ELDERLY residents have been left “trapped” in their own rooms and “isolated” after a bedbug infestation broke out at an assisted living facility.

The lounge at Kestrel House, in Eagle Way, Shoebury, has been closed for more than six weeks after an “influx of bed-bugs in the building”.

The outbreak was initially reported in a residents’ room – which were fumigated by South Essex Homes – but spread to the communal space and management made the “difficult decision” to lock the lounge.

Heather Myers, 90, has said that she now misses the one “highlight of her week” in socialising with fellow residents in the communal area and has been forced to stay in her room “for days on end” – an experience that reminds her of the Covid pandemic.

Echo: Kept in - Heather in her homeKept in - Heather in her home (Image: Tammy Waller)

Ms Myers said: “I am in one bedsit; I am kept in one room all the time where I am left for days on end.

“I haven’t been into the social area in a very long time, we just want details from the management on when we are going to be allowed to go back.

“It reminds me of Covid, we used to have a popular social group that used the room for tea and biscuits, it was such a great time and the only real social thing we had.

“We need to be told how things are going, the only other social thing I have is seeing people in the corridors and when we go to do the washing.

“I used to like it so much here.”

A spokesman for South Essex Homes has confirmed the lounge will be “closed until further notice” but insisted management are working hard to resolve the issue.

The spokesman said: said: “Due to an influx of bedbugs at Kestrel House we had to make the difficult decision to lock the communal lounge until further notice to prevent them from spreading further.

“A letter was sent to residents to inform them of this, and they had the opportunity to remove any personal belongings from the lounge.

“Treatment at the scheme is ongoing in both individual properties and communal areas including the lounge, but no date has yet been set for it to be reopened.

“We sincerely apologise for having to take this action but communal areas such as the lounge can have a significant impact on the spread of bedbugs, and this was a necessary step to prevent the issue from getting out of control.

“The lounge will be reopened as soon as it is safe to do so.”