Elderly trapped for months because of broken lift

THE relative of an resident of a block of flats for the elderly in Thame, has been speaking about her ‘suicidal’ Mother-in-law who, with other infirm residents, has been more-or-less trapped in her home because of a broken lift.

Jean Edwards in happier times before her illness and tribulations at Sharman Beer Court

Veronica Edwards, whose Mother-in-law, Jean Edwards, has had to be carried down the stairs by relatives, has castigated Sanctuary Homes, the company that manages the flats, Sharman Beer Court, in Southern Road, Thame,  for its failure to get the lift mended, after seven months.

Veronica has even asked MP, John Howell, to help, but despite a visit he made to Sharman Beer, nothing has been done and residents in wheelchairs particularly remain unable to leave their flats unless they have relatives fit enough to carry them down stairs, She has now sent out a desperate letter to any organisations, media or officials about the plight of her 82 year-old Mother-in-law. She writes:

“I am looking for help and advise. My mother in law lives at Sharman Beer Court in Thame, which is managed by Sanctuary Housing. On October 6, last year, the lift broke. Sanctuary house said that they had to follow the leasing law agreement. My mother-in-law lives on the first floor. She needs the lift because she cannot use the stairs – the lift was one of the good factors when she first came to Sharman Beer Court hence why she bought the flat in the first place.

“Unfortunately this is a very long issue regarding the lift. At first Sanctuary said they had to follow the leasing held law. Waiting to go through the protocol of the law, the lift wouldn’t get sort before Christmas, so all the residents, their families and friends tried to get help by speaking out about the problem and getting publicity to get the lift sorted sooner. The local papers and ITV local news have all reported on this issue. We even managed to get the Thame MP to come to the Sharman Court but that didn’t result into any thing.

“For months residents’ families helping them down the stairs has been their only way of seeing the outside world. In our case the only way we could do this was by having two members of our family carrying her down the stairs in her wheelchair. A chair lift was fitted but this was only ‘a bandage on a very bloody wound’ as my mother-in-law, Jean Edwards, can’t leave the confinement of the building without the aid of one of us helping. Jean is now in a wheelchair and on her own, unable to get up and down the stairs on her own.

“I am sure that many of the other residents are in the same place, having to rely on neighbours to help take the shopping upstairs for them while the use they lift. They were finally given March as the date for the lift to be worked on. March has came and gone and no work was done. So we all tried again to get the support and help of the media again, to which Sanctuary House is still hiding behind the lease hold law. Another date was given for the lift to be fixed – May 19. I had a very distressed mother-in-law in tears on the phone at the weekend as the residents had received a letter saying that the lift will not be fixed, with no new date given.

“So after seven months without being able to leave their flats on their own, Jean and the other residents have become very depressed having no quality of life. It’s heart breaking having to hear Jean say that she would rather be dead then be confined to the same four walls all the time.

“Jean will be 86 tomorrow (21.5.14) and says she has nothing to live for. She has always said that prisoners get treated better than she does; as least prisoners have at least a hour of fresh air a day. Jean’s health has deteriorated, and I don’t know what else I can do to help. So I am getting in touch with as many companies and organisations as I can think of. So please could you help me in this battle to find out why Sanctuary Housing can take seven months to fix a lift. We all know that they have the money as Sanctuary have what they call ‘a sinking fund’ which is meant to used at times like this. They have fobbed off anyone who has asked about when it will be sorted. Everyone has now stopped trying.

“The May 21, is Jean’s 86th birthday. PLEASE help me to make it be the best ever by having a date that is real and will actually happen!”