‘Seniors matter’: Families speak out over living conditions at Richmond retirement community

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Residents of the Bacon Retirement Community in Richmond's Church Hill neighborhood and their families are voicing their frustrations over ongoing issues with living conditions, particularly the lack of hot water and heat in some units.

"For my mother, it's been out for three months," said Celestine Harvey, daughter of a resident. "I knew a couple [of] other people had it, too, and they [Bacon leadership] were supposed to have a meeting Friday [Jan. 31.]"

The meeting was supposed to address the water heating issues and general heat overall, which some residents said is also on and off. However, upon arrival, attendees were informed the meeting was canceled, with no explanation given.

"I went up, she [a worker] came out and she said, 'Excuse me, upper management said the meeting is canceled, thank you,' and she walked away," Harvey said. "I felt like that wasn't [a] good enough excuse, [especially without] explaining to seniors why they answer it like that. I was appalled."

In a video filmed by Harvey from the meeting, you can hear a worker saying "Ma'am, I really don't have to answer you, because you are not a resident." Harvey said she advocates for her mother, who has dementia.

After that, Harvey went around asking residents if they had hot water and if they wanted to know why. Many didn't have hot water and all wanted to know why it was canceled.

“She [my mom] was using pliers to turn on her cold water and it wouldn’t turn off," Harvey said. "That water ran for a whole month.”

After the canceled meeting Friday, Harvey organized a protest outside the community homes on Sunday and Monday.

"After the protest was over, I went upstairs to speak to my mom -- and to thaw out, because I had been out there for three hours," Harvey said. "[When] I came back down, I was greeted with eight cops telling me that I was bought off the property, and if I come back, I was gonna get a class A misdemeanor for trespassing."

She said she wasn't given a paper warning, but the verbal warning was enough to keep her off the property when she visited again on Tuesday.

Main Street Realty, which manages Bacon Retirement Community, addressed the concerns in a statement regarding the hot water issues in an email to 8News. The email read as follows:

"I’m writing in response to your inquiry regarding hot water at Bacon Retirement Community.

Bacon Retirement Community’s water heaters are functioning properly and have been functioning properly. City code inspectors visited the property twice last week to check the water temperature.  At the first inspection, the water temperature was found to be appropriately hot.  At the inspection on Friday, January 31, however, the temperature was found to be over 110 degrees Fahrenheit, but under the code requirement of 120 degrees.  We immediately (that same day) ordered two additional boilers to ensure that hot water will always meet or exceed the 120 degree requirement.  Those boilers are set to be delivered this afternoon, and installation will begin tomorrow, likely extending into Friday before they are operational." Spokesperson for Main Street Realty

While the water heater is almost at code, the water coming out of the faucets still feels cold. Harvey said she will run a thermometer under it and update us with the temperature -- but, as of Tuesday night, her mother still could not sit in the water without boiling it.

"Seniors matter," Harvey said.

A City Hall meeting will be held Feb. 10, where Harvey and other concerned community members plan to raise these concerns. They are encouraging everyone who can to join.