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Covid

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Original poster

Suspected case at my DMs housing complex for the over 50's, coughing all over the communal garden. Am I being unreasonable?

52 replies

Roostersmum2 · 23/04/2020 00:35

My DM lives in a housing complex for older people, all of the residents flats are inside one main building and there is a medium sized communal garden for everybodies use.

One of mum's neighbours is a suspected covid case who remains untested, today he was in the communal garden sitting at the patio furniture outside mum's window coughing uncontrollably.

I do not begrudge the man fresh air and I genuinely hope he's going to be ok but I'm a bit concerned about this because of the other residents, and obviously my mum.

Should he be using that outdoor space when he needs to be in quarantine? The majority of residents are in their 70's and while it's awful that any of them have this at all, surely they need to be taking precautions to ensure it doesn't spread throughout the entire building?

OP posts:

Flaxmeadow · 23/04/2020 06:39

We write a letter saying that we strongly suggest it but that we don't enforce or take action against tenancies

You taped it off

MrMeSeeks · 23/04/2020 08:27

MrsTerryPratchettdon ‘t bother you’re evil
Guess all the public benches that are taped off by the council are jailers too...
It’s only people’s safety

Northernsoullover · 23/04/2020 08:32

Flaxmeadow I think you need a cup of tea or another weetabix. Calm yourself down.

Troels · 23/04/2020 08:50

The retirement complex my Mum lives in have closed all the communal areas, they did it right after the council closed the communal areas in their flats and retirement complexes that they own.

Flaxmeadow · 23/04/2020 08:56

Guess all the public benches that are taped off by the council are jailers too...

They are not public benches. Is it OK if I tape your garden off or your relatives gardens off?

I think you need a cup of tea or another weetabix. Calm yourself down.

I think it's the other poster who needs to calm down from using foul language and suggesting they'd evict someone for sitting in their own garden

sluj · 23/04/2020 08:59

Mrsterrypratchett
My RSL have locked many of the sheltered communal lounges too after we realised residents were still meeting up for their weekly coffees. We have also been calling all our over 70s (thousands of people) and delivering food parcels where needed. I'll be doing the same today because obviously landlords don't care about their residents.
Take care when you are out and about risking your health to carry out those compliance checks and deliver food to keep others safe .

Flaxmeadow · 23/04/2020 09:09

The retirement complex my Mum lives in have closed all the communal areas, they did it right after the council closed the communal areas in their flats and retirement complexes that they own.

I can understand them closing indoor communal areas but not the gardens. Though the coughing bloke suspected of having covid shouldn't have been in a garden or outside his flat at all.

How would people like it if someone from the council shut your garden off? Seriously dont tell me you would you just agree to it

burnoutbabe · 23/04/2020 09:15

I don't know how to treat our communal areas in our flats. People are sat in their own chairs in parts but that does mean no one else can use that bit at that time. I could sit in my parking space but have avoided that.
People sat right outside the communal doors I would move on as that means anyone entering or exiting is close to them so that's a stupid place to sit.

RufustheLanglovingreindeer · 23/04/2020 10:05

My dads flat is privately owned but he’d go loopy if someone blocked it off

Although I’m not sure all the residents sitting outside and chatting (yelling in some cases as they sit much further away) is a great idea i think its the only thing keeping him going

sluj · 23/04/2020 10:19

I don't think gardens have been taped off, just the benches. Just imagine if the last person to sit on that bench and cough all over his hands and then clutch the arms of the bench was the chap described in the OP's post? The virus would spread like wildfire in that block.

Soontobe60 · 23/04/2020 10:37

@Flaxmeadow
Had a bad day?
I know someone who lives in an over 50s development. She's neither helpless, elderly, housebound or in any way incapable. Their communal garden (and the clue is in the word COMMUNAL) is open, but residents have been asked to keep to no more than 3 at a time using it, no longer that half an hour, and observe social distancing at all times. There is a cleaning station at the doorway. There are signs all over the place telling residents that if they have symptoms they must not leave their apartment, but to contact the site manager if they need anything.

This is a time of national crisis. The normal rules don't necessarily apply. If you can't see that, that's a pity.

Troels · 23/04/2020 10:41

Mums flat is private too and she is right on the garden. To get into the gardens you have to go through the communal lounge, so closing that closed the garden luckily.
Maybe you can ask the manager is they will move the furniture from next to your mothers window so she can safely open her window.

Flaxmeadow · 23/04/2020 15:12

Had a bad day?
I know someone who lives in an over 50s development. She's neither helpless, elderly, housebound or in any way incapable.

The council housing I'm describing, the kind my brother lives in, is not developed for the over 50s. It's just an ordinary council/housing asscocoation tenancy but they have a policy of only renting certain blocks to over a certain age group. For example 21 or 30 or 50

Their communal garden (and the clue is in the word COMMUNAL) is open, but residents have been asked to keep to no more than 3 at a time using it, no longer that half an hour, and observe social distancing at all times.

This is not the same as closing it off but even so. It is still their garden.

There is a cleaning station at the doorway. There are signs all over the place telling residents that if they have symptoms they must not leave their apartment, but to contact the site manager if they need anything.

This is a time of national crisis. The normal rules don't necessarily apply. If you can't see that, that's a pity.

But its one rule for some and a different rule for others
The garden in my brothers block is large.
This is not sheltered housing full of frail pensioners. Most of the tenants work. Not that it should matter but I'm just describing the type if ordinary council style tenancy it is. Why close it off and treat people like children and even threaten eviction? How is it fair when it is no different to any other tenancy and the garden is part of the rent.

Plenty of council houses have small gardens in very close proximity to each other. This is why I ask. How would others like it if someone closed their garden off, but no one has answered

I get that public benches are taped off and I agree with it and I've been one of the most vocal on mumsnet about a strict lockdown but it just doesnt seem to fair to shut off peoples gardens when others aren't. Especially someone who lives in a high rise block

titchy · 23/04/2020 15:55

News for you flax - the thread ain't about your brother or similar. It's about over 50s sheltered housing.

Funny you don't mind the indoor communal areas being roped off though....

Flaxmeadow · 23/04/2020 16:18

News for you flax - the thread ain't about your brother or similar. It's about over 50s sheltered housing

The OP doesnt even mention 'sheltered housing'. Can you please point our where you think the thread is specifically about sheltered housing?

For the third time. A lot of council tenancy's are split into age groups for particular blocks. This is nothing to do with sheltered housing, it's just an ordinary council, or housing asscocoation, tenancy. It can be anything from over 21 to 50. The OP says the block her relative lives in is over 50. A lot of those tenants might be elderly and lot might not be elderly at all, and many still be in work.

myrtleWilson · 23/04/2020 16:33

housing complex for the over 50 is in the title - does suggest sheltered accommodation which usually has a minimum age limit of around 50...

myrtleWilson · 23/04/2020 16:35

Generally social housing isn't segregated by age Flax plus the OP says the majority of tenants are over 70 and there's reference to a warden....all the clues are there

mencken · 23/04/2020 16:39

someone does something stupid and that results in other people losing access to things. Unfortunately there are a lot of stupid people, as shown by the first post. This man should not be leaving his own flat, he's got a very infectious disease with no cure, no real treatment and that can kill. Selfish pig.

The playground mentality is fairly standard on MN and has got worse since lockdown.

Flaxmeadow · 23/04/2020 16:49

housing complex for the over 50 is in the title - does suggest sheltered accommodation which usually has a minimum age limit of around 50...

If you knew anything about council tenancies, it really doesn't suggest that at all. Age grouping for blocks or complexes is standard procedure now and why would the average person in their 50's, or even older, want to be in sheltered housing anyway?

The OPs mum might be in work, in her 50s and have an ordinary tenancy. She wants to sit in her garden but is prevented from doing this because there is another tenant who has suspected covid19, who is not social distancing, and is coughing all the time in the garden. This other tenant shouldn't even be outside his own on flat, whatever age he might be.

One solution offered by a landlord, or landlord representative, in the thread is to close the whole garden off. But I think this is unfair and i used my brothers example of why I think it's unfair. His whole garden is blocked off, and not only that, there are signs up saying they might face eviction if they do not comply. The tenants in his block hate it and some will ignore it. This is why I dont think it's a solution for the OPs mum, who wants to sit in her own garden, who can blame her, but is prevented from doing so because another is breaking the government restrictions on isolation.

titchy · 23/04/2020 16:53

OP doesn't mention council housing either flax....

titchy · 23/04/2020 16:55

why would the average person in their 50's, or even older, want to be in sheltered housing anyway?

There are plenty of sheltered housing schemes for those aged 50+. My dm is in one for a start. Ooh and it's got a communal garden.

myrtleWilson · 23/04/2020 17:00

You're right Flax my 20 plus years working in social housing were a mirage, when I sat on government sounding boards I was day dreaming, when I gave evidence to select committees I was fantasying the time I spend now as a NED on a housing association board is all in my head

Outside of sheltered housing, housing schemes set up on an age basis are not standard procedure. There may well be local lettings schemes which are agreed to respond to particular needs or more likely low demand but that does not translate into standard procedure.

Sheltered housing schemes usually have an age cut off point and historically this was often set at around 50. Sheltered housing is a varied product and in some localities landlords have started to re think a housing offer to older people.

myrtleWilson · 23/04/2020 17:02

Appear to have lost the ability to spell mind! 'fantasising' doesn't require a random y....

Flaxmeadow · 23/04/2020 17:19

titchy There are plenty of sheltered housing schemes for those aged 50+. My dm is in one for a start. Ooh and it's got a communal garden.

This is why I said the average person in their 50s

All blocks and complexes have communal areas. Even in blocks where the tenants are young.

The housing offer properties based on need. A family will get housing with 2 or 3 bedrooms, this is usually a house, though not always, sadly, as we saw in the terrible events in the block in Kensington and Chelsea

Blocks of flats or 'complexes', often lower rise, often have just 1 bedroom, so these are tenancies given to singles, young couples or people whose children have left home. This could be age range from 21 to whatever age upwards. The housing will have some at age over 30 or 50 and over. These are ordinary tenancies

Some people whose children have left home are still in their 40s. These smaller ordinary tenancies are very common and are nothing to do with sheltered housing

Yes sheltered housing exists but other ordinary tenancies do as well. The assumption that everyone who lives in a 'complex' is in sheltered housing is simply plain wrong

myrtle
Not sure why you insist on mentioning sheltered housing over and over again. The OP hasn't even mentioned it

titchy · 23/04/2020 17:34

Not sure why you insist on mentioning sheltered housing over and over again. The OP hasn't even mentioned it

Not sure why you mention council housing. OP hasn't actually mentioned it....

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