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Broken elevator frustrates Tomball senior residents
A broken elevator at a senior living facility in Tomball has caused problem for some residents.
TOMBALL, Texas - Families are voicing more concerns about broken elevators at senior living communities in the Houston area.
Just days before Christmas, FOX 26 reported on residents at Houston’s Acres Homes who were struggling after an elevator at their senior community was out of service for weeks. Now, another family is speaking out about a similar issue—this time at a senior apartment complex in Tomball.
Tomball senior facility elevator
What we know:
Hope Malone contacted FOX 26 with concerns about her 82-year-old mother, who lives at The Laurel at Vintage Park Apartments.
According to the Hope, one of the building’s elevators has been out of service for nearly three weeks, forcing residents with mobility challenges to walk long distances or navigate stairs to reach a working elevator.
What they're saying:
"It’s frustrating and unfortunate," Malone said. "It’s been 19 days since it’s been out now."
The family says residents at one end of the building must walk down a long corridor to access the only functioning elevator. That walk, they say, is not climate-controlled, making conditions especially difficult during extreme temperatures.
"She has back problems and hip problems, and she has difficulty walking," Malone explained. "She can sometimes go down the stairs, but she cannot go up."
Acres Homes senior living residents frustrated after elevator stopped working for weeks
"Stop putting a band-aid on it": Residents at Chelsea Senior Community in Acres Homes shared concerns about their elevator that stopped working about a month ago.
The broken elevator has also impacted family visits, especially during the holidays.
The woman added that her mother cannot carry groceries or medications up multiple flights of stairs and that the situation has taken an emotional toll.
"She’s in disbelief that it’s taking this long to have an elevator fixed, and it’s affecting her life," Malone said. "When I go see my mom, I have to go up three flights of stairs, and I get winded."
What's next:
According to the family, apartment management told them they were waiting for a replacement part from the elevator company, but they do not understand why the repair has taken so long.
FOX 26 reached out to the apartment complex’s front office and management company. As of the time of the story being published, FOX 26 has not received a response explaining why the elevator remains out of service.
FOX 26 will continue to follow this story and update it if a statement is provided.
The Source: Information in this article comes from FOX 26 interviews with Tomball residents.