Residents desperate for help after elevator left broken down for weeks in senior apartments

OLMITO, Texas ( ValleyCentral ) — Elderly residents of an Olmito senior living center tell Valley Central that they feel like they have been left to fend for themselves.

The elevator of one of the buildings stopped working three weeks ago. Now, they are struggling to climb up to get to their homes, bring in their groceries and also go for walks and with their pets.

“The elderly lady who lives to the end of the hall can’t go to her medical appointments because there’s no one to bring her down, and I told her to call the firefighters, because otherwise, you’ll miss your appointments, you’ll die I told her,” said Mrs. Busch, who prefers to stay anonymous. “We are hoping for a miracle from god.”

Residents who live in Building 2B at the Ovation Independent Senior Living Apartments in Olmito are waiting for the elevator to come up to their floor. It has been 21 days now since it stopped working.

Residents say it has broken before but has usually been fixed in a few days after it’s malfunctioned.

83-year-old Mrs. Bush simply wants the elevator fixed before it’s too late. With her cane in one hand, it now takes her 19 steps to reach her second-floor apartment.

Whenever she brings home groceries or carries up a gallon of water, she says she must stop to catch her breath midway. Although she can still walk, she worries about her neighbors who are confined to wheelchairs and oxygen tanks and who cannot get out as much.

Some neighbors told us they could not go for walks outside and that their healthcare providers have to come up with creative ways for them to exercise indoors.

“Many people here have had knee surgeries, and you can imagine how long it takes them to climb those stairs,” she added. “I live on the second floor, but those on the third floor are sitting down step-by-step because they can’t bear going up and down the stairs.”

All of the residents we spoke with did not want to appear on TV and told us they call the apartment manager Monica Cavazos daily asking when the elevator will be fixed.

In a statement, Home Springs, which manages the complex, told us they were notified of the problem on June 29. They say they have had an elevator repair company work on the problem several times.

They are now waiting for a computer motherboard to arrive.

“Ovation is an independent senior living apartment community, not a medical facility, and although we do offer elevators as a convenience, there are still stairs available for our independent seniors to use,” said spokeswoman Kelly Liserio.

Timeline of events provided by Ovation of the incidents:

• June 29: The issue was reported to the office.
• June 29: The issue was reported to Shindler (elevator service provider)
• July 1: Shindler responded to the call and left the elevator functioning.
• July 2: A problem was reported again to the office by residents.
• July 2: The property manager made several attempts to contact the service contractor. The service provider responded that they ordered a part.
• July 8: Notices were sent to residents apologizing for the inconvenience, letting them know the problem was being addressed, parts had been ordered and offering to pick up their trash.
• July 11: Shindler returned to the property with parts to fix the elevator and was unable to get the elevator to work. He told the manager he would return on the 12 when he could reach technical support.
• July 12: The provider returned to the property, spoke with tech support and left the elevator functioning at 9:45 P.M.
• July 15: The property was notified that the elevator was not working and the service provider was called. He came to the property and assessed we needed a new motherboard. That part has now been ordered and we are again waiting for the issue to be resolved.

Mrs. Busch said management has told them the elevator is a luxury and not a necessity.

The company says they offered door-to-door trash pickup for those who need it. Still, some trash has piled up and can be seen on the second floor close to the broken elevator.

Mrs. Busch says she simply wants the elevator to work again.

“We’re in a bind, we’re all elderly adults here,” Mrs. Busch said. “There are many sick people and we need the elevator fixed for our health.”

The company says the elevator repair company told them Monday the new part was needed. They say once it arrives, they will resolve the matter.

The company went on to say it takes pride in providing quality houses to residents in Texas, especially seniors.

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