Angus pensioner with fractured back left to sleep in broken bed

Local authority accused of ignoring disabled man’s pleas for assistance

An Angus pensioner with a fractured back has been forced to sleep in a broken bed for six months after the council ignored his pleas for help.

George Moses, whose disability means he is in constant pain, was left to use the adjustable bed despite it being stuck at a 65-degree angle.

The 71-year-old, who lives alone in a council flat on Hill Street, Arbroath, is able to walk but struggles to venture much further than a few feet and needs a mobility scooter to get around.

He said he was tired of living in agony. “I just want my comfort,” he said. “I’m on morphine tablets and other drugs to help the nerves in my back.

“Sleeping in this broken bed has made my back so much worse.

“I slide about and sometimes I wake up in the morning and my legs are touching the floor.”

His son George Moses Jr, who lives in

Glasgow, is also growing concerned for his dad’s health.

He said: “He’s not sleeping and, he wouldn’t say this to me, but I think he’s depressed.

“His body posture has got worse and he walks with an arch now.

“To let him sleep in a bed in that position for half a year with a broken back is absolutely disgusting.

“He hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in all that time and I’ve been really worried about him.”

Workers from Angus Council visited the property yesterday to repair the bed, shortly after The Courier asked for an explanation for the delay.

However, the father and son say they are not confident it is fixed and George is still in discomfort.

He suffered the broken back around two years ago when his mattress slipped, causing him to crash to the floor. The family believe an inadequate mattress caused the fall but say the authorities will not supply a new one.

George Jr added: “He got the bed quite a few years ago for his arthritis but what good does that do if they aren’t making sure it’s safe and comfortable?

“We know it will break again and I’m worried he could slip out again.

“He’s a proud man and doesn’t like to ask for help but he needs it.”

A spokesman for Angus Council said: “We do not comment on individual cases.”

“To let him sleep in a bed in that position for half a year with a broken back is absolutely disgusting. GEORGE MOSES JR

Picture: Mhairi Edwards. George Moses on the bed which is stuck at a 65-degree angle.