Age Cymru report highlights delays in social care

Nearly one in ten older people had to wait more than 30 days to have their social care needs assessed following a request for help to local authority social care departments last year.

Once their needs had been assessed, nearly a third of the applicants had to wait more than a month for a social care package, while nearly one in seven had to wait more than 60 days. 

These are some of the key findings highlighted in the charity’s report; Why are we waiting? – delays in social care in Wales 

The research was carried out after Age Cymru’s dementia advocacy project, HOPE (Helping others to participate and engage) advocacy project and Age Cymru Advice all reported worrying delays in older people being assessed by social care departments for their needs, as well as delays in sourcing care packages once an assessment had been completed. 

Age Cymru’s Head of Policy and Projects Heather Ferguson says “Such delays can have a significant detrimental impact on those individuals waiting and their carers, their family, and their wider support network.”   

As well as the delays, the report found poor communication between local authorities and those asking for help. It also found that the number of people asking local authorities for help went down during the pandemic. So, there may be people who need care that have yet to come forward and ask for the help they need and have a legal right to receive.’

However, the report also found that local authorities across Wales are making genuine attempts to improve the delivery of adult social services and an impetus to do better, but the changes needed will take time, even though some quicker changes are needed for those that must wait.  

The report makes a number of recommendations including the improvement of communication with people waiting for care and to focus more on helping those people waiting the longest, and a national focus on sharing what works well between the local authorities in Wales

To read the full report visit: www.agecymru.org.uk/cymru/get-involved/campaigns/why-are-we-waiting/

We are looking to talk with more older people, families and loved ones about their experience of waiting for an assessment of social care needs or waiting for the implementation of a care package. Please contact Age Cymru’s Health and Social Care Policy and Campaigns Officer, Helen Twidle, at policy@agecymru.org.uk or on 029 2043 1571

ends