RESIDENTS of an assisted living facility in Alexandria have expressed their "anger" at the lift in the complex "not being up to scratch".

Bridge Court, which is owned by the charity Bield Housing & Care, is home to over 40 people.

The Reporter has spoken to several tenants who live within the complex who claim the lift has been "unreliable" over the last three years, with the problem getting "considerably worse" in the last 12 months.

As a result of the lift breaking down over the last few years, several residents claim to have not opted to use it when it is in service.

One of those who falls into this bracket is Sid Huxter.

The 90-year-old, who has two walking sticks, has opted to use the stairs for fear of getting stuck in the lift.

His daughter Helen Kennedy explained the issues this is causing.

"My dad has not been going out as much as he is concerned about the lift," she said.

"It has been fixed and then broken so many times over the last few years that he will avoid it if possible.

"He was previously stuck in the lift which caused a lot of upset.

"It has been supposedly fixed on a number of occasions before breaking again which is unhelpful for those who need it most.

"I am constantly worried about him when I am not there."

Another tenant, Betty Forsyth, opened up on the stress of not knowing if the service will work properly.

"I was stuck in the lift two years ago, along with my daughter who has mental health issues and this caused a lot of discomfort for both of us," the 89-year-old said.

"The worry of this happening every time I want to leave the building or move to another floor is something I could really be doing without.

"I am lucky in the sense that I have family members who can come and visit and help me up and down the stairs if need be and can bring shopping if needed but not everyone is as lucky."

One family member of a tenant has expressed his concerns about the mental health impact of people being potentially isolated.

Richard Lees, whose mum Rena is 92, has detailed his worry about her becoming socially isolated.

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He said: "My mum is on the lower-ground floor of Bridge Court and lives on her own.

"She has bad knees and her mobility is limited. She went into the accommodation for the social aspect as there is a upstairs lounge which should allow for her to meet with people on a regular basis.

"It has really limited her living experience in recent times. The laundry in Bridge Court is in the lower-ground floor which a lot of residents cannot gain access to when the lift is out of service.

"The lift is now working again and a stairlift has been put in but residents have been told that they cannot use it which is bizarre."

Ruby Paisfull, 78, was also critical of Bield's communications.

She added: "I feel like we could have been informed of the status of the lift a lot more regularly.

"We all have our own health problems and the issue with the lift is causing added stress.

"The lack of communication has been poor and things are not up to scratch."

Drew Moore, director of Assets at Bield said: "The safety and wellbeing of our tenants is our utmost priority.

“We are aware of the recent ongoing issues with the lift at Bridge Court in Alexandria, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and distress this has caused to our tenants.

"We understand that a reliable lift service is essential, especially for those with mobility challenges.

“We would like to reassure all tenants and their families that we have been working diligently to resolve these issues, which has included replacing the lift’s control unit.

“We’re pleased to confirm that as of August 7, the lift is fully operational.

"That said, it will require further works to ensure long-term reliability in the coming eight to 12 weeks.

“We understand that some residents may still have concerns about using the lift, and so we will be carrying out extensive work to replace both the hydraulic mechanisms and control systems to increase future reliability.

“With this in mind, we have installed a stairlift to assist tenants who may have difficulty using the stairs and to serve as a back-up to the lift.

"Our development manager has been actively supporting tenants during this time and will continue to discuss the support required with tenants.

“We are committed to ensuring that Bridge Court remains a comfortable place for all who call it home, and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our tenants and their families as we work through these necessary repairs.”