This is the key finding of Age Alliance Wales (AAW) as it launches its ‘React to the Act’ survey results.
The survey, conducted a year after the commencement of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act, aimed to capture the opinions, experiences and voices of older people, their families and their carers, as well as the professionals in the field, on how the Act is affecting the lives of older people and their experiences of accessing support and care services.
Age Alliance Wales concludes that change is needed across Wales so that older people get the care they need, when they need it, building on the positive progress we have seen in some areas. They are calling for a change of culture that places the older person at the centre of decision making and sees organisations from all sectors working together to make sure appropriate care and support is available.
A copy of the full report can be found
here
A summary of the findings can be found
here
A Welsh language summary of the findings can be found
here
SUPPORTING OLDER PEOPLE - HOW HEALTH, SOCIAL CARE AND THE THIRD SECTOR NEED TO COMBINE
A 'Think-Piece' report is published today reflecting the role of the third sector in
supporting older people's health and care needs, and how relationships within
and without the sector need to develop in order to meet the rising challenge of
ageing. Working in partnership with WCVA and Age Alliance Wales, Welsh Institute
for Health and Social Care has compiled a document from a series of interesting
and thought provoking essays by leaders within the sector.
Click here to read the Think-Piece.
The Think Piece has since been followed by a second phase of work. This has included two further round-table meetings facilitated by WIHSC, bringing together the contributors to the original document, a number of other leaders from the sector, and senior colleagues from Welsh Government, in order to further discuss the issues emerging from the Think-Piece.
This has culminated in a second report, Support for Older People in Wales - Health, Social Care and the Third Sector: A Discussion Paper. This paper provides a 20-point summary of the key matters that came from the discussion process, structured around three areas: Funding, Current Relationships within the sector and The Future, followed by a discussion of the current situation of the third sector within Wales, thoughts on potential changes and how they may be achieved.