‘Please help’: Residents say elevators in Henrico senior living apartments have been broken for weeks

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Elevators in an independent senior living complex have been broken for what residents say has been weeks. 

Residents of the Parham Park Place senior apartments in Henrico say without elevators, getting in and out is nearly impossible. 

An ownership partner for the complex from PROJECT Homes told 8News that the computer programming system that controls the elevators is the crux of the issue. We're told they’ve ordered a replacement, but after winter weather delayed the shipment, it still isn’t working consistently. 

Ninety-two-year-old Margie Brace has lived there since 2004, but said now she feels trapped in her third-floor apartment. She said the elevator first stopped working from Jan. 23 through Feb. 4. It worked for a few days, but by Feb. 16 itwas broken again.

“I really like where I live," she said. “There’s something going on every day or night in the week to keep us entertained.” 

In the over two decades she's lived at Parham Park Place, she’s made friends with her neighbors and enjoys the activities the complex provides like playing Po-Ke-No, bingo, having transportation to the grocery store and farmers’ market twice a week and celebrating birthdays the last Monday of the month 

But the broken elevators have impacted everything, something she said her neighbors are feeling as well.  

“This is my first registered complaint," she said.  “The stairs are not good for me. If they were, I would love it because it’s exercise for me. But they’re- if the elevator is not available, that means I can’t even go down to the activities.” 

But more than the activities she’s missing, Brace said she’s had to cancel five MRI appointments because she can’t get out. 

She finally took matters into her own hands and called Henrico Fire and EMS who’ve now carried her up and down the stairs three times. 

"We should not have to call y’all for this," she's heard telling them in a video taken by her daughter.

Brace said she’s reached out to management by emailed Feb. 18 and was thanked for her patience and that they were working on it. Here's part of their response back to her:

“’Please help,’ is what I wrote to him. He wrote me back, ‘We are aware and doing everything in our power to get the elevator back up.’” 

Management told 8News they’re “24/7 working on it,” and are "frustrated and embarrassed."

Brace is concerned about what happens if there’s an emergency. 

“Nothing is perfect," she said. "It can go out and maybe be out a day or so, but this is ridiculous.” 

Management said they don’t have a timeline as to when the elevators could be fixed and don’t want to give residents false hope.