The family of an Aberdeen pensioner with dementia and Parkinson’s claim she is being expected to “step over” rotting floorboards in her flat.
Irene Begg lives in a flat in a council flat, on the 12th floor, in the Stockethill area of the city.
Her family say for the repairs to be carried out, she will need respite care but claim the council have “ignored” their calls for help.
Daughter Lesley Armitage, 49, has been pleading with the city council for 10 days, desperate to get help for her mum.
Her own home has stairs, which her mum “can not manage”.
Lesley, a full-time carer, said: “I have been asking for emergency respite for 10 days, for as long as I have known this work was going to be getting done, and I am being ignored.
“I have nowhere else to turn but the newspaper to try and get some help.”
‘My mum needs help’
She explained that a leak from a shower in her mum’s council home – that started 13 years ago – has meant there is damage to the floorboards.
While there have been repairs to the leak over the years, she says it has never been fully resolved.
Mrs Begg, who was housebound for four months earlier this year due to a broken lift, lives on the 12th floor of the Beechwood Court high-rise flats in Stockethill.
In the last month the leak has dripped into the flat below and an emergency repair to Mrs Begg’s home was ordered.
Lesley said: “My mum needs help with this. Right now she is being expected to step over a floor that is caving in.
“She is being told she needs to stay in the house. But she can’t, she has Parkinson’s which means walking is difficult and she has dementia.
“She still has capacity and is making her own decisions – but she is afraid to shout out for herself. She never wanted to go into respite care – but she knows she can not live in the flat while this work is being done.
“The joiner who came to do the job recognised there was a problem and stayed outside in his van, and phoned his clerk of works. He can’t do the job with mum at home.”
‘Temporary accommodation will be arranged’
An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: “We received a report of damaged flooring at the end of May 2022.
“On investigation, it was discovered that there was a leak from a heating pipe which had resulted in the flooring being damaged. Works were arranged to renew the flooring and we will work with our tenant to arrange temporary accommodation for the duration of the works which we expect to take about a day to complete.”
Conversation