services through Homecare Plus, including our digital shopping service. ⢠We have worked with Age UK to improve our we
Impact Report 2016-17
Age Cymru Swansea Bay This year, we have continue to provide much needed support to older people and their families across Swansea.
Service provision We continued to provide a floating support service, funded by the City & County of Swansea, to people aged 55+ in need of support to manage their day to day living
We also continued to provide a befriending service, funded by the City & county of Swansea, to people aged 55+ who are lonely and isolated through our Befriending volunteers
We maintained a Hospital Discharge Service until 31st December, 2016 when the contract with the Local Health Board ended
Achievements
We successfully passed the Age UK Advice Quality Mark for the second time
We were awarded the Investors in Excellence Standard, recognising our excellent business architecture, policies and practices
New services
We expanded our Befriending activity in October 2016 to offer access to the Age UK Call In Time telephone befriending service. 89 clients currently benefit from this service as well as our own face to face and telephone service
We were awarded a contract with the Money Advice Service to deliver a short-term research project testing how people aged 65+ consume advice and information that could improve their financial capabilities. We are one of only three projects funded in Wales, and the only project working with older people
We provided access to qualified solicitors at a weekly free legal clinic
We successfully bid for a contract with Bridgend County Borough Council to deliver an Information Brokerage service for people of all ages from April 2017
We have maintained our domestic support services through Homecare Plus, including our digital shopping service
We developed a relationship with a professional lifetime planning service to provide a free monthly service
We have worked with Age UK to improve our website, piloting the new Content Management System for brand partners across the UK
We expanded our home maintenance services through Homecare Plus to include domestic support providers, podiatrists and more qualified service providers using the brokerage model
We attracted funding from Tesco to provide free safety equipment to older people at risk in the community through our Handyman service
Community engagement We provided 51 talks to community groups across Swansea, and attended a number of events to engage with local people, other stakeholders and partners
We continued to engage with local councillors, the public sector and Assembly Members to influence the development of age friendly policies and practice locally and through the Age Cymru Influencing & Advisory Group
We published good quality digital content on a range of platforms over the year
21, 557 people visited our website 273 Facebook posts 438 likes on Facebook Tweeted 244 times 638 Followers on Twitter 3 articles published on LinkedIn per month
Campaigning We continued to campaign and raise awareness around:
Complaining about poor home care
How to engage in the Hospital Discharge process
How to access and use Direct Payments
Volunteers We continued to put volunteering at the heart of all we do, recruiting 40 new volunteers over the year. We maintained a base of 66 active volunteers throughout the year. We launched micro-volunteering opportunities to provide our volunteers with more flexibility. We commenced delivery of a Professional Befriending training programme to support our volunteers befrienders and improve the quality of befriending we offer.
142 Followers on LinkedIn
Donations Stakeholder engagement Developed a working relationship with key private sector partners, including becoming a member of Swansea Bay Futures
Developed working relationships with Swansea YMCA, Terence Higgins Trust and Macmillan Cancer Care
Delivered sessions to Age UK partners and the Age UK Digital Team on how we have improved our efficiency and effectiveness through the use of digital Technology.
We increased our fundraising work which resulted in a £20,000 increase in the level of donations and 117 individual donations
We received 200 hat, scarves and glove sets from Tesco and an additional 250 scarves from Swansea City F.C to gift to people at risk during the winter
We received several donations of gifts and hampers at Christmas, Easter and Harvest which we were able to distribute to clients in need
Creating an Age Friendly Swansea Age Cymru Swansea Bay is firmly committed to making Swansea and surrounding areas as age friendly as possible.
As a nation, we're living longer so it's in our interest to make our communities as age friendly as possible. Across Wales, older people face poverty, isolation, discrimination, physical challenges and a lack of opportunity. We want to make sure that older people are able to live full and rich lives, remaining active members of their communities and society.
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Older people have the opportunity to enjoy later life and get involved in decision making, without being a victim of ageism
Our services are designed to be age friendly; you can identify which age friendly goals each service supports by the symbol next to the service name.
Older people are able to treat and manage health conditions through effective health care services.
Older people are respected, socially included and safe.
Transport Integrated transport networks ensure older people can access communities and services.
Community and residential care services support older people to maximize quality of life.
No older person has to live in poverty.
In an age friendly Swansea older people will not experience barriers to independent living. They will enjoy good health; live safely; will be free from discrimination; and will remain actively engaged within their community.
We all stand to gain from empowering older people.
Older people are given opportunities for expression, social activities and to continue to learn.
Older people have access to appropriate information, advice and advocacy, and are digitally included.
Advice, Information and Advocacy Our A&I service provides support on a range of issues, such as benefits, managing your money, housing, health and social care and community resources.
3, 956 referrals
2, 586 510 336
£3,215,535.30 Warm and Well We have received funding from Age UK to provide advice and information on keeping warm and well, fuel poverty and income maximisation to people aged 50+. We have currently seen 94 clients, provided 276 advice sessions and identified benefits totalling £395,513.00.
Money Advice Service funding secured MAS have funded a short research project, looking at how people prefer to receive advice and information and what they do with the information provided. We’re specifically looking at the advice needs of people aged 65+ living in Swansea. The findings will be shared widely to influence the ways in which Advice & Information services are delivered in future.
Advocacy
130 “Access to services” continues to be the main cause for referring someone into the service, with safe Hospital discharge and a lack of understanding as to choices and rights also triggering the involvement of our Advocate.
Mr S
Miss J
Mr S referred himself to our Advice & Information service when he was invited to apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). He had previously been in receipt of DLA Mobility Higher Rate.
Miss J contacted our Advocacy service after her mother had been in hospital for several months. Mum had a diagnosis of dementia and Miss J had been informed that she would have to be discharged into a nursing home. Miss J was concerned that the health and social care professionals involved in Mum’s care were not assessing her correctly.
Mr S has many health issues, including anxiety and depression. He also has limited mobility due to lymphedema. An Advice & Information Officer arranged a home visit to complete the PIP form. Mr S has lived in the same 3-bed rented council house for nearly 30 years. He lives alone and struggles to manage his care needs at home because the bathroom is on the first floor and he has difficulty climbing the stairs. He is also socially isolated. During the visit, Mr S and our Officer discussed adaptions that could be made to the property to help him cope, and he agreed to have an Occupational Therapy assessment. We also discussed moving to a more suitable home. Mr S was only prepared to move to one area in Swansea, so we explained that he can do this as he will be downsizing and giving up a family home. In addition to completing the PIP form, our Officer also completed a Full Benefit Check to see if Mr S would be entitled to other benefits. Mr S said that Age Cymru Swansea Bay had given him some hope that he could look forward to the future and living in a more suitable home with others of similar circumstances.
Our Advocate worked with Miss J so that she could understand what her options were with regard to Mum’s care. Eventually, Miss J realised that as much as she wanted Mum to come home, her condition had deteriorated to the extent that she would not be able to do so and she was discharged into a nursing home. A short while later, Miss J contacted our Advocate to express concerns about the care Mum was receiving. We then helped Miss J understand the role of care plans and dieticians in Mum’s care and supported her to meet with the nursing team to discuss her concerns.
“She helped me understand that I can have an input into Mum’s care” More recently, we have worked with Miss J to help her understand the Deprivation of Liberty (DOLs) process because Mum has further deteriorated. Miss J says that Age Cymru Swansea Bay has helped give her the confidence to ask questions about Mum’s care, and to demand answers.
“She’s my mum after all; no one knows her better than me.”
Appeals 233 £312,207.92 We are still awaiting tribunal dates and outcomes for 44 cases. Demand for this service is high and we have overwhelming evidence that the service is very much needed. However, funding for the service is no longer available and it has closed to free referrals.
Mr O Mr O is a 68 year old man who lives alone and has both physical and mental health issues. He was a DLA claimant who was transferred over to PIP. Under DLA he qualified for the highest rate for care and the higher rate for mobility. Following an assessment by a health professional, the DWP made the decision that Mr O was not entitled to any rate of PIP and, in fact, he had scored 0 points for all activities. Mr O was devastated by this and sought help from Citizens Advice Bureau. They were able to help with his mandatory reconsideration request and complete his appeal form, but could not attend a tribunal with him so referred him to Age Cymru Swansea Bay. Our dedicated Appeals Officer met with Mr O to gather information that could be used to fight his case. Once we had enough information, a written submission was sent to the Tribunal Service outlining the case for appeal. The DWP was also sent a copy of this and had an opportunity to change its decision. This they did not do and so the case proceeded to a Hearing. Our Appeals Officer accompanied Mr O to the Tribunal Hearing and Mr O was questioned by the Tribunal members. The Tribunal upheld his appeal and awarded Mr O enough points to be awarded the enhanced rate of both elements of PIP. Mr O became entitled to £82.30 care and £57.45 mobility each week – a total of £139.75. In addition, Mr O saw his pension credit guarantee increase by £61.85 each week because his PIP care award meant he was treated as disabled and entitled to extra money. Both the extra Pension Credit and PIP were backdated to the date that the DLA had stopped. This meant Mr O was awarded substantial arrears and will now benefit by an extra £201.60 each week due to his successful appeal.
Hospital Discharge Service 352
85
1668.5
54
Mr J Mr J was referred to Hospital Discharge Service by staff at Morriston Hospital. They were concerned as he was refusing all offers of help and aids for discharge, and they were worried about him managing at home with no support. Mr J had agreed to a referral to Age Cymru Swansea Bay for help with shopping in the hope that they would allow him to go home. At assessment, Mr J explained that was worried about the condition of his property. The downstairs taps had seized, the toilet was broken and his outside guttering overflowed badly when it rained. Mr J was told about our Homecare Plus service, and he agreed to a referral to that service. He also agreed to a referral to Social Services for short term help with his care needs. A visiting assistant called the next day to help Mr J with his shopping. Mr J was very happy with this and agreed to weekly support. Our Homecare Plus Client Account Manager also called with Mr J that week and arranged for quotes for the repair work needed. An estimate was given and Mr J agreed to the work being carried out: he was very relieved that his property was fixed. Mr J also mentioned that his weekly pension was very small, so we recommended that he chat to our Benefits Officer to check if he was entitled to any further benefits. As Mr J had a cancer diagnosis, our benefits officer was able to speak to his GP and a DS1500 was provided for the client. An Advice and Information Officer then visited Mr J at his home to complete the relevant forms. Mr J was very impressed with the service he received from Age Cymru Swansea Bay. He was delighted with the work carried out and the support Hospital Discharge provided.
Floating support 192
53
2087.25
39
Mrs W Mrs W was referred to Floating Support by her nephew, who lives away. Mrs W is in her mid-nineties, and has been retired for many years. She lives alone. Mrs W is physically well, but she has some hearing loss and her sight is deteriorating. Although Mrs W is fiercely independent, she does get anxious about being alone. She has a visiting volunteer from Age Cymru Swansea Bay to maintain social contact, and she looks forward to her visits and a good chat. At her 6-month assessment, Mrs W informed the Visiting Assistant that she would like more involvement with the Sensory Team. Mrs W also requested information about a large numbered wristwatch and a phone with large numbers that lights up in the dark. She was missing phone calls because of her hearing loss, and struggling to organise her days because of her poor eyesight. There was also a problem with flying ants at the property. The Visiting Assistant made contact with the Sensory Team at Social Services, who provided Mrs W with a larger face wristwatch and a large buttoned phone so that Mrs W can phone out more easily. The phone also lights up in the dark. The Visiting Assistant also helped Mrs W find a pest control company to get rid of ants nest in the house. As a result of the support she received from the Visiting Assistant, Mrs W became less anxious about going out and being alone in the night. Her health and wellbeing also improved following the eradication of the ants nest. Mrs W said that she felt less isolated and more independent because of the aids provided. Both Mrs W and her nephew agreed that Age Cymru Swansea Bay was worth its weight in gold!
Home Services 622 148.5
101 67
Mr H Mr H is 101 years old and lives alone. He has a private cleaner who calls three times per week to help around the house, and receives ad hoc support from other voluntary organisations. Mr H is registered as partially sighted and is also hard of hearing. Mr H was referred to Age Cymru Swansea Bay by South Wales Police, who were concerned that Mr Williams’ front door could not be secured properly, leaving him vulnerable to intruders. Mr Williams says;
“I was aware of the problem with the front door but I didn’t know who to turn to. I am not a worrier and just take life as it comes, but I do feel far more secure now that it is fixed.” Our handyman shaved the bottom off the front door so it closed properly and fitted a new mortice lock. He also fitted a new cylinder night latch to the passage door. We also repaired an internal bedroom door which was posing a risk to Mr Williams because of his vison impairment; and, blocked up a cellar entrance, which was allowing a draught into the property.
“I feel so much better now that the handyman has been; he’s been excellent. I have received a first-class service and I’d recommend Age Cymru Swansea Bay 100%.”
Volunteering 70 £54, 601.78:
Anne
Beverly
Anne has been volunteering with our Advocacy, Advice and Information team for nearly a decade. She gives, on average, 20 hours of her time each week to help Age Cymru Swansea Bay.
Beverly has been volunteering with our Befriending service for just over 2 years. On average she spends around 2 hours a week visiting her client, who might otherwise experience periods of isolation and loneliness.
Anne decided to volunteer with Age Cymru Swansea Bay as she had received help from the organisation when applying for benefits for her father. Sadly, the DWP’s decision arrived two days after her father had passed away, but the support she had received made her want to give back to the organisation and help other people in the same position she had been in. Anne has two distinct roles within the Advice & Information team: the first is providing additional community-based support, visiting clients in their homes to complete benefit application forms. The second role is office-based, contacting clients to find out if they have received the benefit they applied for. Anne really enjoys being part of the team and being able to meet our clients;
“It is an honour to be part of someone’s life if only for a short while, helping them often at a very difficult time, it makes me feel good that I can in some small way make a difference. I am so grateful for my own good health and wellbeing and whilst I have it I will always help others. I’d definitely recommend volunteering with Age Cymru Swansea Bay.”
Beverly chose to volunteer with Age Cymru Swansea Bay after seeing an advert in a local paper. She had some time spare so wanted to help an elderly person who was isolated. Beverly visits her my client every week after work. They chat about their week and what they have done etc. Beverly generally provides company, conversation and a chance to have a visitor as the client may not have seen another person all week.
“The best thing about volunteering is getting to meet lovely clients. Enjoying their company and learning so much along the way. I am humbled to be part of my client’s life even just for a few hours every week, knowing how much joy it brings to her.” Beverly says:
“I would recommend volunteering to anyone. It brings massive rewards and helps both the client and yourself in lots of ways.”
Homecare Plus
Mrs D Mrs D is 90 years old, and lives alone. She has no family that can support her. Mrs D contacted Age Cymru Swansea Bay when she began having difficulty keeping on top of domestic chores. Mrs D agreed to a visit from our Homecare Plus Client Account Manager, who discussed which services might be suitable and assist Mrs D to keep living independently. Mrs D decided that she would try the domestic cleaning service. She was introduced to a regular cleaner who has been helping Mrs D with the cleaning/dusting/laundry and ironing over the last nine months. Mrs D called in a few months after starting the cleaning to express how pleased she was with the service and to ask about help with gardening and some painting and decorating. Two Homecare Plus gardeners and a painter & decorator visited Mrs D and provided quotes for the work. Mrs D agreed to have her garden maintained on an ad-hoc basis and the down stairs painted. Mrs D feels more comfortable at home now with this support in place. She likes the fact that she can contact Age Cymru Swansea Bay for help with jobs around the house. Mrs D also likes the fact that she has a direct debit set up so she doesn’t have to worry about getting cash out and keeping it in the house.
The Services we Offer
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