AM Welcomes Funding

£2 MILLION TO HELP OLDER PEOPLE OUT OF HOSPITAL MORE
QUICKLY

Alyn & Deeside AM Carl Sargeant has welcomed today’s news that a scheme that carries out minor but vital adaptations to older people’s homes to allow them to be discharged from hospital more quickly has been awarded £2.094 million of funding from the Labour-led Welsh Assembly Government for the next financial year.
The Rapid Response Adaptations Programme (RRAP) allows equipment such as ramps, handrails, safety alarms and door entry systems to be fitted in people’s homes quickly so that their hospital discharges are not delayed and future admissions can be avoided. The scheme is administered and monitored by Care and Repair Cymru and delivered by Care and Repair agencies.
Alyn & Deeside AM, Carl Sargeant said;
“It is critically important that we ensure our older people can gain the reassurance and independence that simple home adaptions can bring, I am delighted that this important budget has been protected this year.”
The funding has been maintained at the same level as last year, despite cuts to the overall housing budget, because this investment results in big savings in other budget areas such as the NHS and Social Services by preventing admission to hospital as a result of accidents in the home or illness due to unsuitable living conditions. Care and Repair estimate that every pound spent on RRAP saves £7.50 for health and social care budgets by preventing hospital admission or speeding up hospital discharge. Nearly 16,000 RRAP jobs were completed in 2008 - 2009, of which over 10,000 prevented hospital admission and nearly 5,000 enabled hospital discharge.