Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Councillor Dilwyn Morgan

To consider the update on new developments in Gwynedd to support individuals with dementia

DECISION

To accept the report, noting the observations made during the meeting

The report was submitted by Cllr Dilwyn Morgan, Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being. He highlighted that the main purpose of the report was to outline the new developments in Gwynedd to support individuals who had dementia.

The Senior Manager of Adults Services added that the County's vision was to support individuals living with dementia in order to enable them to live at home as independently as possible for as long as possible with the need to ensure the correct, timely care provision and support, in the right place to meet a range of needs.  She explained that the role of Gwynedd Dementia Coordinator was recently created in order to lead in the field within the Council by working with individuals who had been affected by dementia, the Health Board and the Third Sector. The coordinator would be responsible for creating a vision and strategy for Dementia Gwynedd to respond to the care standards pathway. This was a temporary post funded from the Regional Integrated Fund (RIF).

Reference was made to the next steps, reporting that the Service was dependent on temporary funding to support a great number of the developments in care provision for individuals with dementia. The challenge would be to secure long-term funding to ensure the sustainability and continued development of these services. Work would be done to predict the impact of demand on budgets over the next few years and difficult decisions would need to be made in terms of reprioritising resources if no additional budget was available.

Gratitude was expressed for the report.

During the discussion, the following observations were submitted by members:

·       The development of Penyberth Care Home, Penrhos, was welcomed, a direction the Council wished to follow and which steered the direction of care in the future and the transformation of the service.

·       That the Gwynedd Dementia Actif Service was doing exceptional work that had been recognised across Wales - congratulations to the team.

·       That involving the family in care assessments was essential to dementia support.

·       That people must be kept in their communities.

In response to the observations and questions from members, it was noted:

·       In response to a comment that there was no specialist nursing provision available for individuals living in the Llŷn and Meirionnydd areas and the suggestion that adequate provision should be demanded through influence, it was noted that it had not been possible for Local Authorities to provide nursing care but that the Council was now intervening more in the market as gaps in services appeared in the areas.  It was noted that some elements of the provision could be resolved but that  neither the Health Board nor independent companies were compelled to provide a dementia specialist nursing care service in all parts of the County - however, business decisions could be encouraged and influenced.  Despite appreciating the work that was being done, the need must be responded to and therefore the Council was considering the efficiency of providing a service rather than buying in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6