Pensioners left stranded get apology

PENSIONERS who were left standing on the pavement when a day outing was cancelled at the last minute have received an apology from sheltered housing managers.

The residents of Mill House and Lade Court in Stockbridge were left in the lurch when a Viewpoint Housing Association manager withdrew the services of a support worker with less than an hour's notice.

The trip only went ahead after the daughter of one resident – a trained nurse – agreed to take responsibility for their care.

Viewpoint chief executive Doreen McLaughlin has now apologised to residents, and has offered to pay for another outing.

She said: "One of the issues that we have with co-ordinators going with some of the residents on trips is that they can leave other residents who do not go without any support cover.

"This is the reason we ask our co-ordinators not to make these trips during work time, but we're more than happy to let them go in their free time if they wish.

"On this occasion the co-ordinator was asked not to go at the last minute, which wasn't helpful as the tenants wouldn't have been given the opportunity to make alternative arrangements."