Care & Repair offer alternative solutions to ease pressure on health and social services

We are living in an ageing society. Did you know that in the next 60 years, the number of people in the UK aged over 65 will more than triple from 4.6 million to 15.4 million?

Care & Repair Cymru - a voluntary sector movement, which provides services that help keep older people living independently in their own home in comfort, safety and security - believes that prevention is better than cure and that more needs to be done to reshape services to prevent the need for expensive services like residential care and hospital admissions from falls. Getting people out of hospital and back into their home a lot quicker and providing health and social care services to more people in their own homes should also be much greater priority.

 It was estimated last year that falls amongst older people cost the UK NHS £4.6million a day, hip replacement surgery conservatively costs about £25,000 and bed blocking in Wales has been estimated to cost the NHS in Wales £30million a year, with one residential care placement by social services costing around £27,000 a year.

 Care & Repair offer some realistic alternatives. The average cost of a disabled facilities grant (DFG) in Wales is £6500 and it is estimated that each grant provided to adapt a person’s own home kept them out of residential care for four years.  In Wales, Care & Repair have a rapid response adaptation programme, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.  Rapid Response adaptations work by getting health or social services professionals to refer clients for relatively inexpensive work that either gets them out of hospital and back home, or prevents them being admitted in the first place. The average cost per job is just £135 and it’s estimated that every pound spent on rapid response adaptations saves health and social services around £7.50. 

 One client, Mrs. June Smith (77), from Wrexham first contacted Care & Repair as she was concerned about her bay window and chimney stack.  Care & Repair helped Mrs. Smith with a successful grant application to Wrexham County Borough Council to repair the chimney stack and replace the bay window.  They then helped Mrs. Smith choose an appropriate contractor and oversaw all the work carried out to the property and so ensuring quality and value for money.

 Care & Repair also completed a RRAP (Rapid Response adaptation Programme) assessment for additional hand rails which resulted in rails being fitted in the bathroom and stairs to minimise falls and help Mrs. Smith remain independent in her own home.

 A benefits check and attendance allowance form was also completed and Mrs. Smith was awarded the high rate allowance and received £402.00 back payment.  Mrs. Smith was then entitled to further benefits such as full Council Tax Benefit and Pension Credits.

 A referral to HEES Wales was made for loft insulation and Central Heating and the caseworker also helped Mrs. Smith to successful apply for a Blue Badge (parking permit).

 Care & Repair have recently formed a group structure with Community Housing Cymru, the membership body for housing associations in Wales. The aim of the collaboration is to find efficient and effective solutions to the challenges facing Wales - to do more with less, help older people, deal with the housing crisis and fight poverty and economic inactivity.

 Chris Jones, MD of Care & Repair Cymru said: “There is absolutely no doubt people are living longer. So much so that I believe ageing is one of the most important issues facing public policy today.  The work Care & Repair agencies carry out the length and breadth of Wales are more cost effective and keep older people living independently at home for as long as possible. This is exactly what the majority of older people tell us they want.

 If you think that you, or a friend or relative would benefit from Care & Repair’s services, our local rate number is 0300 111 3333. You will be connected to the Care & Repair Agency covering your area, and we would be happy to help you. Alternatively, details of Care & Repair services and your local Care & Repair Agencies can be found on the Care & Repair Cymru website.”

 Care & Repair week runs from 17 – 21 January 2011