Family of elderly resident found dead at local nursing home speaks about facility being shutdown

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The family of an elderly woman who was found dead at a Colorado Springs nursing home says they don't believe any justice has been done after the state shut down the facility.

Margarita Sam's family was finally able to lay their loved one to rest last week, but the pain of losing her in such a tragic way still haunts them.

"Our hearts are broken, and we are trying to take it one day at a time," says Sam's niece Margarita Stokes. She tells us even though Union Printers Home has been shut down following the state's investigation, it doesn't change anything for them. Stokes says, "Why did it take my aunt's life to go ahead and get this facility shut down?"

Stokes has seen our reports about all the complaints and warnings the Department of Health received from residents and state investigators. She also watched as KRDO recounted the home's constant failures to make necessary changes. Now, she feels like there needs to be major reform in how these homes are governed by the state.

"It's not that someone needs to be held accountable, it is that the system as far as it goes, is completely broken," Stokes says.

Sam's family now waiting on the official cause of death that will be released by the El Paso County Coroner's Office. Stokes says, "We will make our slow march to find out what exactly happened to Auntie on that fateful day."

The family is waiting for the report before they can consider taking legal action. However, despite the tragedy, they are now calling their aunt a hero saying that thanks to her, no one else at Union Printers Home will have to suffer the same fate.