Mum’s anguish as plea for home alterations falls on deaf ears
A Fallin woman has called for urgent alterations to be made to her home to help keep her family safe.
Agnes White lives at a Stirling Council property in Hillview Place with her son Mason (10) and daughter Jemma (27), who suffers from a debilitating condition which means she needs constant care.
And after almost 18 months negotiating with the council to try to get alterations made to their home, Agnes said she is now in a position where she does not know what to do.
“I am really angry because we have been in this house for three years,” she said. “It was pretty clear that it wasn’t suitable almost straight away. The doors aren’t wide enough, I am not able to get Jemma out the front door in the chair and it is difficult to get her through the kitchen to the back door.”
Jemma has had serious problems with her mobility from a very young age, suffering from hypermobility syndrome and cerebral palsy, and in recent months has been confined to a wheelchair.
A stairlift has been fitted to the house, although the front entrance is so tight that the main door cannot be opened while the stairlift is at the bottom of the staircase.
“It is a safety hazard,” said Agnes. “If I can’t get the front door open when Jemma is at the bottom of the stairs, then what am I meant to do if there is a fire? Throw a mattress out the window and then throw the children out?”
Agnes is now calling for the council to carry out amendments to the house, or find the family an alternative property.
“I have been on the property list for years, but have recently been told I am suspended from the list. There is very little space in the house, and it is not making Jemma’s life easier. I am sick of arguing with the council about it.”
A Stirling Council spokeswoman said: “Where possible and technically feasible, the council makes adaptations to properties when these are needed by a member of the household. We provide considerable support to our tenants and will continue to do so, including discussing what additional support is available when we become aware that a tenant has increased needs.”