I've
been keeping a log of my experiences with Hebrew SeniorLife over the
past seven and a half years. It's only a summary - it consists largely
of bullet points - and it deals only with my efforts to wrest another
apartment from them (not with my attempts to get them to address the
various noise issues), yet it is still eight pages in Microsoft Word.
The first installment is posted below.
> I am 58 years of age, disabled with Depression, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and chronic pain, and receive disability benefits. I have a Section 8 voucher that makes me eligible for a one-bedroom apartment. Since October 2007, I have been living in a studio apartment, which was the only unit available when I moved in.
> Since I moved in, there have been numerous problems, the most prominent of which I describe below:
1. An elderly woman occupies the apartment directly above me. She frequently has her television and radio on at full volume, and the sound carries into my apartment. Moreover, she’s extremely clumsy and lumbers about continually, slamming drawers and cabinets, dropping objects and knocking over furniture. As she has insomnia and almost never sleeps, it goes on for 24 hours per day. She’s grown progressively worse over the years, has become more agitated and frequently drops heavy objects over my head late at night and in the early hours of the morning. The home assistants who work for the woman in the next apartment have been disturbed by it as well. I’ve tried on a few occasions to speak to her about it, but (as is the case with many people in this building), she’s profoundly deaf and has significant cognitive impairment, and refuses to acknowledge that she behaves in this manner. The management has consistently refused to address the issue.
2. A psychiatrically disabled man lives two doors down from me, and frequently runs up and down the hall at night for hours, talking to himself, arguing with imaginary people and slamming his door. I’ve complained repeatedly to the management, which has steadfastly refused to do anything about it. Moreover, he knows I’ve complained about him, and when we see one another in the hall, it’s extremely uncomfortable. For seven years, I’ve had to time my coming and going so as to avoid him.
3. Within the past three years, a woman has moved in below me who has a habit of moving things around in her apartment during the early hours of the morning and making a tremendous amount of noise in the process. This generally begins 5:00 and 6:00 AM; however, it can begin as early 4:00 AM.
4. Due to the layout of the room, in order to have my bed as far from the door as possible, I’m forced to have it next to the in-wall air conditioner. These apartments become extremely hot during the summer and retain heat; as a result, I have the a/c blowing directly on me during the night. This also interferes with my ability to sleep.
5. Over the past year, two of the residents on my floor have begun to require around-the-clock care. Instead of hiring professional caretakers, their families have chosen to hire unskilled people who congregate in the apartments in groups and come and go repeatedly during the day, slamming doors, having loud conversations in the halls, shouting at one another and talking on their cell phones. They sometimes bring their children to work with them, and they run up and down the halls out of boredom. Other residents have been disturbed by these people as well, yet the management has done nothing to address the problem.
6. For most of the past five years, I’ve had little-to-no hot water in the shower. The maintenance people have replaced the valve and adjusted it repeatedly, with little success. It appears to be a function of the apartment’s position in the building; I’m obviously on the same line with someone who is using an excessive amount of hot water. If I don’t shower by 7:00am, I have to wait until the afternoon for the hot water to be replenished. The maintenance staff has tried to diagnose the problem and repair it, but has been unable to do so.
As is generally the case with people who suffer from CFS, I have difficulty sleeping. The first five issues above have made it impossible for me to get enough rest. My depression has also become exacerbated. As a result of this situation, my physical and mental health have deteriorated dramatically over the past seven years.
The first installment is posted below.
> I am 58 years of age, disabled with Depression, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and chronic pain, and receive disability benefits. I have a Section 8 voucher that makes me eligible for a one-bedroom apartment. Since October 2007, I have been living in a studio apartment, which was the only unit available when I moved in.
> Since I moved in, there have been numerous problems, the most prominent of which I describe below:
1. An elderly woman occupies the apartment directly above me. She frequently has her television and radio on at full volume, and the sound carries into my apartment. Moreover, she’s extremely clumsy and lumbers about continually, slamming drawers and cabinets, dropping objects and knocking over furniture. As she has insomnia and almost never sleeps, it goes on for 24 hours per day. She’s grown progressively worse over the years, has become more agitated and frequently drops heavy objects over my head late at night and in the early hours of the morning. The home assistants who work for the woman in the next apartment have been disturbed by it as well. I’ve tried on a few occasions to speak to her about it, but (as is the case with many people in this building), she’s profoundly deaf and has significant cognitive impairment, and refuses to acknowledge that she behaves in this manner. The management has consistently refused to address the issue.
2. A psychiatrically disabled man lives two doors down from me, and frequently runs up and down the hall at night for hours, talking to himself, arguing with imaginary people and slamming his door. I’ve complained repeatedly to the management, which has steadfastly refused to do anything about it. Moreover, he knows I’ve complained about him, and when we see one another in the hall, it’s extremely uncomfortable. For seven years, I’ve had to time my coming and going so as to avoid him.
3. Within the past three years, a woman has moved in below me who has a habit of moving things around in her apartment during the early hours of the morning and making a tremendous amount of noise in the process. This generally begins 5:00 and 6:00 AM; however, it can begin as early 4:00 AM.
4. Due to the layout of the room, in order to have my bed as far from the door as possible, I’m forced to have it next to the in-wall air conditioner. These apartments become extremely hot during the summer and retain heat; as a result, I have the a/c blowing directly on me during the night. This also interferes with my ability to sleep.
5. Over the past year, two of the residents on my floor have begun to require around-the-clock care. Instead of hiring professional caretakers, their families have chosen to hire unskilled people who congregate in the apartments in groups and come and go repeatedly during the day, slamming doors, having loud conversations in the halls, shouting at one another and talking on their cell phones. They sometimes bring their children to work with them, and they run up and down the halls out of boredom. Other residents have been disturbed by these people as well, yet the management has done nothing to address the problem.
6. For most of the past five years, I’ve had little-to-no hot water in the shower. The maintenance people have replaced the valve and adjusted it repeatedly, with little success. It appears to be a function of the apartment’s position in the building; I’m obviously on the same line with someone who is using an excessive amount of hot water. If I don’t shower by 7:00am, I have to wait until the afternoon for the hot water to be replenished. The maintenance staff has tried to diagnose the problem and repair it, but has been unable to do so.
As is generally the case with people who suffer from CFS, I have difficulty sleeping. The first five issues above have made it impossible for me to get enough rest. My depression has also become exacerbated. As a result of this situation, my physical and mental health have deteriorated dramatically over the past seven years.
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