Dozens of care home residents have spent the last four weeks marooned on the first floor because their lift has broken down.

The lift at Staplehurst Manor Nursing Home had already been playing up for several months, but on Sunday, August 13, it gave up the ghost for good.

BUPA which runs the car home in Frittenden Road, has told residents that engineers cannot fix it until a new part is delivered, which is now not expected to be until September 19.

In the meantime, residents who live on the first floor and who are not mobile enough to navigate the winding Georgian staircase have been unable to get down to the ground floor to access the dining room, the activities lounge or the home’s lovely gardens.

A relative of one resident said: “The care usually provided at Staplehurst Manor is amazing; the team of caregivers is exemplary.

“But to be without the lift for six weeks is upsetting.

“It means residents are unable to access downstairs – no garden, no activities, no dining room.

“It is isolating for them and they are missing out on fresh air and vitamin D which is vital in the elderly.”

They added: “It is having an impact on their physical and mental capacity. Even those fortunate enough to live on the ground floor are missing seeing their friends from upstairs.

“It is totally unfathomable how this can be happening - the BUPA management have shown a distinct lack of urgency – even though staff are now being run ragged, having to take every item of catering up the stairs for all residents.”

Residents pay in the region of £6,000 a month to stay at the Georgian-era home which can cater for 30 people.

It provides nursing and residential care, palliative care and care for those with Parkinson’s.

On September 11, BUPA responded to our request for comment.

Danni Davies, the Managing Director for Staplehurst Manor Care Home said: “The safety of our residents is always our priority, as well as their enjoyment in the home.

“We’re very sorry that the lift in the home is not fully operational; we are working with the manufacturer to get it fixed as quickly as possible.

“In the meantime, we have arranged for the lift to be operated manually so that residents can move around, socialise and enjoy our daily activities in the home.

“We are keeping residents and families updated on progress and are working to have this resolved quickly.”