A pensioner was left for six months without hot water in her shower in her assisted living accommodation.

Ruby Harrod, 88, suffered ‘stone cold’ showers over the six-month period at Clements House in Bracknell, according to her daughter.

The assisted living accommodation was run by Silva Homes, which has now merged with the larger housing firm Abri.

Her daughter, Madeleine McClurg, said that six people had come to attempt and fix the problem, all saying they needed to buy extra parts, but failing to make progress.

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She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I just want my mum to be as safe and as happy as she can be.

“She’s lived in a one-bedroom flat for nine and a half years. She has dementia, heart failure and a catheter bag fitted. Everyone living there are all older, vulnerable people – it’s become a safeguarding issue.

“She doesn’t have any quality of life at the moment…the only thing she looks forward to is a hot shower.”

Mrs McClurg said she had heard ‘several’ other residents complain of similar issues, including one neighbour who complained of having no hot water in his shower for a year.

(Image: Madeleine Maccmurg) The Local Democracy Reporting Service approached Abri about these claims on Thursday, November 21. Days later, Mrs McClurg confirmed her mother’s shower had been fixed, and that the neighbour – who didn’t want to be named – will also have his fixed this week.

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Josephine Roberts, Head of Supported Housing, said Abri ‘apologises for the delays in resolving the hot water issues’ at Clements House.

The spokesperson said: “We take the health, safety and wellbeing of our customers seriously and worked closely with those impacted to mitigate any risks. Guest suite showers were made available whenever possible.

“We will monitor the performance of the newly installed showers and are progressing with plans to replace all shower in the block as part of our ongoing property investment programme.”

It comes in a long line of accusations that the housing firm delays urgent repairs and maintenance of its properties.

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Last year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported the ‘year of misery’ for Silva Homes tenants.

This included Jonathan Godsell, who said he’d gone without a shower for three months after finding mould behind his bathroom walls, and Martin Lewis, who had months of leaks in his bathroom ceiling.

At the time, the housing association said it was working to catch up on a backlog of repairs that built up over the pandemic.

Mrs McClurg said: “I’m glad that it’s finally been sorted, but it shouldn’t have to come to this.

“I feel sorry for some people who are not as confident to deal with their problems and just suffer in silence.”