The story of broken elevators in two senior apartment buildings in Erie got some people asking: What if this happens where I live?

GECAC said that if a broken elevator and no help leaves you stuck, you should contact them.

“Our goal is to keep seniors active in the community, living in their own home, and help them age with dignity and with their health,” said Kim McCaslin, GECAC’s vice president of communications.  

They are Erie County’s agency on aging. That means they help thousands of seniors with all kinds of problems.

“We do an assessment. We find out what their needs are, and then we partner with everybody in the community...other organizations that also provide services,” she said. 

She said she’s not aware of any complaints about broken elevators.

They’ve been checking to make sure their clients in senior apartment buildings are okay.

“We have been checking on our clients to make sure that they have all of their needs met and that we continue to provide services,” she said. 

GECAC is across the street from Tullio Towers, one of the buildings with elevator problems. But McCaslin said distance doesn’t matter. As long as you’re in Erie County, they’ll help.

“We have access to working with attorneys. There are elder attorneys that we can connect them with,” she said. 

Even if a problem doesn’t get to the level of needing legal help, GECAC’s services can help with anything.

“If they are unable to get answers elsewhere, always call us and we have partnerships and we can guide them or make the phone call on their behalf,” she said.

The phone number for GECAC’s senior helpline is 814-459-4581 ext. 400. 

GECAC offers a variety of other services. More information on them is available here.

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