Disabled Brighton man spends three months with no heating or hot water

Stanley William in his cold home Stanley William in his cold home

A wheelchair-bound 77-year-old has been forced to live with no central heating or hot water for nearly three months.

Double amputee Stanley William has had heating problems in his Nester Court home in Brighton since November.

But his carer and friend Tina Johnson, 34, said property management company Places for People considered Mr Stanley’s plight as “not an emergency”.

She said: “He has arthritis and angina, which means he can’t lift a saucepan to fill it with water to boil and wash in the sink.

“One evening he was wearing two jumpers and a blanket.

“I have repeatedly called Places for People, arguing that one electric heater is not enough to heat a home.

“With the snow and frost as well, it’s just out of order.”

A Places for People spokeswoman said: “We apologise for the inconvenience Mr Williams has experienced, and are working to urgently resolve a recurring problem with his boiler.”

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Comments(18)

spa301 says...
5:45pm Thu 24 Jan 13

Argus.........please reread before posting. There's a very important 'NO' missing from heading!
This happens all the time.........does it not embarrass you professionally?

mimseycal says...
5:47pm Thu 24 Jan 13

Don't you just love the phrase, "We apologise for the inconvenience" ... As empty and meaningless as the election promises of a campaigning politician

spa301 says...
5:47pm Thu 24 Jan 13

spa301 wrote:
Argus.........please reread before posting. There's a very important 'NO' missing from heading! This happens all the time.........does it not embarrass you professionally?
I was so gobsmacked I missed the 'spents' instead of spends too.
Pathetic...........

qm says...
8:01pm Thu 24 Jan 13

I wonder what the response would be from the spokeswoman from Places for People would have been if Mr. William had suffered a fatal episode?
No doubt comfy in her centrally heated home not really caring either way I expect!!

From their website: "We are one of the largest property management, development and regeneration companies in the UK. We own or manage over 81,000 homes and have assets of more than £3billion."

With assets of more than £3 billion, please allow Mr. Williams the basic necessities for reasonable accommodation.

Sussex jim says...
8:15pm Thu 24 Jan 13

It should be compulsory for anyone running a care home to have a maintenance contract which provides for any repairs to be carried out as soon as reported, including "out of hours".
The same goes for schools: If the heating has failed, a technician should be available immediately to allow the building to function.

mimseycal says...
8:51pm Thu 24 Jan 13

Sussex jim wrote:
It should be compulsory for anyone running a care home to have a maintenance contract which provides for any repairs to be carried out as soon as reported, including "out of hours".
The same goes for schools: If the heating has failed, a technician should be available immediately to allow the building to function.
Nestor Court is not a care home. It is unsupported housing for older people, based in Brighton & Hove, run by Places for People Homes which is a property management, development and regeneration company.

Algeria Touchshriek says...
9:17pm Thu 24 Jan 13

I am not surprised the odious and smarmy Kitekat isn't involved. After all, this poor chap is white, probably Christian, worked all his life, due to his disability cannot protest too much and probably likes being called Mr.

Again, I prove my point that the snot Greens have more hate in them than the BNP. And the BNP are pretty hateful.

Maxwell's Ghost says...
9:37pm Thu 24 Jan 13

This is really very upsetting. How can anyone at the council sleep knowing this man has been left in this position for so long.
We read this just days after reading about the council frittering money away on sheep and cycle lanes and Cllr Kitkat stating that he would do a better job if he were paid more.
How do some people sleep at night. I bet Cllr Kitkat isn't sleeping in the cold.

imnotpc says...
10:03pm Thu 24 Jan 13

Poor old sole,i'm afraid your white,single and male so you haven't got a chance of getting anything.absolutely disgusting

george smith says...
10:38pm Thu 24 Jan 13

Maxwell's Ghost wrote:
This is really very upsetting. How can anyone at the council sleep knowing this man has been left in this position for so long.
We read this just days after reading about the council frittering money away on sheep and cycle lanes and Cllr Kitkat stating that he would do a better job if he were paid more.
How do some people sleep at night. I bet Cllr Kitkat isn't sleeping in the cold.
Nestor House is along the road from where a small number of trees were cut down by a property developer, the green councillor was outraged by this and insisted the developer was taken to court. So the callous indifference to this poor man in the ward is shameful, especially that councillor has been ill and you would have thought would have some empathy. Mind this same councillor didn't care when hundreds of trees were chopped down at Wild Park. They are very selective about what they are concerned about.

Freeloaders says...
11:25pm Thu 24 Jan 13

spa301 wrote:
Argus.........please reread before posting. There's a very important 'NO' missing from heading!
This happens all the time.........does it not embarrass you professionally?
Get a life.Can't you just think about this poor man for one min.

Freeloaders says...
11:25pm Thu 24 Jan 13

spa301 wrote:
Argus.........please reread before posting. There's a very important 'NO' missing from heading!
This happens all the time.........does it not embarrass you professionally?
Get a life.Can't you just think about this poor man for one min.

Freeloaders says...
11:29pm Thu 24 Jan 13

Maxwell's Ghost wrote:
This is really very upsetting. How can anyone at the council sleep knowing this man has been left in this position for so long.
We read this just days after reading about the council frittering money away on sheep and cycle lanes and Cllr Kitkat stating that he would do a better job if he were paid more.
How do some people sleep at night. I bet Cllr Kitkat isn't sleeping in the cold.
Such a wonderful post Maxwell's Ghost.The thing is my friend they really don't care.Its not their family at the end of the day.The rich will only ever look after the rich.

fredflintstone1 says...
9:43am Fri 25 Jan 13

This tragic, appalling type of event will be constantly repeatedly until the directors of such companies can be charged with causing unnecessary suffering - backed up with a compulsory jail term if found guilty. They will then institute the management systems to stop this type of occurrence as a priority.

This should also apply to hospital managers too. How those at the RSCH and elsewhere in the country have previously escaped criminal prosecution for the neglect and/or death of (elderly) people in their care simply amazes me. It simply shows that we don't have effective legislation - or a totally inept police force?

This is a complete and utter disgrace.

Morpheus says...
9:51am Fri 25 Jan 13

imnotpc wrote:
Poor old sole,i'm afraid your white,single and male so you haven't got a chance of getting anything.absolutely disgusting
You have identified the problem exactly.

mimseycal says...
9:56am Fri 25 Jan 13

Morpheus wrote:
imnotpc wrote:
Poor old sole,i'm afraid your white,single and male so you haven't got a chance of getting anything.absolutely disgusting
You have identified the problem exactly.
Nope, the problem is that people and organisations have different priorities. People prioritise the fulfilment of needs and organisations prioritise the smooth running of the organisation.

It has very little to do with gender, creed or marital status.

imnotpc says...
7:24pm Fri 25 Jan 13

mimseycal wrote:
Morpheus wrote:
imnotpc wrote:
Poor old sole,i'm afraid your white,single and male so you haven't got a chance of getting anything.absolutely disgusting
You have identified the problem exactly.
Nope, the problem is that people and organisations have different priorities. People prioritise the fulfilment of needs and organisations prioritise the smooth running of the organisation.

It has very little to do with gender, creed or marital status.
oh yes it has...FACT

mimseycal says...
9:45pm Fri 25 Jan 13

Well, you carry on holding it as fact and fighting the wrong battles and nothing will ever change ...

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