Kathleen Bowe says the past 12 months have been the worst of her life
A nan says she is “suicidal” as she is “forced to go down six flights of stairs on her bum” and “crawl back up on her knees” whenever she wants to leave her home. Kathleen Bowe, 77, claims that the lift in Vincent Naughton Court has been out of order since October 17 and, because she lives on the top floor of her Birkenhead sheltered accommodation and has mobility issues, she has only left the building twice in nearly two weeks.
She says this, alongside other problems such as the alleged closure of the communal lounge, the cessation of bingo and other issues with management, has made the past 12 months the “worst months of her life”. Speaking to the ECHO, Kathleen said: “The lift went out of order on October 17 and I’ve been onto the housing association every single day. Within all that time, I’ve only been out twice, and that was to the hospital and to the doctor.
“When I go out, I have to go down six flights of stairs on my bum and I crawl back up on my knees. This is supposed to be assisted living but there’s no one to help you. I normally get out every day, even if it’s only for two hours, but not being able to is really getting me down now – it’s been completely taken away from me. I’ve felt suicidal about it.”
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Sanctuary Housing told the ECHO that the communal lounge was only closed briefly and they had offered to move Mrs Bowe to the ground floor temporarily but she declined.
Kathleen claims she suffers from depression, tremors, arthritis and COPD, stating that “everything on me shakes”. She added: “They’ve locked the communal lounge up, stopped the bingo. These last 12 months have been the worst months of my life.
“We have a manager here now, who started last week. When I came back to the building, I had a loaf and two or three things in a bag. I asked her if she could please take the bag up and put it outside my door, so I could get up the stairs easier and without any hindrance. She told me she’d been told she can’t do anything like that and that her hands are tied.”
Kathleen added: “Her predecessor, who was here for nine months, his favourite phrase was: ‘Not in my job description’. If they put the lift back on it would be a better place but I don’t think so now anyway, I think it’s gone too far. It seems as though my life is over now.”
Sanctuary told the ECHO that its scheme manager has visited the Kathleen to carry out a welfare check and offer a temporary move to the ground floor. They said she was content to remain where she was.
The housing association also said that the communal lounge was closed temporarily a while ago but has now been reopened for some time. A spokesperson for Sanctuary said: “We are sorry it is taking longer than expected to restore the lift and for the inconvenience residents have been caused.
“We understand why this is frustrating and can offer reassurance that our external contractor will complete the repairs as soon as the specialist parts required arrive. In the meantime, we will ensure that residents are offered additional support if they need it and will also continue to address any other concerns that are raised.”
Alison McGovern, MP for Birkenhead said: “This is not acceptable. I want to know from Sanctuary Homes what they are doing to help their resident. No one should be trapped in their own home. And treating residents with respect and care should be the way that housing associations act.”
Vincent Naughton Court made headlines just last week when it was fined £900,000 after legionella broke out there, putting vulnerable residents at risk of contracting a deadly disease. The bacteria was detected at Vincent Naughton Court on Rodney Street in Birkenhead, following the sampling of its water systems in the communal areas and flats in July and August 2018.
