Ten-year vision of care for older people

LEADER of Carmarthenshire council Emlyn Dole has launched a 10-year vision of sustainable services being developed for older people in the county.

Tremendous challenges are faced by the older people’s services in the county with the population increasing and people living longer.

Carmarthenshire council currently spends £37-million on social services for older people.

This budget is set to reduce over the next three years by £2.2-million whilst the demand for services continues to rise in line with the older demographic profile of the county’s residents.

To assist the authority develop and deliver a plan to provide sustainable social services over the next decade the council is seeking people’s views, particularly in promoting independence for older people.

County executive board member for social care and health, Cllr Jane Tremlett, at the launch of the consultation at Llanelli Library’s Athenaeum, said: “It is a cause for celebration that people in Carmarthenshire are expected to live longer.

“We need to ensure we develop a strategy to meet people’s needs in older age in a more sustainable way.

“Older people are valued members of our communities in Carmarthenshire and we must ensure that they stay healthy, active and independent in safe and age friendly communities.”

Leader of Carmarthenshire council Cllr Emlyn Dole said: “We have to be ambitious and inspirational to meet the challenges that lie ahead making the best use of resources available.

“We need the support and help of older people to understand better their needs and have developed a series of questions that to help us collate as many views as possible by the end of July that will be fed into the development of the 10-year plan.

“The most important part of this exercise will be the questionnaire responses in the boxes provided that allows people to say what they really want. This will be crucial to shaping our strategy.”

Close on 22per cent of Carmarthenshire’s population is over the age of 65 – that’s two per cent greater than the Welsh average for the same age range.

By 2030 it is anticipated close on 20,000 residents will be 75-plus, double the current number.

The increases are more significant when broken down by age band: 75-84-years 6685 or a 50per cent increase and 85-plus 3,943 or a 77 per cent increase.

Projections for the number of people living with a long-term limiting illness tells us that there is expected to be an additional 922 people aged 65-74 years and a further 4,783 people over the age of 75 by 2010, representing an overall increase of 39per cent.

The projected number of people living with dementia by 2010 will have increase by 1,539 or 56per cent.

For people receiving community based services projections indicate that by 2030 there will be a 56per cent or 1,349 people over the age of 75 who will require or receive community based services, including those receiving help in sheltered housing and extra care housing.

This expected increase in demand for services means a projected increase in costs from £37-million to £50-million based on existing service delivery models.

CAPTION

1. WORKING GROUP: At the launch of the working party for the 10-year vision of care for older people are from left: Hywel Dda Trust county director and commission-Carmarthenshire, Linda Williams; county director of community services, Leader of Carmarthenshire council Emlyn Dole, county executive  board member for health and social care, Cllr Jane Tremlett and county head of housing and public protection Robin Staines. Pix: Jef Connell
2. County Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole