Programme for Older People in Wales saves over £100 million

The Rapid Response Adaptations programme (RRAP) is 10 years old this month.

Funded by the Welsh Government and run by Care & Repair Cymru and 22 Care & Repair Agencies, the vision was a pan Wales scheme delivered in close partnership with referring professionals from the NHS, Social Care and Housing, that could drastically speed up essential minor home repairs and adaptations.

The vision has become reality and has helped over 104,000 older people with work costing on average less than £150, at an average waiting time of just 8 days. Works are generally small, but make a big difference to the lives of older people. Works such as hand and grab rails, repairing uneven floors and paths, installing ramps and door entry systems, and repairing stair-lifts. These small things matter, and have enabled safe discharge from hospital or residential care, prevented hospital admissions, and have helped older people to remain living independently and safely in their own home. In so doing, RRAP has saved the NHS and social care budgets over £101 million so far.

With the number of people in the UK aged over 65 expected to more than treble from 4.6 million to 15.4 million over the next 60 years, programmes like RRAP will become increasingly important. According to the BRE in its 2011 report, “the Real Cost of Poor Housing”, the effect of falls to older people costs the NHS in Wales £56 million per year. Just one residential care placement by Social Services costs around £27,000 per year.  Hip replacement costs £30,000. The Welsh Government, notably Edwina Hart as the Health Minister stated during her time in office that “delayed discharge of care” costs the NHS £30 million per year in Wales. RRAP has an impact on all of these costs, and by doing small but important works that prevent falls, prevent expensive medical treatment and help get older people out of hospital quicker, we estimate that for every £1 invested, £7.50 is saved for the NHS. Just as importantly, it helps get older people where they tell us they prefer to be– in their own homes, with their family and in their communities. As Huw Lewis, Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage said “The fact that this programme is now in its tenth year is something to be proud of, because of the benefit it brings to so many. Allowing older people to remain in their own homes in comfort and security not only enhances the health and emotional well-being of individuals, and relieves stress on the NHS, but by improving their homes, makes communities more cohesive and sustainable.”

Made in Wales, RRAP has been a genuine Welsh success story, and copied over the border. We are delighted that Care & Repair has played our part. Despite the success, there is much more to be done. Long waiting times, especially for larger adaptations and Disabled Facilities Grants were recently put in the spotlight again by the Older People’s Commissioner, and continue to be a problem. The Housing White Paper makes a commitment to looking again at how housing adaptations are delivered across all housing tenures in Wales and we believe the Care & Repair movement, working closely with the Welsh Government, Local Government and the NHS, can deliver so much more in terms of helping a greater number of older people navigate the complex adaptations system, delivering RRAP to even more older people, and making the case for RRAP to be available to older people living in all housing tenures.  Our challenge, on behalf of older people, is to convince others of this. We won’t shy away from this challenge.

Chris Jones is Manager Director at Care & Repair Cymru