One month later: Displaced senior celebrates 94th birthday in new home after Aviata roof collapse

One month after a roof collapse at Aviata at Bradenton Villas displaced more than 150 seniors, one evacuee is celebrating a milestone in his new home—while questions about how it happened remain unanswered.

George Mendez spent the chaotic hours after the July collapse desperately searching for his friend, Alfred Perani, who was evacuated with just the clothes on his back.

"It took me a while to find him. Nobody knew where he was," Mendez said. "I'm his power of attorney, so he had to come back to Bradenton."

Mendez holds power of attorney for Perani after his late wife asked him to care for her husband as she was dying of cancer.

After being told Perani was in three different locations—from Cortez Road to Tarpon Springs—Mendez finally tracked him down 50 miles north in Palm Harbor. He immediately called Westminster, a senior living facility in Bradenton.

"The lady said, 'You're the seventh person that's called me. We have three beds available,'" Mendez recalled. "First come, first served."

Within hours, Mendez secured the spot and brought Perani back to Bradenton. He's been there ever since.

A New Beginning

The change has been transformative. Perani celebrated his 94th birthday this past Sunday in his new home—a stark contrast to his final days at Aviata.

"He absolutely loves the place," Mendez said. "He gets a menu for what's for tomorrow and he gets several choices for every meal. Here he had no choice. He used to complain about getting a grilled cheese sandwich every day for lunch."

At Aviata, Mendez said he often encouraged Perani to leave his room and socialize, but he rarely did. Now, when Mendez visits on Wednesdays to take him to lunch, Perani isn't in his room—he's out in his wheelchair, participating in activities.

Mendez credits the media attention for helping reunite Perani with his belongings.

"I think having an interview on TV with you, and they saw it—I think I mentioned him not having any of his things—and they put them in bags and brought them to me," Mendez said.

Engineering Evaluation Underway

The City of Bradenton provided an update two weeks ago, stating that the facility's engineering firm has completed its initial investigation and is now preparing an evaluation report. Once submitted, city staff will conduct an inspection to verify that all areas of concern were appropriately evaluated.

No building code violations have been issued at this time. Multiple permits have been issued for roofing and air conditioning replacement work.

Access to the building remains limited to construction personnel and limited staff. The timeline for other residents to return will be determined based on the findings of the engineering evaluation.

Lingering Questions

While Perani won't be returning, Mendez knows others will—and he has concerns about oversight.

"I had been told that the roof had been a problem for a long time," Mendez said. "I don't know who comes to inspect, but whoever was wasn't doing a very good job. Something as important as taking care of people in the last stages of their life—it's important that we keep a handle on what's happening around them."

Tampa Bay 28 reached out to Aviata Health Group by phone and email multiple times over the last month. We have not received a response.

The City of Bradenton says it is not aware of any complaints received regarding the facility prior to the collapse.

What We Know:

• More than 150 seniors evacuated after July roof collapse
• Engineering firm has completed initial investigation; evaluation report pending
• No building code violations issued by the city at this time
• Multiple permits issued for roofing and air conditioning work
• Timeline for residents to return depends on engineering report findings
• Aviata Health Group has not responded to multiple requests for comment