Residential Care Inquiry

Commenting on the Welsh Assembly Health & Social Care Committee's Inquiry report‘Residential care for older people in Wales', Age Cymru's Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Graeme Francis says:

"With over 20,000 older people in Wales currently receiving care in a care home, residential care is a very important issue for older people.

"For many of us, residential care is an issue that crops up in our lives unexpectedly and without prior warning, often as a result of illness or an accident.

"This is why is vital that people have access to the information and advice that they need to make the right decision for themselves and their families when they are faced with having to make a life-changing choice about theirs or someone else's future care needs.

"We're pleased that the Health & Social Care Committee has recognised this and that providing people with the support, information and advice that they need, through so-called ‘advocacy services' at this time, is absolutely crucial in assisting people to make informed decisions.

"We also welcome the acknowledgement that with two thirds of people in residential care having dementia, and cases of dementia estimated to rise by 35 per cent over the next 20 years, that there has to be an increased emphasis on training for care home staff about the needs of people who have dementia.

"Age Cymru has played a key role in this inquiry since its beginnings.

"We facilitated meetings of an advisory group of people with personal experience of residential care who were able to feed directly into the Health & Social Care Committee's work.

"Age Cymru's My Home Life Cymru programme also gave evidence to the Committee and presented it with information about some of the best examples of good practice in residential care in homes across Wales that we have experienced."