Battle to stop homes closing steps up a gear

Angry relatives of vulnerable residents have vowed to step up their campaign to fight care home closure plans in Llanelli. If the County Council plans to shut both Caemaen and St Paul 's Residential Care Homes go ahead, over 50 elderly vulnerable people will face eviction from their homes, and even more jobs will be lost in the area.


Carmarthenshire County Council announced draft plans to shut four Care Homes in Carmarthenshire back in November, as part of their ten year plan to finance new home care services in the area.



In the latest public meeting held on Friday, angry campaigners once again raised their concerns, and it was agreed that advocates for the Residents will be arranged. The Caemaen and St Paul ’s Groups also agreed to merge into one Action Committee in order to focus more effectively.



Myfanwy and Llanelli AM Helen Mary Jones have supported campaigners in drafting letters which will be be sent to various Councillors from members of the Groups in the next few days. Helen Mary will also be meeting with the Health Minister Edwina Hart and the Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas this week to discuss the issue.


Many of the resident's relatives are very worried about the serious effects a move could have on the health of their loved ones. This is referred to as ‘Transfer Trauma’ and it is estimated that at least 30% of people moved from one home to another die within one year.
　


Deryk Cundy, whose father is cared for at Caemaen Residential Care Home said:

"We are determined to fight these outrageous plans to close Caemaen and St Pauls. This is yet another example of our vulnerable elderly suffering as a result of the Council's efforts to save money. How would you feel if you were to be evicted for paying your rent?

Already the Council are changing the functionality of Llys Y Bryn, behind the Councillor's backs, by replacing Residential Care Places with 12 Convalescence Beds and moving 7 Respite Beds that were there to St Pauls. This is in effect reducing the Residential Care places by another 19 places - theft by stealth. The Council are trying to sell off the "family silver" - the Care Homes that we are going to need in the future.

Even according to the Council figures, in 6 years we will have another 10% of the elderly needing Care places - in Llanelli that means an extra 103 places - if we close our Care Homes in Llanelli alone we will be short of 162 places in 2016 with potentially disastrous results for our whole community.

I believe that everyone should have the right to high levels of care and safety, now and in the future, for me, you, your families and your friends. The people we are trying to protect here are the vulnerable, dependant people who cannot look after themselves.

We have some superb Local Authority Homes with caring staff providing the care that is rare in today's world. Care that we can rely on to provide the safe environment that the elderly in our community need and have every right to expect. Why should we let this be stolen from us ?"


Local AM Helen Mary Jones said:


"The council needs to look at a more creative way of saving money rather than reducing the service that the elderly and vulnerable depend on. Llanelli needs to be a place where people are not frightened to get old, knowing that they will be welcomed and cared for in the future. I’ll be meeting the Health Minister as well as the Deputy Minister for Social Services this week to discuss what support the Welsh Assembly Government could offer with regards to the issue.”


Myfanwy Davies, Plaid's Parliamentary Candidate for Llanelli added:


“Moving older people from their homes is distressing and some may not survive a
move. Our older people will not be sacrificed to the Council's half baked ideas about privatisation and the Council don't even know the cost of the new programmes."

Myfanwy calls for a dialogue with County Officers on meeting the needs of autistic adults and planning new services

Dr. Myfanwy Davies, Plaid’s parliamentary candidate for Llanelli, has called on her colleague Helen Mary Jones, Llanelli’s Plaid AM, to ensure that Carmarthenshire looks after its autistic adults and understands the needs of autistic children in order to plan services. In April last year Wales became the first country in the world to introduce a national strategic action plan to help the estimated 30,000 people in Wales directly or indirectly affected by autism.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Strategic Action Plan aims to ensure that county council education, housing and social service departments work together to improve the lives of people with autism. The plan was funded in the first year (2008/09) through 1.8 million pounds to be shared between our 22 Councils.

During the first years, County Councils are expected to assess the need for autism services in their areas and to give a full account of all the services available to people with autism from childhood through to adulthood. Responding to the National Autistic Society’s campaign to raise awareness of the mapping and needs assessment, Myfanwy has called on Helen Mary to meet with council officials to discuss the exercise in the County.

Speaking from her campaign office in Llanelli, Myfanwy said:

“I’m delighted that Helen has agreed to call meetings with the council’s representatives so that they can report on progress in mapping existing services and assessing the need for new services. Families need to know what progress has been made and how they can contribute to these processes which will be so important for planning future services”.

“Parents have particular concerns about funding services for autistic adults. There are excellent projects in the county that enable adults with autism to live independent and full lives. For example intensive supportive housing schemes combine a high level of care but still allow adults to keep their benefits so they can maintain independence through paying rent and contributing to carers’ pay”.

“However alongside these examples there is a sense of disappointment among the families of autistic children that young people with autism who are too old to use children’s social services are not routinely provided with the same support services”.

Helen Mary has requested to meet with Bruce McLernon, Director of Social Care and Housing in Carmarthenshire.