practices.
On Tuesday, residents were told by staff that they have to be moved out of the nursing home by the end of March. They were also told that they will receive help in finding a new place to live.
A state spokesperson told KRDO that Union Printers Home was served a summary suspension. The same spokesperson said this was a "final action" and that Union Printers Home has effectively been shut down.
Below is a photo of the letter we received from a resident:
The family of Margarita Sam tells us management never contacted them about the death; instead, they learned about it through the El Paso County Coroner's Office.
According to a family's statement to a local church, Sam was found half-nude on a bench outside of one of the main buildings at 11 a.m.. Residents told KRDO that she had gotten in an argument with a staffer and went outside to cool off. Family said she was last checked at 3 a.m.
The El Paso County Coroner's Office still hasn't ruled an official cause of death, saying the report could take 4-6 weeks.
We reached out to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment after learning of Sam's death last week, and the department said a "thorough investigation into the facility's practices" was underway.
KRDO has also learned that there is currently an open wrongful death civil lawsuit filed against the home in 2019.
We spoke to District Director Randy Kuykendall after getting the letter, and he confirmed that the suspension is a culmination of a few incidents at the facility. Kuykendall said the owners of Union Printers Home, Valor Health Network/Heart Living Centers, were fully cooperative with the investigation.
Kuykendall added that Union Printers Home is bringing in management to help residents find new places to live. The state said it anticipates that all residents will be out by March 27.
We still haven't been able to get in contact with management at Union Printers Home after multiple attempts.
