Welsh Government unveils £50m care fund to support older people

Details of a major investment in services which improve life for older people in Wales have been announced.

As well as easing pressure on NHS services, the £50m Intermediate Care Fund will help older people maintain their independence and live in their own home by avoiding inappropriate residential care and hospital admissions.

Announced by Gwenda Thomas, Deputy Minister for social services for the Welsh Government, the investment will increase joined up working between local authority social services, health and housing, third sectors and independent sector partners.

Ms Thomas said: “Our £50m Intermediate Care Fund provides an excellent opportunity to make a real difference to older people across Wales.

“The investments I’m announcing today will see health, housing and social services, along with the third and independent sectors, work together on some very innovative projects to enable older people to maintain their independence and remain in their own home.”

The selection process for projects bidding to receive a share of the funding closed in February from which the Welsh Government has announced the successful proposals from each region of the country.

Successful projects include a 24/7 crisis intervention support service in North Wales which has been created to avoid untimely care or hospital admissions. Other projects include increased provision In Gwent of services for older people in care homes and sheltered housing and specialist accommodation teams have been created in Cardiff to improve the admission and discharge service older people receive from hospitals.

Ms Thomas continued: “This will help ease pressure on the NHS by preventing unnecessary hospital and residential care admissions, and will also help prevent delayed discharges from hospitals and other care settings for older people, particularly the frail elderly.

“The investments will also promote and maximise independent living opportunities, including ensuring increased provision of timely home adaptations in response to referrals from health and care services, as well as support recovery and recuperation by increasing the provision of reablement services.”

The Welsh government first set out plans for the Intermediate Care Fund in October 2013 as a key part of the Welsh Government’s 2014-15 budget between Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Liberal Democrats.