Seniors in NY apartment complex living in dangerous conditions
November 17, 2011
Elderly tenants living in an apartment complex in Brighton Beach, New York, are not pleased with their current situation, as many have been stuck in their apartments due to faulty elevators and a broken ramp, WPIX 11[1] reports.
According to the source, even if tenants are able to get down, they must then go out the basement door and down a narrow ramp that wobbles and has visible holes – an even more frightening endeavor for residents who are wheelchair-bound.
“I need to have a way to go outside a little bit,” resident Sara Lekht told the publication. “I need the fresh air.”
Michael Leon, the building superintendent, told the source that the problems only started happening after Hurricane Irene. He claims someone tampered with the elevator – which has been known to trap seniors in between floors or on the basement level.
Leon also stated that there are currently other “bigger” building violations that he needs to tend to before fixing the elevator and the dangerous ramp. However, residents believe these are all excuses and feel the problems have made them prisoners in their own homes.
Being stuck in an elevator or falling in the home or in an apartment building can be a real fear for seniors. Those in such conditions may want to wear a medical alert smartwatch so they always have access to help – even when stuck in an elevator.
