Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Sarah Rochira, has officially launched her Residential Care Review into the quality of life and care of older people living in residential care in Wales.
She is calling on older people across Caerphilly County Borough, as well as their friends and families, to share their experiences of residential care, which will be used alongside a range of other evidence to develop a series of recommendations for residential care providers and public bodies.
The commissioner will be reviewing whether older people living in residential care have a good quality of life by looking at factors such as physical and psychological health, social relationships, the care home environment and spirituality.
Sarah Rochira said: “The voices of older people, as well as those who care for and care about them, are at the heart of my work as Commissioner, which is why I want to hear about their experiences of residential care.
“I have visited organisations and groups around Caerphilly as part of my Engagement Roadshow and I have met with many older people living in residential care.
“I have seen for myself the positive impact that high quality care can have on people’s lives. However, I have also received an increasing amount of correspondence in the past year about the quality of life and care of older people living in residential care and I have spoken publicly about what I consider to be unacceptable variations across Wales.”
As part of the review, the commissioner and her team will also be visiting around 100 residential homes across Wales, including care homes in every local authority area.
She will be meeting with older people in Caerphilly to hear directly from them about their experiences
Ms Rochira added: “My review will highlight the best of care, but it will also clearly illustrate the devastating impact that poor quality of life and care has upon the lives of older people.
“By giving a voice to older people and their families, my review and recommendations will ensure that those who are accountable for, and run our services, understand the day-to-day realities of living in residential care in Wales and the action required to deliver the change needed to ensure that older people living in residential care have the best quality of life – wherever they live in Wales.”
For more information about the review call 08442 640670, or to complete the Commissioner’s questionnaire online by visiting www.olderpeoplewales.com.