ODESSA, Texas — The Lincoln Tower in Odessa is currently operating without an elevator. Those inside say it has been since Friday that the elevators have been down, with the company who owns the retirement living apartments – Atria Senior Living -- telling people they are in the process of waiting for parts.
There are several issues created when it comes to elderly folks being stuck on their floor. In speaking with one woman and her husband, they are concerned for her mother and others who live there as well.
Eight floors and zero working elevators is the current reality for the Lincoln Tower.
“My mom…she cannot go downstairs because she’s with a walker," said Marcy Bradley, who is concerned for the elderly.
“They have to bring food to them up the stairs, but if you have a doctor visit you got to go to…if you’ve got dialysis…there’s tons of multiple things," said Logan Bradley, who is also concerned for the elderly.
Logan Bradley’s mother-in-law lives on the eighth floor.
"She's 88, very mentally with it -- smart lady -- but she has a hip problem," Logan Bradley said. "She misses her people, going to have breakfast. I mean, she's supposed to be living a good time of her life. She just lost her spouse, so she needs people to be with."
Many people are limited in where they can go and what they can do.
“Literally, if you cannot go down those stairs, you are trapped there," Logan Bradley said. "You can take your walker and walk down the hallway, but some of these floors only have one or two people on the whole floor.”
The lack of working elevators is also impacting others in the building.
“They hire people to cook meals and to serve the residents, but now they’re having to walk up eight flights of stairs…and then down the stairs…multiple times a day to get the people their food," Marcy Bradley said.
While those inside the Lincoln Tower wait for working elevators, what has not gone unnoticed is that service.
“Even if they’re working on a tough situation, or conditions, they’re still showing up," Logan Bradley said. "So, you can almost turn this into a feel-good story as well – these people are stepping way above and beyond to probably do what they know has to be done or nobody will do it for them.”
Atria Senior Living did provide NewsWest 9 a statement that reads as follows:
“Ensuring the comfort and safety of everyone who lives and works in our community is our highest priority. We are in frequent contact with the service team to expedite the repair delivery and installation. Meanwhile, we’re making sure our residents have extra support to enjoy their normal dining and events. We will continue to keep our residents and families informed throughout the process."