Social Care News

Residential Care Review visits to care homes start next week

The Older People’s Commissioner Sarah Rochira, pictured below, is to begin making the first of 100 visits to residential care homes across Wales’ 22 local authorities in the first week of March as part of her Residential Care Review.

There will be a mixture of announced and unannounced visits. Evidence-gatherers will use the ‘Ascot Measure’ as the basis for face-to-face interviews with older people to capture information about their quality of life.

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Ms Rochira said: "My Review will highlight the best of care, but it will also clearly illustrate the impact that poor quality of life and care has upon the lives of older people.

"I recognise that much work has taken place over the past decade within Wales, by a range of agencies and Welsh Government, to address specific aspects of residential care and that the forthcoming Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Bill will, for the first time, put safeguarding older people on a statutory basis. Whilst these have been important steps, my engagement with older people makes it very clear that we are not yet in a position where all older people living in residential care in Wales can be assured that they will be safe, well cared for and have a good quality of life."

• Older People's Commissioner for Wales: find out more about the Residential Care Review
• Following her review, the Commissioner will publish a series of recommendations which the public bodies under review will be expected to comply with
• The review aims to give a voice to older people to ensure those who are accountable for and run services understand the day-to-day realities of living in residential care in Wales