Home service was banned to help him down the stairs • Joy message: Has got a stair lift
Jan Bergvall, 79, lived in isolation upstairs for six months when the home service was no longer allowed to help him down.
Now the joy message has come – he has received a stair lift from the municipality, reports In the middle of Stockholm.
– That means a lot, says Jan Bergvall to TV4 News.
In September last year, the decision came that the home service was no longer allowed to help 79-year-old Jan Bergvall down the stairs in the two-storey house where he lives. It caused major problems for Jan, who is wheelchair -bound and in great need of help.
He was stuck upstairs for six months and could neither a shower, have a social life nor get fresh air – he lived totally isolated.
“I thought that they would help the people who end up in boring situations to have a somewhat such decent life in older days,” said Jan Bergvall when TV4 News met him in December.
Joy message
Recently came the turn that changed everything: a staircase was installed in Jan’s home. Despite several months of waiting, it was still in place earlier than planned.
– It means a lot, it breaks my isolation, he says.
The elevator means that he can go up and down between the floors with the help of home service staff – and perhaps best of all – he can get outside the front door again.
– I’ve already been able to attend two meetings. It feels good to get out and get to meet old friends. The only thing I had upstairs was the TV set.
Built the house itself
Jan Bergvall himself built the house in the 1980s. There he lived with his wife who passed away a few years ago. In the past, he has told him that he refuses to move even though it is difficult for him to get out.
– Now it feels great that I can stay, he says.
The stair lift costs around SEK 100,000, which the municipality stands for.