Plans revealed for multi-million pound wellbeing centre

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

Plans have been revealed for a multi-million pound wellbeing centre aimed at promoting independent living.

The plans, put forward by Cardiff Council, Vale of Glamorgan Council and Cardiff and the Vale University Health Board (UHB), propose to site the independent living wellbeing centre at the former gasworks in Grangetown.

Cardiff Council cabinet members will be asked this week to approve the progression of the project to the detailed design stage.

It is hoped that the £14.5m facility will help more people to be cared for in their own homes and ease the pressure on hospitals and care facilities.

Dementia

Cardiff Council cabinet member for adult social services, Cllr Norma Mackie, said: “We all know that there is a projected rise in the number of older people and those living with life-limiting illnesses and dementia.”

“At the moment, the services to care for these people and enable them to live independently at home have outgrown their current facilities and we need a new centre that’s accessible for residents of Cardiff and the Vale.

“The proposed site at the gasworks development in Grangetown would fulfil all our requirements with a state-of-the-art facility providing everything the service needs in one location.”

If it goes ahead, the facility will include:

• A warehouse for equipment needed to enable people to live in their own homes after receiving care
• A wellbeing hub offering services including therapy, classes and community facilities
• A new ‘smart house’ demonstration centre showcasing aids, adaptations and solutions for independent living

In Vale of Glamorgan, there are 56,200 people aged 50-plus. The number of people aged 65-plus is projected to increase by 22% by 2039, which would be the largest increase of any local authority in Wales.

Support

Vale of Glamorgan Council cabinet member for health and social care, Cllr Eddie Willaims, said: “The population projections for Cardiff and the Vale speak for themselves. Adult social care is already a huge part of local authorities’ work.

“If we are able to support more people with a wider range of needs then centres like this will be key.

“Other well-being hubs in the region are already proving a real success in supporting older people and helping residents live more independent lives. This new facility will allow us to provide even better support across Cardiff and the Vale.”

A council report due to be presented before Cardiff Council cabinet members on Thursday December 14 states that the six warehouse spaces currently used to facilitate the Joint Equipment Service (JES) is inefficient.

The JES provides equipment including beds, patient lifting hoists and commodes and is managed by Cardiff Council on behalf of the regional partnership.

It is also hoped that a significant amount of money can be saved through the project by bringing the cleaning and recycling of JES products in house – something which is currently outsourced to a company in England.

Executive director of strategic planning at Cardiff and Vale UHB, Abigail Harris, said: “We are really pleased to see this development progressing.

“We work closely with both Cardiff Council and the Vale of Glamorgan Council to ensure that people being cared for at home have the equipment needed to support their care needs.

“This development will enable us to continue to develop and improve our services – they form a key part of our wider range of developing community services aimed at supporting people to keep living well at home.

“We are grateful to Cardiff Council for leading the work on this facility.”