£1.1m investment to champion older people as Wales becomes more age-friendly
Councils in Wales are set to receive over one million pounds in funding to support the Welsh Government’s work to make the country more age-friendly and ensure older people are involved in the design and planning of local services.
This focus on making Wales more age-friendly could be beneficial for the mobility and independent living trade, as it could lead to increased awareness and purchasing of essential mobility and access products.
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’.
The report 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.
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.
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.”
