The wife of an elderly man who hasn't been able to use the shower or toilet in his own home has begged the council to rehouse them as the pair have been stuck on a waiting list for years.
Colin Wilson, 76, remains trapped in his upstairs flat where a staircase leading to the only bathroom is too dangerous for carers to help him down. Colin, who suffers from arthritis in his knees and dementia, lives with his wife, Patricia, 69, who has her own health issues so is unable to help. Patricia is now urging North Ayrshire Council to rehouse them as Colin's mobility continues to deteriorate.
Before falling ill, Colin had dedicated his working life to help people fight injustice as a manager of Citizen's Advice Bureau in Irvine, and an unemployed workers centre. His heartbroken wife Patricia told the Daily Record: "He has vascular dementia. He can't write any more, he shuffles and he can't speak properly. He is a shadow of his former self."
The layout of the pair's flat in Ayrshire, south-west Scotland, makes it impossible for Colin to get to the bathroom. He currently relies on a commode and has to be washed by carers. Patricia continued: "Colin has no quality of life. I'd just love to be able to take him out in his wheelchair and for him to be able to have a shower."
"Colin has the highest number of points possible for a housing move. All we want is a downstairs property with a walk-in shower. Being trapped in the flat is affecting his mental health but every time I go to the council, I get the same answer, 'There is nothing available for him'.
"Even the carers have sent photos of the stairs to the social work manager but nothing happens. I would like to try to help him but our stairs are ridiculous. If one fell, we would all go. I don't know how long Colin has left. I fear he will die before he ever goes outside again", she added.
Local SNP councillor Jean McClung, whose party control North Ayrshire Council, admitted the current rehousing system was not fit for purpose. She said: "My heart goes out to Colin and Patricia. I have done my very best to get them rehoused, however, I am up against an allocation system which, in my view, is not fit for purpose. Ever since I joined the council seven years ago, I have never been able to understand how the system works."
"I don't understand how the points are allocated but it seems as if the system is treating people as points, not individuals. There needs to be a degree of common sense. I am in the dark to why Colin and Patricia have not been rehoused because in the seven years I have been a councillor, I have not come across anyone whose circumstances seem to be as dire as theirs."
A North Ayrshire Council spokeswoman said: "We generally don't comment on individual circumstances but we do of course sympathise with Mr and Mrs Wilson's situation and can confirm that relevant council officers are in regular contact with them to provide support."