A deaf and mute Aberdeen pensioner was left in “disgusting” conditions at a sheltered housing complex for a week after a toilet began leaking into her flat.
Helen and Richard Morton had to relocate Mrs Morton’s mother, Anne Ferguson, into their Garthdee home this week after first reporting the incident to bosses at council-run Janesfield Manor on March 27.
And the couple, who are themselves retired, claimed that, despite making complaints, the local authority did not offer 80-year-old Mrs Ferguson any temporary accommodation and said the soonest they could fix the leak was April 17.
Mrs Morton, who is her mother’s legal appointee, revealed that when they had visited the flat, the floor was “sodden” and the room had the smell of “a men’s urinal”.
She said they had initially suspected a cistern from the flat above had began leaking, but the couple now believe it was “human waste”.
She added: “She has a heart condition and is deaf and mute, it must have been terrible for her in there for that time.
“She was violently ill on Sunday night and eventually pushed the panic alarm.
“We took her in, of course. She was checked out on the Monday, the doctor said there had been bugs going about and it was quite common in old people’s homes.
“She has been through things like this before but always bounces back much quicker than she has in this case. This is Wednesday and she’s still not right.
“We have nothing but respect for the staff at Janesfield. This is the council’s responsibility.”
Mr Morton added: “There was a deep puddle on the floor. I would put money on it being urine, I could smell it.
“This is putting a lot pressure on her. She wants to get home.
“They say if someone sneezes in block one in that place, everyone in block seven gets a cold. You have to wonder what sort of health hazards there are.”
However, after being contacted by the Press and Journal, the council confirmed it will now begin the repairs today.
Mr Morton added: “It is interesting that only after we contacted the press have they come back and offered to do the job more quickly.”
The local authority did not respond to our request for comment.
