It has been a struggle for dozens of Langley, B.C., seniors at an independent living facility to come and go from their apartments.
The only elevator at the Langley Lions Housing Society building has been out of service for several weeks, trapping residents like 84-year-old Anna Maria Abel inside their homes.
“It’s been hell,” Abel said. “I would imagine that people in jail would have a better life. This is torture.”
When the elevator first went down, Abel was forced to call the fire department to help her get to a medical appointment.
She then spent two weeks in a hotel, at her own expense, before moving back home.
“Two weeks cost me $3,400. I thought it was just a week or two; I could manage that in the best and most difficult way,” Abel said.
“But then when I found out it could be four months, five months, I had to come back. And the firemen carried me upstairs.”
The building houses around 90 seniors and people with disabilities, many of whom have mobility issues and complex housing needs.
“This is just unacceptable, in my opinion, to have this many handicapped people, in the lowest of the income scale, who have nowhere else to go and they are just trapped,” Abel’s daughter Rebecca Abel said.
Langley Lions Housing Society declined Global News’ request for an on-camera interview but confirmed that it is aware of the issue and is working to resolve it.
Signs posted around the building say this is a major repair that requires specific parts, and the elevator could be closed for several months.
“This just needs some money, or a stair lift or someone just needs to build this elevator part. It shouldn’t take five months,” Rebecca Abel said.
Residents and family members are calling for immediate solutions and have reached out to the society, local officials and the city for help.
“The safety and well-being of all Langley City residents, including seniors, is our top priority. We are aware of the challenges with the elevator at the Langley Lions Housing Society and take these concerns seriously,” a City of Langley spokesperson said.
“While the building is independently managed by the Langley Lions Housing Society and falls outside the City’s direct operational control, we remain engaged with the Society’s management team to stay informed.”
In the meantime, residents say they have had to hire people to get their mobility devices down to the first floor.
But navigating the stairs is a challenge for many.
“Should I fall, or someone else falls, well, it is going to be pretty major. They are going to have breakage,” building resident Andrew Dahl said. “So, it is terrible.”
The Langley Lions Housing Society has arranged for a caretaker to be available for an hour each day to help with groceries, laundry and mail while the elevator is down.
“It’s not fair to ask for an hour of somebody’s time when you know that laundry is going to take two or even shopping’s going to take an hour or whatever,” building resident AJ Botel said.
