Power Outages Present Serious Concerns for Wheelchair Users on Upper Floors

posted on Dec 14 by Guest Author in the Disability News, Wheelchair Accessibility category

For most people, a power outage means switching over to candles, flashlights, and canned food. For the elderly, infirm, and wheelchair users, however, a power outage can be life-threatening, especially while living on upper floors in apartment buildings. The sudden October snowstorm that hit the Northeast caught everyone by surprise and created power outages citywide. Nearly 140 elderly residents of the Palm Square building in Nashua, New Hampshire were trapped on the upper floors because the elevators were down. Many of the residents are wheelchair users, while many others rely on CPAP machines, nebulizers, or oxygen tanks that run on electricity.

“We’re in wheelchairs, and we can’t get downstairs,” said resident Mike Whitaker.

Another resident said she had to keep her insulin in a lunchbox filled with snow to keep it cold. Some of residents settled onto a walkway on the second floor overlooking the building’s atrium and passed the time playing board games.

A small section of the building was being powered by a generator. Building owners Mario and Demyse Plante supplied lights plugged into surge protectors and extension cords to provide some light in the hallways, while the staff served meals in vacant office space in the building.

Demyse Plante said that the residents regularly checked up on each other to make sure everyone was okay. “It’s amazing here in the building. Everyone’s helping everyone,” she said. “We try to do our best. We just make sure everyone is warm and is comfortable.”

“The whole building has come together as a community,” Whitaker said. “Management has been very good.”

The residents grew particularly frustrated after seeing other area buildings with power while they still had none. Building Manager Nicole Plante felt that Palm Square should have been a Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) priority because many of its residents have special medical needs. “It is maddening to see light across the street and have all these helpless people here,” she said.

According to Nicole, fire rescue officials offered to transport residents to a Red Cross emergency shelter at a local high school. “But most people just don’t want to leave,” she said.

Red Cross spokesperson Karen Dudley knows the sentiment, saying it’s not uncommon. “What we find is that people from New England are very stubborn and don’t like to receive help,” she said. “It can be very uncomfortable for some people. They see it as charity, and they don’t want to accept charity. The word shelter can have a negative connotation.”

By Monday night, however, nearly 120 people swallowed their pride, according to Dudley. She said things had died done a bit by Tuesday night, with about 100 people at the shelter in the evening.

“It’s actually a little, tiny bit quieter,” said Red Cross volunteer and shelter manager Alicia Drew.

One occupant at the shelter, Barbara Bishop, said that she would be sleeping at her home, but she appreciated being able to warm up and grab a meal at the shelter. “It’s been really nice because at home it was so cold,” she said. “I think it’s just wonderful to have a place like this and have the option to come here.”

As freezing temps approach and more winter storms are becoming eminent, it is important to have a back up plan with immediate neighbors, friends, and family in case of power loss. Having three or more emergency contacts is preferable, but at least have one emergency contact nearby whom you can call and who will call to check on you, too. If you take a moment now to plan with them for such an event, including having a list available of any medications or health needs that need to be taken into consideration should you need to evacuate to a warm shelter, this could help make a stressful event go much safer and smoother.

Source:
nashuatelegraph.com/news/938584-196/no-power-real-concern-for-wheelchair-bound-on.html

Image sources:
kezi.com
nashuatelegraph.com