Lifts at Tweedy Park broken again
Neither of the lifts are working at all, leaving many elderly residents completely stranded.
The only lift at the Tweedy Park Old Age Home that has been somewhat operational ceased working entirely on March 20, leaving the elderly residents stranded or forced to use the stairs.
The lifts have been an issue for quite some time, with one being completely out of order for over two years, and the other only working occasionally. Most of the time the one working lift had to be sent down to the first floor from the fourth floor, as the buttons on the first three floors don’t work.
Occasionally the lift got stuck, trapping elderly residents inside. Other than disabled residents who can’t navigate the stairs and are now stranded, many residents struggle immensely with the stairs.
The building has eight floors, and navigating that many stairs when elderly is a feat. Maria Mulder (78), Issie Vosloo (72) and Willem Durandt (67) all live on the seventh floor, and have a lot of trouble getting around.
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Issie requires knee replacement surgery, and Willem has mobility issues and nerve damage to his spine from an accident. Both require help getting up and down the stairs, especially with groceries. Maria helps Issie carry groceries up the stairs, and they have to take frequent breaks while climbing so they don’t get injured.
“We ask when it’ll get fixed and we get told the contract expired and it’ll be a while before it can be fixed. We can’t carry on like this. Sometimes people need ambulances and the medics can’t get them down the stairs,” Maria explained.
“I don’t get out much anymore because going down the stairs is okay, but coming back up with packets is a problem. I don’t have any other complaints, I live very comfortably here but the lifts are a problem,” Issie said.
A comment requested from the City of Ekurhuleni was not received at the time of publication.
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