A son who is a carer for his 95-year-old mother has been left frustrated after a housing company refused to let him have an extra fob to access her home.

John Haffenden, from Marden, near Maidstone, claims that having only one fob to get into her bungalow has restricted her freedom.

The 66-year-old says his mother has been living in Camden Court, Pembury, for more than 20 years.

He said: “The housing estate was originally strictly just for the elderly. They used to have a warden that was on site 24/7.

“They removed the warden a long time ago, plus all on-site cover and changed their policies.

“Each resident even used to get a phone call every morning to check in with them.”

John looks after his mother, Grace, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in October last year.

He said: “It doesn’t really sink in, the fact that she will forget everything in 10 minutes. I go to see her every other day, to give her food and tablets.”

Grace struggles to walk and needs a wheelchair to go outside. She also has asthma.

The company that owns the complex – Town & Country Housing – upgraded to a new system two weeks ago and has changed the fob access at the main entrance.

Residents and visitors can either use a fob, or press the ‘manager’ button to then say a password on the sheltered housing’s entry system to be let in.

“We have always had three fobs,” John explained. “Now we only have one that gets you in and out of the main entrance.

“As her carer, I can no longer have access. If she pushes her lifeline in the middle of the night I need to get to her quickly.

“Once, I was bringing her two big bags of shopping, and stood outside the entrance for 20 minutes waiting for someone to answer on the system. Imagine what would happen if my mother pushes her lifeline at 2am and an ambulance or myself are waiting to be let in?”

John has now resorted to having the fob himself, however this means Grace cannot go outside, as she would not be able to get back into her home.

He added: “She can’t go and see her friends. She has no freedom – everything has been taken away.”

John asked the housing company for an extra fob to be made.

He said: “They initially said yes, then about 30 minutes later, they called me back and refused.

“Apparently their new policy only allows one fob for each resident, and as there is only my mother living there, they can only issue her one.”

A Town & Country spokesman said: “For security and technical reasons we have reissued key fobs for the communal entrance to Camden Court, one of our sheltered housing schemes, in Pembury.

"Each resident now has one fob for the main entrance door, which they can also unlock remotely via a door entry system in their home.

“Regular visitors can set up a password that allows them to be buzzed in by our lifeline operators, Careium, who provide a 24/7 telecare alarm system for our residents.

"Delays can occasionally occur when staff are prioritising the emergency needs of residents, and we are very sorry for any problems that this family may have experienced.

"We’ve spoken with them to explain the situation regarding key fobs and the various ways to access the building, and we will continue to monitor the situation going forward.”