A Scots stroke victim has been left feeling like "a prisoner in his own home" after being stuck in a top floor flat.
Graeme Baxter's life was turned upside down when he suffered a devastating total anterior circulation infarct (TACI) on June 17 last year.
TACI is a type of cerebral infarction affecting the entire anterior circulation supplying one side of the brain, and the 56-year-old has been left completely paralysed down the left side of his body since falling ill.
Graeme and his partner Linda Thomson, 55, live in a top floor Paisley Housing Association property on George Place in the town - but they have been desperately trying to get a move ever since the stroke.
The former bricklayer's labourer can now hardly walk, and by the time he's made it down the six flights of stairs and 60+ steps he is completely done in.
Linda told the Record: "It's just been an absolute nightmare. He's a poor soul. His whole mentality has changed - he's very depressed. It's just a nightmare.
"He can hardly walk, he's got to permanently wear a splint and he can't use his left arm. His left arm is totally paralysed - and he was left handed.
"After the stoke he was in hospital for three months. It was one of the worst stokes you can get, he has been paralysed down the left hand side and it caused a wee bit of brain injury as well.
"When he was in the hospital I was getting on to the housing association to say we would need a move as we've got six flights of stairs. It's a big tenement, there's over 60 stairs.
"But that's been over a year now and I'm just totally peeved with it.
"I've been on to fire, social services - I've been on to everybody. I just keep phoning the housing and nothing has been done."
Linda, who works at Nazareth House care home in Glasgow, has now become Graeme's full-time carer.
She has to take care of all his personal care when not at work, and she says her partner has completely lost all his independence.
Linda said: "I've got to care for Graeme. He can't cook, I've got to do his personal help and do his medication and everything.
"He was a hard working man. He was a labourer's bricky, a fit active man and he's only 56. It's just shocking that he is living like this.
"He's got no quality of life at all. It's heartbreaking. It's affecting me as well because I'm watching it everyday and having to cope with it everyday.
"I feel like I'm getting nowhere."
Linda insists a move to a ground floor property would completely transform Graeme's life.
She said: "We would like to invest in a mobility scooter but we can't get that up a flight of stairs.
"If he could just have that independence, not having me pushing him about in a wheelchair, he'd be able to get about and do things and just be a little bit more sociable.
"He is just a prisoner in that flat just now, it's just ridiculous."
Aside from the social aspect, Graeme, from Renfrew, has been told staying in the top floor and being unable to get out for exercise is halting his rehabilitation and is making his overall condition worse.
Linda said: "The only time he gets out just now is for hospital appointments. Once he gets down them stairs he is absolutely shattered.
"It's a step at time and he's struggling because he's got to cross over his arms - and then I've got to hold the crutch at each flight.
"Even his physio said she was going to have to sign him off just now because there was nothing they can do with him as once he's down the stairs he's shattered.
"They want to get him out and get him walking more. His legs have stiffened up completely because he's not been getting out and about. I've seen the difference since he's stopped being able to get out as much.
"His phycologist and physiotherapist have written letters and everything but when I phone Paisley Housing Association they just say there is nothing. We are apparently priority A but that's been since December and it's not good enough.
"The mobility scooter so he can drive himself about would be so great to get him out and about.
"But we can't get that until we are on the ground floor. It's ridiculous."
Linda added: "His mental health, wellbeing, everything has totally changed. I've seen the deterioration in him and it's making me really depressed too. I'm worried sick for him.
"Before this he was an actively, spritely, man's man. After work he played pool in fantastic team, but he played with his left hand so that's been taken away from him too. He's got no quality of life and it's a damn shame. It's getting us all down.
Paisley Housing Association Housing Manager, Tracy Fraser, said: "I would advise that Ms Thomson made an application for a transfer in December 2020 and has a high priority with us.
"Due to Mr Baxter’s health needs, the family need a particular type of property.
"Unfortunately we have only had two suitable properties become available during this year, neither of which were in Ms Thomson’s chosen areas.
"We encouraged Ms Thomson to widen her application to other social housing providers in the areas she would like to live and I understand that she has done this in the last couple of months.
"We are very sympathetic to the family’s circumstances and will continue to work with them to try to achieve a positive outcome."
