I was forced to use bucket as toilet when stairlift broke but apology was worse
One grandad was forced to poo in a bucket after his stairlift broke - but he was left just as disgusted by the apology offered to him.
David, not his real name, lived in his Places for People property, in Normanton, Derby, for almost 15 years before his stairlift broke in August last year. The 55-year-old was left without a functioning stairlift for seven months and during this time he was forced to urinate in the garden, poo in a bucket and wash himself in the sink.
After the hell he was forced to live through, inside his own home, Places for People offered a measly £200 for his troubles. To make matters worse, they only made the insulting offer after David went to the Housing Ombudsman.
Initially, David was told by a contractor the work would take two weeks to source the parts for the repair. During this time, David’s son helped him up and down the stairs to use the toilet and shower. But weeks went by, and then months, and no one ever came.
David had recently dealt with the death of his father and the ordeal left him seeking medical advice for depression. The stairlift was finally fixed earlier this year which led to David filing a complaint with the Ombudsman. It was then he received the paltry and insulting offer from Places for People.
London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard
Places for People offered the grandad just £200 after he complained to the ombudsman (Derby Telegraph / BPM Media)He told DerbyshireLive: "It was horrible. Now I know what prison was like back in the old days. That's what it felt like - being in prison. I felt so low. I was already going through depression with my dad dying and then had this on top of me. If it went to court, what would a judge think? How would they feel if they had to live like that? It's disgusting. Pigs don't even get treated like that."
David had the stairlift installed in the property around five years ago after his diagnosis of Dupuytren's contracture, which means his fingers bend in towards the palm. He'd broken bones after falling on the stairs, due to not being able to grasp the handrail safely, and also suffers with arthritis in both knees and a back problem.
When the stairlift stopped working, Places for People sent out someone to assess the issue. David was initially accepting of the waiting time, understanding that parts needed to be ordered and that "things take time".
But a month in, his son, with a young daughter and a pregnant partner, simply couldn't afford the time to help him anymore. David couldn't get upstairs and was left living downstairs and sleeping on the sofa for the next half year.
To wash, he'd fill the kitchen sink with water and wipe himself down. To urinate, he'd venture to the back of the garden and go in the corner - something he says he was fearful would land him in trouble if a neighbour had seen. And to defecate, he'd use a bucket, disposing of the faeces in waste bags usually reserved for his two dogs. He'd chuck it in his outside dustbin and had to use disinfectant to clean out the bucket.
Places for People left the grandad suffering through an unimaginable hell and David said they simply ignored and failed to respond to his emails and formal complaints.. David's mental health deteriorated in the months thereafter.
It was around March time when a contractor was finally sent around and the problem was fixed. David was relieved but filed a complaint with the Housing Ombudsman immediately - one that is currently in the final stage of its process. In the meantime, he was offered £200 in compensation.
He said: "I told my son. He was absolutely shocked. My mother was absolutely shocked too and other people I've spoken to have also said they think it's absolutely disgusting. I don't know how much I'm owed. But it's more than that."
David moved out in June to a private property previously owned by his father. It's a "blessing", he says. But it's not the end of his dispute with his former landlord. He said: "After the way I was treated there, I feel sorry for any other person that's disabled and living in one of their properties. If they can do this to me, how many other people have they done it to? I'm not the first, surely."
A spokesperson for Places for People said: “We remain in contact with the resident and are continuing to work with him to understand his concerns. We are sorry for the distress and frustration caused.”
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