UPTOWNflavor

An audit by the city comptroller’s office found dangerous conditions at a sample of 20 of New York City’s 329 senior centers, the comptroller, William C. Thompson Jr., announced on Thursday. The 48-page audit report [pdf] cites the following problems in Harlem:

a poorly lighted stairway and a broken handrail at the Jackie Robinson Senior Center in Harlem; damaged asbestos-pipe insulation at the Kennedy/Central Harlem Senior Center;

The list of the center audited is on page 32 of the report.  A summary of the finds follows on the next page and pictures start on page 34.

Considering the fragile state of our seniors and they years that they have invested in paving the way for younger generations, they deserve better. Here is an outline of some of the other issues found in centers across the city:

• At 12 of the 20 centers, the audit found fire and safety problems, including locked or blocked exit doors, a lack of illuminated exit signs, and inadequate lightingor broken handrails in exit passageways.
• In 14 of the 20 centers, auditors found hazardous conditions in bathrooms, including damaged or missing tiles; peeling paint; rust and mildew on the sides of stalls, floors, and ceilings; dirty toilets and floors; and toilets, urinals, and sinks that did not function properly.
• Nine of the 20 centers were found to have problems with their kitchens, including filthy stoves, dirty refrigerators and freezers, and a lack of internal thermostats and temperature controls in refrigerators and freezers.
• The directors at 7 of the 20 centers complained that landlords and building managers would not pay for exterminators.

Source: City Room