1. Wales: A Good Place to Grow Old?
Age Alliance Wales
Wales:
A Good Place to Grow Old?

2. 2017’s React to the Act Older People’s Survey
25 question survey aimed directly at older people and their families or carers, with more than 90 responses.
Questions were structured to reflect the Welsh Government document ‘Care and support in Wales is changing: I am an older person, what does this mean for me?’
Considered matters such as care needs assessment processes, access to social services, information, advice and signposting, advocacy and co-production.

3. 2017’s findings included:
A lack of consistency in the experiences of older people.
What matters conversations and the opportunity for people to express views, wishes and feelings in needs assessment appeared to be developing and hopefully growing.
Consistent care and support is falling short and there is a danger of older people ‘falling through the gaps’ or being missed in terms of needs assessments and access to appropriate services.
Led to a full and a summary report – available on our website

4. AAW Online Surveys
AAW conducted two online surveys during late / early 2018:
The first was aimed at Local Authority staff with responsibility for, or knowledge of, the commissioning of social services for older people since the introduction of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act (24 respondents)
The second was aimed at staff of Age Alliance Wales member organisations who have a knowledge of commissioning practices since the introduction of the Act(12 respondents)

5. Local Authority Staff responses...
We asked a range of questions regarding the funding of the third sector, including:

6. Have local authorities funding processes supported the third sector in the delivery of quality services
56% of LA respondents told us this had been done “to some extent” – but 26% said it had “not really” or “not at all” occurred
Authority funding constraints, and the short-term nature of third sector funding, had played a role people in reaching this opinion

7. Have local authority commissioning processes encouraged third sector organisations to set up and deliver services in partnership?
Whilst approximately 43% of LA respondents said their commissioning processes encouraged third sector applications to set up and deliver services in partnership, 45% felt this had “not really” or “not at all” occurred.
There appeared to be differences from authority to authority

8. Age Alliance Wales respondents said...
57% of AAW respondents thought LA funding processes do “not really” or “not at all” support third sector applications. Under 29% believed this had happened “to some extent”
There is a lack of consistent LA engagement with third sector organisations across local authority areas

9. Age Alliance Wales respondents said...
Increasingly difficult and time-consuming funding processes, with a lack of common approach across Wales, make it particularly difficult for pan-Wales organisations to engage.
Some AAW respondents felt there had been little real change in funding processes in some authorities since the introduction of the Act

10. So...
Little appears to have changed since the 2017 report with regard to experiences around social care
There is recognition within LAs that more can be done to support the third sector in the delivery of services and to include the wishes of older people in the design and delivery of services
It is clear that the lack of consistent approach across Welsh Authorities with regard to commissioning causes problems for the third sector

11. 2018 Focus Groups A joint AAW/ Age Cymru project
Focus groups carried out in Wrexham, Bangor, Swansea and Newport
Looked at loneliness and isolation, health and social care, and transport – so includes areas outside those considered in 2017
Included 18 to 24 participants in each venue – people we wouldn’t ordinarily meet

12. 1- Accessing GPs and surgeries
Waiting a number of weeks for an appointment with a GP was not uncommon
Patients are sometimes required to attend one of the practice surgeries in another village, but public transport may be a problem
Some surgeries do not offer the opportunity to make appointments in advance, instead expecting patients to phone the surgery in the morning.
GPs are very reluctant to conduct home visits
Many were very happy with their GP service, however

13. Implications:
Older people may struggle to attend inconvenient appointments
They may (perhaps inappropriately) visit A&E instead
They may go without treatment
They may present to social care services

14. 2 – Difficulties reaching hospital
Problems with public transport: bus services can be unreliable, particularly in rural areas. Some can use community transport services, if available, or taxis – but there’s a cost
Problems with non-emergency Patient Transport Services (PTS) - Early pick-ups and late drop-offs
Problems parking their own cars - insufficient parking spaces at hospitals
There were many positive comments too: bus services were thought by some to be very good

15. 3 - Accessing social care
Many gave positive feedback: staff were “helpful and cooperative” and it was straightforward to access information online
Others reported less satisfaction:
Feeling they were making themselves “a nuisance”
People with hearing loss being inadequately supported
Having to “chase for updates”

16. Accessing Social care after hospital
Many focus group members told us that they had received a very good service
There were other respondents who did not experience this:
People having to remain in hospital whilst awaiting the organisation of social care
Older carers not receiving the support they required to assist family members on leaving hospital

17. Some interesting quotations…
“Some health and care services are good or excellent, but others fail to meet people’s needs. There are numerous reports of long waiting times for aids to help people live at home and for assessments of care needs”
“…too often discharge from hospital is delayed because suitable care is not available, assessments of care needs take too long, insufficient home care services are provided and not enough support is available for carers”

18. .
“The Welsh concessionary fares scheme has been a boon to older people, giving them independence to carry out essential tasks such as shopping or attending hospital … However, thousands of older people miss out because they don’t have a bus service they can use, often relying on community transport where they are unable to use their concessionary pass”

19. . These quotations come from “Wales: A Good Place to Grow Old?”
A Bevan Foundation report for Age Alliance Wales, issued in 2012
As far as older people’s experiences are concerned, has there really been a change since 2012?
What could you suggest to make changes which are recognisable to older people?