A £6m investment to help older people in Wales live independently in their own home has been announced by the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, Lesley Griffiths.
The continued Welsh Government funding supports the essential work of the Care and Repair service, which provides adaptations, such as ramps, handrails, and safety alarms, to enable older people to live safely in their own homes.
£2m of the funding is for the Rapid Response Adaptations Programme, which provides minor adaptations to help prevent many people from having to be admitted to hospital and enable those who are in hospital to be discharged earlier, helping alleviate pressure on the NHS.
Estimates show every pound invested in the programme creates a significant £7.50 saving for our health and social services.
Lesley Griffiths said: “Care and Repair and the Rapid Response Adaptations Programme help transform the lives of more than 40,000 older people across Wales every year.
By providing relatively small home adaptations, these services enable people to continue to live safely in the homes they love with the dignity they deserve.
“As people across Wales live longer, healthier lives, such preventative measures play an increasingly important role in supporting our health and social services.
“Recognising this, we have worked hard to protect the Care and Repair budget as much as possible, in spite of the £1.4bn cuts imposed on us by the UK Government. While it is, of course, necessary for all our programmes to make efficiency savings in the current financial climate, I’m proud the £6m I have announced today will ensure many older people across Wales can retain their independence.”