Seniors feeling trapped by elevator loss at Cape Breton manor, family member says

The daughter of a 86-year-old man with mobility issues says he and other seniors are feeling trapped inside a Sydney, N.S., manor after being given only six days notice that their elevator would be out of service for over a month.

Tenants of the provincially owned Richard C. Hines Manor on Xavier Drive were told July 26 that the building's only elevator would be shut down for upgrades for a period of roughly six to eight weeks. 

Doreen MacLeod-MacRae said the loss of service affects her father, who lives on the second floor of the building and uses a cane. She's worried about what may happen in the event of an emergency such as a fire. The building exits are on the third floor, which goes to the street, and on the ground floor to the parking lot.

"If something happens, and then he's told you have to go upstairs, I'm scared to death he's going to fall," MacLeod-MacRae said.

"They deserve to have a lift. They need an alternative to the elevator. When the elevator is out, they have a right to get outside to get fresh air in the summer. This is not the winter when they're, you know, cold and in their apartments. This is the summer. This is when family comes home."

MacLeod-MacRae said she wishes the seniors were notified earlier and their families involved, so they could plan social outings and activities. She said a chair lift should be installed, which could also be used when the elevator shuts down during a power outage.

Nova Scotia Provincial Housing Agency oversees the building and said its work mostly affects 11 seniors living on the second floor of the independent housing facility. It said the work is expected to last six weeks and is necessary to prolong the elevator's use within the building and to meet necessary licensing requirements. 

Pam Menchenton, executive director of client services for the agency, said tenants were advised of the work on July 26, and told they could contact their property manager or housing officer to discuss an alternative plan for accommodation, such as moving into a lower floor that provides ground-level access.

She said some adjustments were already made, such as having tenant-paid meals delivered from a next-door facility, free of charge. She noted the manor is for people who can live independently, but added "we'll do whatever we can to help."

"We don't have a plan per se to help people take walks outside," said Menchenton. "They would maybe need to rely on some family members or friends to do that."

MacLeod-MacRae said she's seen the impact social isolation and lack of exercise had on her father during lockdowns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, she's worried he will lose any progress gained in the last few months. 

"People in wheelchairs, people that use canes, people that have mobility issues are as independent as anybody I know," she said. "They need accommodation because they face barriers."