A vulnerable elderly woman who has a faulty front door is set to be left waiting 10 days for the housing association, which owns the property, to fix the problem. 

Beatrice Clark, 80, lives in a bungalow owned by Irwell Valley Homes, off Bell Lane in Bury.

Her daughter Michelle Clark said she contacted Irwell Valley after the hinge on her mum’s front door became loose and the door frame had become swollen, which meant the door was not opening or closing without greater force than usual.

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Michelle said: “She’s got vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s and is permanently deaf unless she has her hearing aids.

“I phoned up as the hinge had come out the front door, so it wasn’t very safe and had swelled so was going over the frame.

“I was trying to explain to my mum not to bang the door, but she didn’t understand.”

Michelle said she then got in contact with Irwell Valley on Friday, April 12 and the firm explained it had a new system where she had to fill in an online form and get her mum’s permission to carry out work but they would arrange an appointment.

The previous system meant Michelle was able to just phone up or go online to submit details about the problem and the housing firm would go round to do the repairs.

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She said an appointment was initially made for May 5 to fix the front door, which has now been brought forward as a "priority" for Monday, April 22.

Michelle said: “I’m not happy about this so I got onto them on Monday, April 15 and was talking online to an employee who said the same thing about the form I needed to fill in or to phone back when I’m with my mum, but my mum can’t hear.

“My brother has managed to put the door back on at the moment but every time she shuts the door it loosens again. I’ve explained this along with her dementia and Alzheimer’s.

“They said they can’t do any jobs unless they get the go ahead off my mum.

“But I’ve done all the phone calls for over 27 years, and they have me down on the system, but they have a new system now.

“I said she’s 80 years old, she’s vulnerable, and when trying to explain things to her, she doesn’t understand.”

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Executive director (customers), at Irwell Valley Homes, Ceris Esplen, said: “The repair to the door has been booked as a priority for April 22.

“Where customers have a vulnerability or additional needs these are prioritised.

"On this occasion they were not, and we are very sorry this did not happen when it was originally reported to us.

“We have spoken to the customer’s family, offered our apologies and confirmed that this repair will be completed as a matter of urgency.”