Joint letter from Elin Jones and Ben Lake call for Government to intervene on the closure of Bodlondeb Home in Aberystwyth.
Elin Jones AM and Ben Lake MP have teamed up to call on the Welsh Government to intervene on the closure of Bodlondeb Home in Aberystwyth.
In a joint letter to Rebecca Evans, the Minister for Social Services in the Welsh Government, Elin and Ben told the Welsh Government that Bodlondeb, which serves many residents in the north of Ceredigion as well as providing residential care, provides space for many clinics and respite, is a “highly valued asset for the community” and that there was a clear “call for residential care” to continue in Bodlondeb.
They raised many issues with the Government, including Ceredigion County Council’s citing of the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014, the Regulations and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 and the Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 as partial reasons for the reconsideration of Bodlondeb’s future. Ben and Elin also raised the change of room specifications, the need to modernise the building, and the major cuts in funding to Ceredigion County Council by the Welsh Government which has seen a real cut of £38 million over the last four years.
They also raised specific problems regarding the current situation with the Minister, saying:
“As the County Council cannot directly provide nursing care, Ceredigion has put the care home through the tendering process in order transfer the role of supplying the care to a private firm, as per the Welsh Government’s guidelines. However, only one bid was received which, unfortunately, failed to pass the first round of financial scrutiny. An unsuccessful case was also made for Hywel Dda Health Board to run the home.”
Setting out their call to maintain Bodlondeb, they said that:
“We would like to make a few requests of you and the Welsh Government. Firstly, having seen the success of The Welsh Government’s 21st-century schools scheme, which earmarked £1.4 billion for the redevelopment of our schools, we would like to know whether you would consider the same type of scheme for Local Authorities that want to improve and invest in their nursing and residential homes.
“The same type of match funding would certainly allow Local Authorities to consider their long term strategy for providing care to an aging and growing population. We understand that this would be a big undertaking, but one that would help care homes throughout Wales for many years to come.”
Elin Jones later said:
“It’s only fair that the Welsh Government takes positive steps to ensure that care for elderly people is maintained and that there is a long term plan.
“Our young people have access to modern and high standard schools through the 21st Century Schools Programme, enabling this same kind of scheme for care homes would enable Councils to unlock a vast amount of funding and ensure that care for our older people can be maintained locally and to the highest standard.”
Ben Lake said:
“We must consider all options in order to allow our older people to live comfortably, and in the respectful, caring setting that they deserve.
“I hope that the Minister for Social Services in Wales will seriously consider this option, as it has the capability of putting the minds of residents and families at ease, but also securing other homes like Bodlondeb financially into the future.”