Plaid urge Swansea residents to access Care and Repair service
Swansea Care and Repair is to receive a £250,000 boost to help older people to remain in their own homes.
The package has been announced by Plaid’s Deputy Minister for Housing Jocelyn Davies AM.
Swansea-based AM Dr. Dai Lloyd today welcomed the funding package, and has urged local residents to take advantage of the service. He stated:
“It is very pleasing that the One Wales Government recognises the importance of older people remaining in their own homes, and has backed this up with the necessary funding.
“Care and Repair offer crucial support to older people within the City and County of Swansea in terms of renovation, adaptations and building work.
“Simple adaptations to a person’s home, such as adding grab rails or improved steps, can have a huge impact on their quality of life and I would urge residents in Swansea to access this service.”
Diwedd/ Ends
Notes to ediors:
The Rapid Response Adaptations Programme (RRAP), in which Care and Repair also plays a pivotal role, has been awarded £2.1m across Wales. This will be used for minor but often urgent improvements that are needed to allow people to return home after being discharged from hospital or to prevent future admissions. Improvements may include:
- Small ramps, home access and door entry
- Community safety alarms
- Internal or external hand rails or hand grips
- Access to toilet facilities
- Levelling paths
- Safety at home e.g. floor/stair/wall safety.
Care and Repair Cymru is the national co-ordinating body which monitors and evaluates the performance of individual Care & Repair agencies annually and carries out widespread development work including the drawing together of funding packages for new schemes. In addition, it provides central support, information and training services for the agencies.
The Rapid Response Adaptations Programme was introduced by the Assembly Government in 2002 on a national basis. Care and Repair Cymru is the administrator of the scheme and monitors and evaluates progress year-on-year. A Care and Repair Cymru report, published in 2006, on the first three years of the programme showed a crude indicative saving of over £41 million for the health service in Wales. This was based on the estimated cost of keeping older people at home, as opposed to remaining in hospital or residential care.
