As the thermometer’s mercury plunges, Ballarat pensioner Kerry is feeling the cold more than most.
She’s one of the 6500 people in public housing whose gas heater has been identified as a possible health risk.
Kerry has been without home heating for five weeks. Her Vulcan heater was disconnected at the start of winter.
The 58-year-old former nurse and Norman Street resident has taken to spending her days at Stockland Wendouree to try and keep warm. When she’s not in the shopping centre, Kerry spends her days in bed in order to conserve her energy and health.
She says she’s lost 10 kilograms in the time her heater has been gone.
Kerry has Parkinson’s Disease and suffers from a bipolar disorder. She moves with aid of a walker. When she fell over in her home last week, she called a friend for assistance.
“My friend came around to help me and said, ‘Your home is like an ice-block’, says Kerry.
The friend took Kerry to her GP, who measured her temperature at 35 degrees Celsius, dangerously low. The doctor issued a medical certificate on Friday, sighted by The Courier, stating that adequate heating was necessary to maintain Kerry’s health.
Your home is like an ice-block
- Kerry's friend
While the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has supplied her with an oil column heater, Kerry says it doesn't provide enough warmth to keep her body temperature up. She’s also worried about knocking it over, as Parkinson’s Disease causes her to shake considerably.
The tradesman who came to disconnect her gas heater told Kerry manufacturers were unable to keep up with demand for replacements, she says.
The DHHS has now offered Kerry further heaters while a new gas installation is sought, and will deal with her costs. A DHHS spokesperson said the department is working to replace the faulty heaters, and will apply a subsidy to assist tenants with any increased bills.
