Community

Delays in accessing social care are reducing but still too long finds Age Cymru report

Published

4 months ago

September 9, 2024

COUNCIL initiatives to reduce waiting times for older people needing social care in Wales are beginning to bear fruit and, in another welcome development, the surge in demand for care post pandemic has now reduced, finds an Age Cymru report Why Are We Still Waiting? (WAWSW)

This is Age Cymru’s third annual report on delays in accessing social care in Wales for people aged 55 and over.

However, despite these welcome developments nearly one in four (24%) of older people are still waiting more than 30 days for a social care assessment, with the longest wait being 639 days. While one in six (16%) are waiting more than 30 days for a social care package to be implemented.

The challenge facing local authorities in Wales remains high as the report found that individual older people have increasingly complex needs and as the population ages service providers will have to continue to adapt their services.

WAWSW found that communication from councils with older people and their families must also improve as there were instances where people were not given the right information when they first approached social care which meant they didn’t get the appropriate help when they needed it.

The research also discovered poor communication between hospital and social care staff which meant that some older people remained in hospital longer than needed, making an already difficult time for older people and their families unduly stressful.

And poor communication was found to be the source of frustration for many families trying to get to grips with the charging arrangements for social care within the challenging environment of a cost-of-living crisis. There is concern that some older people may be paying above the amount allowed under the Welsh Government’s Fairer Charging arrangements.

Disappointingly plans to provide better help for unpaid carers have struggled to progress and initiatives continue to be hampered by a lack of long term, sustainable funding.

The report’s author, Age Cymru Policy Officer Helen Twidle, welcomed the efforts made by councils tackling the challenge of providing social care to an ageing population with complex care needs but called for significant improvements in many areas.

Helen Twidle says “Local authorities need to focus on those individuals who are waiting more than 30 days to have a care package in place as a person’s mental and physical health can deteriorate rapidly while they wait for support.

“There also needs to be a focus on how information is communicated to older people and their families, especially around the complexities of charging.

“Regional Partnership Boards, local authorities and third sector services need to work better together to improve the availability of earlier intervention and prevention support for older people.”

Minister for Social Care, Dawn Bowden, said: “I am pleased that waiting times for older people needing social care in Wales have fallen over the last 12 months, however we are aware there is much more to do.

“We remain committed to improving outcomes for older people through early intervention and integrated care in the community, with more than £145 million provided to local authorities, health boards and third sector organisations through the Regional Integration Fund. Our investment into creating Age Friendly communities is also enabling more older people to be active in their local communities and to access a range of healthy ageing activities.

“We will continue to work with Age Cymru to understand the experiences of older people accessing social care and to ensure they can access the support they need when they need it.”

Business

Derelict Cilgerran house to be transformed into cafe

Published

16 hours ago

December 23, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS by a village shop owner to convert a house “in a state of disrepair” to a café to “improve the variety of community facilities” locally have been given the go-ahead.

Mrs Morris, through agent Harries Planning Design Management, sought permission from Pembrokeshire County Council to convert The Old Post House, High Street, Cilgerran, currently a four-bed dwelling, to a ground floor café, along with a first-floor flat.

The application received five letters of support, saying it would provide local jobs, support the community, promote Welsh and local food, and provide a local community hub, with three letters of objection, raising concerns about parking and traffic, and potential odours from the premises.

A supporting statement, through the agent, said: “The proposed site is currently a dwellinghouse, in current need of modernisations and renovations throughout. The site is under the same ownership as the neighbouring village stores Siop Y Pentre,” saying the proposal “can be read as an extension to the existing Siop Y Pentre”.

“Siop Y Pentre is a thriving local community village shop which acts as a village hub. The shop provides local residents with day-to-day necessities, with a focus on local, sustainable and minimal waste products,” the statement says, adding the dwelling it seeks to convert “is in disrepair and in need of internal works to make suitable for modern living”.

It went on to say: “The proposed café seeks to retain its focus on local and seasonal produce with minimal waste and would provide a welcomed opportunity for socialising, especially during the daytime. The café will also seek to employ local staff retaining a community feel throughout. As such, the principle of the café adjacent to the existing village store is considered acceptable. The site seeks to encourage a sustainable community, with development of an appropriate scale and nature.

“Further to this, the location of the development is within the settlement boundary and seeks to fulfil a need for day-time socialising environments currently lacking within Cilgerran.”

The application was conditionally approved by county planners.

Community

Emergency call outage affected Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire

Published

16 hours ago

December 23, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS in parts of Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire faced difficulties contacting emergency services via the 999 landline number on Sunday (Dec 17) due to a temporary outage.

Dyfed-Powys Police issued alerts on social media, warning residents of potential issues when trying to dial 999 from landlines in affected areas. Locations impacted included Pembroke, Manorbier, Carew, and surrounding areas.

In a statement, police advised: “You may have faced problems calling 999 from a landline in the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire area. Places likely to have been affected were Pembroke, Manorbier, Carew. Please try calling from a mobile phone as mobile networks may have been working normally. Normal service will be restored as soon as possible. Non-emergencies can be reported online. Please look out for further updates.”

Later in the day, an update confirmed that the 999 landline service had been restored in the Llangrannog and Llanteg areas.

The temporary disruption raised concerns about access to emergency services in rural areas, where mobile coverage can sometimes be unreliable.

Authorities urged residents to remain vigilant and use alternative communication methods in the event of future disruptions. Further updates are expected as investigations into the cause of the outage continue.

For non-emergency issues, residents can continue to report incidents via the Dyfed-Powys Police website or contact their local police station directly.

Community

Police and council in collaborative effort to tackle fly grazing

Published

16 hours ago

December 23, 2024

Tom Sinclair

IT WAS confirmed this week Pembrokeshire County council is teaming up with Dyfed-Powys Police in a bid to tackle a growing problem of horses on public areas in the county.

The move comes after the County has witnessed a significant increase in incidents of horses being left on public land and highways – known as fly-grazing.

Over the Christmas period the agencies will work operationally in a collaborative effort to alleviate the issue.

This joint approach is in response to community concerns and part of a wider initiative that will enable partner agencies to effectively address with the issue.

Members of the public can report fly grazing concerns by contacting [email protected] or 01437 764551.