Zahra Nazari has lived at Bolindergården elderly care home since 2022 as a temporary solution. In May 2023, a caseworker at a meeting promised her own apartment with a dedicated staff group, a commitment recorded by the family and noted in writing. Yet nearly three years after her initial placement, Zahra Nazari still lives at the elderly care home, and the Parliamentary Ombudsman (JO) is currently investigating the support and housing granted to her by Eskilstuna municipality and how the case has been handled.
Zahra Nazari's severe medical condition complicates her housing situation. Her illness first manifested when she was 16 years old, with symptoms including sleeping for several days in a row, requiring her family to wake her for meals. She experienced seizures, and after a fall at home, she became bedridden and needs extensive daily assistance, often vomiting several times a day after meals and having difficulty speaking and moving. Despite these debilitating symptoms, healthcare providers have not yet established a diagnosis for Zahra Nazari's condition.
Eskilstuna municipality has submitted a statement reviewing what has happened in Zahra's case. Johan Lindström, the care and welfare manager, stated that living in an elderly care home is not a long-term solution but may be necessary for a younger person in some cases, and he acknowledged that the period Zahra Nazari has spent at the elderly care home is unusually long, citing special reasons without specifying them. Saviola Nazari, Zahra's uncle, criticized the municipality, saying it promised Zahra something she did not receive and has failed in their commitment.
I have not had a penny for nearly four and a half months. I’ve got no savings. What am I supposed to live on?
Zahra Nazari is by far the youngest resident at Bolindergården and shares common areas with much older neighbors, some of whom have dementia.
Marie Collins, 84, has received no state pension payments since November after being stranded in Cyprus due to health issues. She was hospitalized with a severe chest infection, had a fall, and underwent physiotherapy, leaving her with limited hand use and unable to write properly. Doctors provided letters confirming Marie Collins was not fit to fly, and medical evidence was sent to the DWP.
The DWP's administrative failures have compounded Marie Collins's plight. She spent weeks trying to contact the DWP by phone, often waiting on hold for hours before being cut off, and her niece was told the DWP could not discuss the case without power of attorney, with paperwork sent in early January not recorded as received. In mid-January, Marie Collins was told to complete a new 12-page state pension form, which she sent on January 23 and was tracked as delivered, but payments had not resumed by early March. The DWP mistakenly believed Marie Collins had died, leading to her pension payments being cut off.
I feel abandoned and driven to depression after my state pension payments stopped without warning while I was recovering from surgery abroad.
Communication breakdowns and legal threats further complicate Marie Collins's situation. She is facing court action for £875 in alleged unpaid council tax from Breckland District Council, which she disputes due to age and disability exemptions. Breckland District Council reassesses council tax bills when notified of changed circumstances and pursues missed payments collaboratively. South West Norfolk MP Terry Jermy is actively supporting Marie Collins to resolve the situation.
Marie Collins was unable to make international calls after running out of mobile credit, leaving WhatsApp as her only means of communication. She struggled to fill in and sign the paperwork due to her hand injury, getting help to complete it and using two hands to sign.
In the UK, an ambulance crisis has left vulnerable elderly individuals at risk. A 94-year-old woman was left on the floor for five hours before an ambulance reached her, as shown in a BBC documentary about the UK ambulance service. The incident occurred while the NHS Yorkshire Ambulance Crew in Leeds were dealing with multiple emergencies, including a man threatening to jump out of a window and throw petrol on police, and the ambulance staff had handled around 300 calls that shift before being called to the scene with the threatening man.
I spent weeks and weeks trying to contact DWP offices by phone, often waiting on hold for hours before being cut off, and felt like different agents hadn't read the notes.
Audrey, the 94-year-old, fell from bed at 5am and was found by her carer, complaining of hip pain. She was prioritized to a Category 2 call by an ambulance service call handler.
A widow in Australia faced delays in receiving over £400,000 from her late husband's pensions with Prudential (now M&G), expected in January but not paid until March after media intervention. She provided all requested documents promptly, including a death certificate and proof as sole beneficiary, but the process stalled multiple times. M&G upheld two complaints about poor service, including one where staff said they were awaiting documentation that had already been received. The widow received £421,310, including compensation, after media intervention.
Linda, a 79-year-old in north Ipswich, was left without a landline telephone for a month due to a fault, despite complaints to her provider since March 10. She missed her 60th wedding anniversary calls and a doctor's appointment due to the landline fault, and received a letter about a line rental increase despite the issue.
My financial worries have affected my health, noting I weighed nine and a half stone when I arrived in Cyprus in September and now weigh less.
Conflicting reports on the scale of the landline fault in Ipswich have emerged. The fault was caused by water entering a cable in a confined underground chamber, affecting about 21 properties, and apologized for the disruption. Linda said her provider told her 45 people were affected, while an older neighbor said their provider told them 300 households were affected.
Zuzana Färber, 66, faces debts of nearly one million kronor after her housing association was plundered, forcing her to continue working instead of retiring. She received a demand from her bank for the full loan amount despite having a signed eight-year payment plan with a debt collection agency. Zuzana Färber lives on a subsistence level and has considered ending her life due to the financial stress.
Other elderly individuals across Sweden are grappling with pension errors and accessibility issues. Solvig Karlsson, 87, nearly had her pension benefit withdrawn because the Pensions Agency recorded her as having 3.6 million kronor in income, which she denies having. Lisbet Persson has problems with pain in her body and limited function in her arms and legs, and faced issues when the only working elevator in her building broke down on a Saturday. Karin Carlsson, 75, received a decision from her insurance company after nearly two years.
The cumulative effect of these incidents points to systemic failures in care, housing, and support for vulnerable individuals.