More than a quarter of a billion pounds of Welsh Government investment has helped older people be cared for in their own homes and avoided thousands of unnecessary hospital stays.
Three key funding programmes have boosted care in the community across Wales and prevented ambulance callouts and hospital admissions.
£146.2 million has been invested through the Regional Integration Fund (RIF) to help Regional Partnership Boards provide early intervention and community services - supporting 600,000 people in the last year.
Alongside this, £70 million has been invested into developing community hubs across Wales, and a further £60.5 million has also been provided to support people who need care, support and rehabilitation to live independently at home.
Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden, said:
We want people to live their best, healthy and independent lives as well as possible and for as long as possible, in their own homes and communities.
Community care is widely acknowledged to drastically improve outcomes for older people and those with complex needs, and research tells us that people recover better in the comfort of their own homes rather than a hospital.
Our significant investment into community-based services focuses on tackling challenges in the early stages to keep people healthier in the long term, helping to prevent avoidable hospital admissions.
Services like Care and Repair - supported by Welsh Government - have helped prevent over 3000 hospital admissions last year across Wales through home adaptations and repairs.
Focused on enhancing the safety of older adults, the team makes fast-track home improvements tailored to an individual’s needs, by spotting potential risks and preventing injuries that could lead to hospitalisation.
Their Hospital to a Healthier Home service has helped save the Welsh NHS around £10 million last year by saving 31,000 bed days in Wales through tackling delayed discharges.
82-year-old David Gale was found on the floor of his home with an extremely low heart rate and admitted to Princess of Wales Hospital, where he was fitted with a pacemaker.
His family were concerned that he wouldn't have the right support around the house once discharged, and that his limited mobility could lead to an increased risk of falls.
The Bridgend County Care and Repair team were contacted through the Hospital to Home service and visited David at home the day after discharge to assess his needs.
The team worked quickly to make adaptations to improve David’s accessibility and independence, such as installing a stair rail and steel handrails outdoors.
David said:
Care and Repair has helped so much. They have put in rails around our home, our driveway is very steep and the rail that has been fitted has helped us get out of the house safely and we feel much more confident when we now go out.
We had grab rails put in the bathroom to help us get in and out of the bath, a rail on the staircase so we now have one each side which helps a lot and makes it safer for us when going up and down the stairs. We have also had one put in the back garden to help us to get to the shed and outdoor toilet safer. They also installed Telecare lifeline.
We feel that without these adaptations being done we would have had to look at alternative options. So, for us to be able to stay in our home, where we have brought our children up, have so many happy memories and some lovely neighbours, makes us so happy.
We cannot fault the help we have had from Care and Repair. It has helped us feel safer when going around our home and we are so grateful to them for everything they have done for us.
Kelly Williams, senior caseworker from Bridgend County Care and Repair, said:
Care and Repair’s Hospital to Home service improves patient flow and reduces the likelihood of people being readmitted to hospital. The service identifies patients who have a housing concern that may delay their return home. The team then works closely with health professionals, patients and their families to carry out the home improvements needed to enable quick and safe discharge.
For Mr Gale, we were happy to support his hospital discharge by installing adaptations and Telecare in his home by our Home Safety Officer, who is funded via our RIF Rapid Response Handyperson Service.
It goes without saying that having a safe and warm home is fundamental to good health and wellbeing. A safe and warm home is vital for anyone being discharged so that they can continue to recover. Unsafe or poor housing can significantly impact mental and physical health and therefore it is imperative that housing is considered as part of a patient’s discharge journey.
91% of people accessing Care and Repair’s services say that their independence has improved and many report feeling less isolated.
Nationally, last year Care and Repair saved the Welsh NHS around £25,000,000 and the Welsh Ambulance Service over £850,000 due to fewer hospital admissions and fewer ambulance call outs being required.
The Minister added:
The Care and Repair team are a fantastic example of a community-based service, making a radical difference to the lives of the most vulnerable people in our society, through their person-centred and holistic approach to care.
I’m pleased that our Welsh Government funding such as the Regional Integration Fund and Housing with Care Fund are helping organisations like Care and Repair continue their invaluable work in keeping people well and enabling people to be discharged from hospital as early as possible to recover, where they do so best, at home.
Our funding is also helping to prevent people being admitted and re-admitted to hospital, which has been vital in easing the pressures felt by health services ahead of winter.