A bleeding gash in the back of his head and in a wheelchair, my father and his caregiver were trapped in the elevator of their condo en route to the emergency room. Down to the Lobby level and the doors would not open. Then, it rapidly ascended to the 19th floor all on its own. Down to Lobby and back up again. One elevator had already been taken out of service the previous week. At the moment, this is the sole working elevator for the building. The caregiver rings the Emergency button and the building manager disables the elevator.
The fire department arrives with eight men. They shout to the caregiver – a woman – that she needs to get the door open. They will talk her through it. She has to hit a series of buttons, then hold two elevator buttons while prying open the door with her fingers. With brute force, she pries the doors open so the firemen can help them out. Hallelujah!
Thank goodness for a strong caregiver and one that maintains calm. If my 98-year old father had been in the elevator alone with my 87-year old mother, the outcome would definitely have been slower and probably not as good. Aging in place allows the elderly to live comfortably at home, but adequate safeguards are a must.