COLUMBIA, S.C. — Seniors at a set of apartments are breathing a sign of relief now that their elevator is working.
It's been weeks since Louise Mayes says the elevator in the AHEPA 284 apartments on Pelham Drive in Columbia stopped working. She lives on the second floor, and the only way she's been able to get down and out of the building is by struggling down the stairs.
"I have not been to the grocery store to get my regular groceries because I can't get up the steps with them." She adds, "there's really people that have not been down here because they can't walk down the steps."
One of her neighbors, Virginia Miller says she was fed up with waiting for things to change and gave News19's On Your Side line a call.
"Most of the residents, we were talking, we were talking and said something needed to be done."
News19 visited the building and saw the 'out of order' signs on the elevator and frustrated residents.
We reached out AHEPA Senior Living, the company that manages the property and after a few hours, an elevator repair man was on scene, and got the elevator working.
After, AHEPA explained in a statement to News19:
The elevator at AHEPA 284 Apartments is currently functional and our elevator service provider has ordered all necessary parts for repair and replacement, and they are also closely monitoring the situation. If residents need help, they are in their right to call non-emergency line within their community to get help down the stairs if they are unable to maneuver the stairs. Our Service Coordination department is taking all steps to find volunteer resources to assist with grocery shopping, laundry, or anything else our residents might need during this time. We will proceed with all requested repairs or replacements from the service provider and continue with a preventative elevator maintenance as we have always utilized in the past. AHEPA Senior Living will continue to closely monitor this situation and we will be proactive to the best of our ability.
Miller was excited to hear the elevator was back to working order and is praying her property managers will continue making the necessary updates.
"You can't just keep patch patch patching on something old when it breaks down, you need go further than that." She says, "We can live a little bit more peaceably."
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