In City Limits (May 6, 2026), Jaysa Dold and Sidney Slon report on the long wait for elevator repairs at Morris Park Senior Citizens Home, a New York City Housing Authority building. The article quotes Brookdale’s executive director, Ruth Finkelstein, on the serious consequences for older adults. Those with mobility difficulties may be stuck inside their apartments when the elevator is not operating. “People become afraid to go out even when the elevators are working, because that one time they came back with three bags of groceries and their great grandkid, the elevator was out,” said Dr. Finkelstein. “That turns out to be one of those events you never want to have happen again.”
The result may be social isolation and, in the summer, being trapped in a hot apartment—or a hot elevator. “If you’re homebound and it’s really hot, people can literally cook to death in their own homes,” she said.
