Appeal on Carmarthenshire care services
Carmarthenshire people are being asked to consider the full facts when forming their opinions over the future of care services for older people.
The council’s Executive Board member for social services has spoken out to encourage people to be aware of the full story on issues such as care home closures.
Cllr Pat Jones said people are forming their opinions without being fully aware of the current situation, and are being swayed by media articles centred on claims by a protest group, which are often very misleading.
One of the most recent pieces of misinformation centres on the number of current vacancies in local authority care homes in Llanelli.
Claims are being made that there are only five local authority beds available in the Llanelli area, when in fact there are 19 beds lying empty.
There are a further 30 beds empty in independent care homes in the Llanelli area.
The costs of running these empty beds equate to over £1million – money which would otherwise be spent on the increasing demand for domiciliary care services.
At St Paul’s residential care home, only four of the home’s 20 beds are being used – making this care home the most expensive to run, and with the fewest residents.
Cllr Pat Jones said: “We appreciate that people will have strong opinions and feelings when talking about such a sensitive issue, and as such we have undertaken a full consultation with service users, their families and staff, in order to gather a fully-informed view of the proposed options.
“However, we do feel it increasingly important to point out that much of what is being presented as fact, is indeed quite misleading.
“We really do want to take people’s view in to account, but we feel that people should be given the opportunity to form their views in full possession of the facts.”
A full question and answer factsheet is being drawn up and will be posted on Carmarthenshire County Council’s website this week - visit www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk
Anyone seeking clarification on any matters relating to the future options for care services for older people, can call the council on 01267 234567.
The council’s Executive Board member for social services has spoken out to encourage people to be aware of the full story on issues such as care home closures.
Cllr Pat Jones said people are forming their opinions without being fully aware of the current situation, and are being swayed by media articles centred on claims by a protest group, which are often very misleading.
One of the most recent pieces of misinformation centres on the number of current vacancies in local authority care homes in Llanelli.
Claims are being made that there are only five local authority beds available in the Llanelli area, when in fact there are 19 beds lying empty.
There are a further 30 beds empty in independent care homes in the Llanelli area.
The costs of running these empty beds equate to over £1million – money which would otherwise be spent on the increasing demand for domiciliary care services.
At St Paul’s residential care home, only four of the home’s 20 beds are being used – making this care home the most expensive to run, and with the fewest residents.
Cllr Pat Jones said: “We appreciate that people will have strong opinions and feelings when talking about such a sensitive issue, and as such we have undertaken a full consultation with service users, their families and staff, in order to gather a fully-informed view of the proposed options.
“However, we do feel it increasingly important to point out that much of what is being presented as fact, is indeed quite misleading.
“We really do want to take people’s view in to account, but we feel that people should be given the opportunity to form their views in full possession of the facts.”
A full question and answer factsheet is being drawn up and will be posted on Carmarthenshire County Council’s website this week - visit www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk
Anyone seeking clarification on any matters relating to the future options for care services for older people, can call the council on 01267 234567.
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