A 94-year-old woman who requires an electric hoist to be moved has been stuck in her bed in north Dublin since power to her home failed on Friday morning.
Several nuns aged in their 80s and 90s living in a nearby convent have also been badly affected.
About 90 houses in Artane, north Dublin, have been without power since Storm Éowyn took down a nearby tree and power cable.
“I’ve been staying with her since Thursday. I’m getting concerned about her now given we don’t really know when power will be restored. The repair date keeps getting moved out,” said the son of the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous.
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“It’s cold at night and she’s beginning to complain about being in pain. There’s the danger of bed sores developing at this stage,” the man, in his 50s, said.
The pair have been getting some power from a neighbour’s generator which gives some light and heat during the day, he added.
“Unfortunately, there seems to be no support apart from myself, her carers and the neighbours in this time of crisis. Hopefully, the power will be restored soon but we just don’t know,” he said.
Nuns living at the Convent of Mercy in Coolock House have also experienced hardship in the storm’s aftermath.
“It’s been very difficult for us. We have an elderly community of 11 sisters and we have no power, no heat and no light,” said one 70-year-old nun who wished to remain anonymous. “We do get dinners delivered to us, that’s the one good thing, but the heat is the biggest problem, it’s very cold.”
Those living at the convent have been collecting hot water in flasks and filling hot water bottles elsewhere to bring it back in the mornings and evenings since they lost power at about 11am on Friday.
“We’re looking at moving one or two people, most are between 80 and 90,” the nun said, adding: “The longest here is here 40 years and she doesn’t remember anything like this. It’s been difficult for us. At the same time we appreciate that it’s been extraordinarily difficult for others as well. In fairness to the ESB they can only do so much.”
The residents of St Brendan’s Avenue and St Brendan’s Drive were initially told by the ESB that power would be restored by Monday night, though this was pushed out to Wednesday night and again to Thursday night.
“By Saturday morning my mother and I were freezing and it got so bad she cried,” said Norma Coughlan, who cares for her 91-year-old mother, Sheila.
Ms Coughlan said she had “no choice” but to book a hotel for two nights and returned home on Monday evening believing the fault would be restored soon after, adding: “At this rate I may have to look for a hotel again.”
A lack of street lighting, meanwhile, also brings safety concerns with nearby resident Ken O’Donnell saying several thefts were attempted in the area around Christmas. “Now you’ve got pitch darkness, no security cameras, no security doorbells and it’s basically open season.”
John Crowley (60), who has lived in his house since he was a child, has never experienced a power outage which has lasted this long. Both he and Mr O’Donnell have been unable to have hot showers since Friday while living off takeaways and charging their phones in their car or at friends’ houses.
Alan Menton, who lives a short distance from the convent, described the past four days as “a nightmare”.
“They only have people coming from other countries now to help out but why weren’t they here last Thursday in preparation for it?”
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