News photo of Nancy Neumann, resident of Crystal Nelson Lincoln Manor, lies in her bed at the Lincoln retirement home on Friday.
LINCOLN – Lincoln Manor residents are waiting for services from the Alcona County Commission on Aging for nearly two months after the commission is notified. The senior residence is infested with bed bugs.
Commission executive director Lenny Avery said the agency’s policy is to suspend services until Prime Properties Management, owner of the Lincoln facility, announces the infestation has been addressed. Avery said the agency is delivering meals but is unable to continue in-home services.
He said his agency had sent several requests to Lincoln Manor’s management to obtain the documentation that would allow services to resume.
“Until we get this all-clear, we are only in a waiting loop pattern”, he said.
The Shelby Township-based manager of the Lincoln retirement home did not return calls from The News for comment on this story.
Adult bed bugs are small, about the size of an apple seed, and leave itchy bites after blood-feeding, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Bed bugs multiply quickly, and in just six months some can grow to full infestations of 13,000 or more, according to Orkin extermination company.
Nancy Neumann of Lincoln Manor is frustrated that she is no longer serving. She uses a walker and relies on the commission to take care of her home.
But she said she hadn’t received these services in two months.
The Lincoln-based senior home accepts low-income federal housing grants. The apartments were built in 1985.
Lincoln Manor has had a bed bug infestation for more than a year, The News reported a month ago. Several residents and their neighbors reported errors to management. A pest control service treats an apartment as soon as an infestation is reported. However, the management never dealt with all the apartments in which errors were reported at the same time. This is necessary, according to residents, as the errors are simply moved from one apartment to another after treatment.
Residents believe the company should do more to eradicate the bed bugs.
Lincoln Manor residents told The News on Friday that they were not aware of any new cases of bed bugs, but many residents continue to fear the bugs could get into their homes.
These residents are concerned about bed bugs spreading from one home to neighboring homes when exterminators come in to spray. They are also concerned that bed bugs will spread in public areas, especially the laundry room.
“People with bed bugs use the laundry room” Said Neumann.
Neumann said her dog pulled a bed bug from the laundry room, but she was able to catch it and put it in a plastic bag to show management.
Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.
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