Age UK - Age Positive Images - Housing
Age UK – Age Positive Images: Housing

Councils in Wales are set to receive £1.1 million in funding to support the Welsh Government’s work for the country to become age-friendly and ensure older people are involved in the design and planning of local services.

Written in partnership with older people and their representatives, the delivery plan details the steps the Welsh Government will take to achieve the vision set out in ‘Age Friendly Wales: Our Strategy for an Ageing Society’.

In order to create an age-friendly Wales, the Welsh Government will hold regular meetings with local authority age friendly leads to share good practice and gauge progress.

Actions in the delivery plan aim to raise awareness of older people’s rights, tackle age-related poverty, improve public services and spaces, and reduce loneliness by promoting volunteering as a way to encourage more people to connect with their communities.

Specific actions include: support for older people to become digitally confident; continuation of the All Age Apprenticeship Programme; support for businesses to be more age-inclusive in retaining, retraining and recruiting older workers; funding improvements to bus infrastructure to ensure more stops and key interchanges are fully accessible to all; addressing fuel poverty and energy efficiency; and increasing the take up of pension credit.

The report also makes specific reference to ensuring people continue to receive appropriate care in their own homes, hospitals and the community. It mentions that the Welsh Government will consider a sustainable way forward for Wales’ adult social care charging.

The document further outlines that as part of developing an age-friendly Wales, new housing models to support people to age well should be prioritised. The government will focus on coordinating housing, health and social care capital programmes. This could include the provision of assistive technologies or adaptations to ensure people can remain safe and independent in their own homes.

Deputy Minister for Social Services in Wales Julie Morgan said: “We want to create a Wales where everyone looks forward to growing older and age is celebrated.

“Our Vision is for an age friendly Wales that supports people of all ages to live and age well. Too often getting older is linked to illness and decline and older people’s contributions to society are overlooked.

“From making sure housing supports people to age well, to creating opportunities to keep healthy and active, this plan outlines how we will work across government and with key partners, including the Older People’s Commissioner, to reject ageism and realise our vision of an age friendly Wales.”

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