Authorities in Massachusetts are investigating the death of an 86-year-old woman found in a room that had reached 99 degrees.

An aide found Sheila Szczypinski unresponsive in bed at Golden Pond Assisted Living & Memory Care in Hopkinton on Sept. 30, the Boston Globe reported. The aide had arrived to help her bathe. Firefighters opened windows to cool the stifling room. "A member of the fire department observed that the thermostat in the room was reading 99 degrees Fahrenheit," a police report said.

The Middlesex District Attorney's Office and the state medical examiner are investigating, Hoodline reported, citing CBS News. The cause of death has not been released.

Szczypinski's son told police she "got confused easily" and "may have inadvertently turned the heat on too high," The Independent reported, citing WCVB.

Golden Pond has faced scrutiny before. It failed a state compliance review in 2023, the same summer three residents died within a week, The Independent reported, citing NBC Boston. In January 2025, state regulators suspended its certification and stopped new admissions after finding serious safety and medical violations. The suspension was lifted a month later.

Employees describe a building still struggling with a broken heating and cooling system, Hoodline reported.

But the facility disagrees. "Our HVAC system is professionally maintained by a licensed contractor on both a seasonal and as-needed basis and was working properly," Douglas Noble, director of operations, said in a statement.

Older adults are especially at risk from extreme heat because their bodies have a harder time controlling temperature.

What we know: An 86-year-old woman was found dead in a 99-degree room at a Hopkinton assisted-living home, and prosecutors are investigating.
What we don't: Her cause of death, which has not been released.