Care & Repair funding to save millions for NHS and Social Services

 A total of £4.77m of Welsh Assembly Government funding has been awarded to Care & Repair in Wales for 2011/2012. The funding will allow Care & Repair to enable more older people remain living independently, comfortably and safely in their own homes.

There is a Care & Repair agency in every Welsh county, who work closely with Housing, Social Services and Health services to help some of the most vulnerable older people in Wales repair, improve and adapt their homes, helping them to stay independent at home, preventing them going into residential or hospital care or speed up their discharge from hospital – preventing bed blocking which cost the NHS in Wales millions of pounds every year.

Commenting on the funding announcement, Chris Jones, Managing Director of Care & Repair Cymru said: “We are pleased to see the Assembly’s continued recognition and support for Care & Repair in Wales. Although the funding has been cut by 2.9% from the last year, in the current financial climate, we understand that tough decisions have to be made.  By looking at central cost efficiencies, having formed a group structure with Community Housing Cymru, only 1.9% of this cut will be felt at the front end of service delivery, which is good news for vulnerable older people living in some of the poorest housing in our communities.  We have estimated that for every £1 spend on Care & Repair, there is a savings of £7.50 to NHS and Social Services, so spending money on our services makes financial sense.”

Announcing the funding, the Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration, Jocelyn Davies AM said: “Care & Repair provides a valuable service that allows vulnerable older people across Wales to continue living safely and independently in their own homes for as long as possible.  Simple adaptations to a person’s home, such as adding grab rails can have a huge impact on their quality of life.”

If anyone would like to speak to Care & Repair about the services they provide, the local rate number from anywhere in Wales is 0300 111 3333.”

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For further information on CRC, please contact:

 Edwina O’Hart, Care & Repair Cymru

T: 02920 557414 or M: 07791898497 E: edwina-ohart@chcymru.org.uk

 Vera Brinkworth, Care & Repair Cymru

T: 02920 576286 or M: 07776 307116 E: vera.brinkworth@careandrepair.org.uk

Chris Jones, Managing Director is available for interview

 We also have a number of case studies willing to speak to the media.

Note to Editors

Care & Repair Cymru is the national body for Care & Repair in Wales, and the Older Persons Housing Champion.

The 22 Care & Repair Agencies across Wales help older people to remain living in their own homes with increased independence and dignity. This is achieved by carrying out and facilitating adaptations, repairs and improvements for older people in their own homes.

•  32,986 older people helped through Care & Repair services
• Facilitated more than £11 million of repair, improvement and adaptation work in the homes of older people
• Increased welfare benefit amongst older people by £2.2million
• 4472 (14%) of clients said they would have been unable to stay in their own homes without the assistance of Care & Repair, and 6192 stated that their independence had been improved by Care & Repair
• Over 64% of Care & Repair services were provided for clients over 75, and 26% of total clients helped were over 85.

 Just taking the 4472 people helped who stated they wouldn’t have been able to stay in their own homes, and would otherwise have required residential or nursing home care, the cost to the state would have been 4472 x 52 weeks x £450 (average cost of 1 week in residential care) = £104,644,800.  Compared to the overall cost of Care & Repair services from all sources of funding (in excess of £14m), this equates to a £7.50 saving to the tax payer for every £1 invested in Care & Repair.