Ageing population in Wales could benefit from £14.5m Independent Living Wellbeing Centre

Cardiff Council, in partnership with the Vale of Glamorgan Council and the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB), is proposing to build a new £14.5 million Independent Living Wellbeing Centre to help more people to be cared for in their own homes and ease the pressure on hospitals and care facilities.

A new report, to be discussed by Cardiff Council’s Cabinet today (14 December 2023), outlines the need to support independent living, as set out in the council’s Ageing Well Strategy.

Included in this report are plans to build a new centre in Grangetown featuring a warehouse for equipment needed to enable people to live in their own homes after receiving care; a wellbeing hub offering services including therapy, classes, and community facilities; and a new ‘smart house’ demonstration centre showcasing aids, adaptations, and solutions for independent living.

The partnership project would provide equipment and reablement support across the region, facilitating early discharge from hospital and reducing the need for care services.

A new facility could centralise deliveries and bring the cleaning and recycling aspect of the work in-house, while at the same time providing jobs for people with additional needs and learning disabilities, according to the council.

Councillor Norma Mackie, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Social Services (Adults), said the new centre, if approved, would be a huge boost for health services in Cardiff and the Vale: “We all know that there is a projected rise in the number of older people and those living with life-limiting illnesses and dementia.

“At the moment, the services to care for these people and enable them to live independently at home have outgrown their current facilities and we need a new centre that’s accessible for residents of Cardiff and the Vale.

“The proposed site at the Gasworks development in Grangetown would fulfil all our requirements with a state-of-the-art facility providing everything the service needs in one location.”

The council’s Ageing Well Strategy includes predictions that by 2030 those aged 65-plus will rise by 17.8 percent and those aged 85+ will rise by 9.2 percent.

It also predicts that the number of people struggling with daily living will increase by 17 percent, and the number of people with dementia will rise by 30.1 percent and 41.1 percent for those with severe dementia.

In the Vale of Glamorgan, there are 56,200 aged 50-plus, which is 46.2 percent of the population. The number of people aged 65-plus is projected to increase by 22 percent by 2039, the largest increase of any local authority in Wales.

The new facility will help the council deliver on its own Age Friendly Charter commitment, which is to ensure people are supported to stay healthy and independent through access to appropriate services.

Councillor Eddie Williams, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care at the Vale Council, commented: “The population projections for Cardiff and the Vale speak for themselves. Adult social care is already a huge part of local authorities’ work. If we are able to support more people with a wider range of needs then centres like this will be key.

“Other well-being hubs in the region are already proving a real success in supporting older people and helping residents live more independent lives. This new facility will allow us to provide even better support across Cardiff and the Vale.”

The new report states that the efficiency of the Joint Equipment Service (JES), which provides equipment including beds, patient lifting hoists and commodes, is declining because its elements are spread across the city and there is a lack of storage space.

Currently, the JES makes 76,000 deliveries every year and also outsources the cleaning and recycling of its products to a company in England.

Councillor Mackie continued: “The new centre, through its efficiencies and the ability to bring work like cleaning and recycling in-house, gives us the opportunity to reduce costs in some areas, as well as reducing the need for domiciliary care by improving the speed at which we deliver equipment. We estimate this could reduce demand on care services and save around £434k a year.”

A new digital health plan to improve people’s health experiences was launched at the Health Service Executive (HSE) ‘Better Together for Digital Healthcare’ conference on 1 December 2023.