Council cuts risk older people's independence, report warns

Important services that help older people live independently are being cut as council budgets shrink, a Wales Audit Office (WAO) report has warned.

The WAO, external found too much focus on social care at the expense of other support, information and housing services.

The older people's commissioner said cutting "preventative services" would "continue to isolate our older people".

The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said councils needed "realistic" funding to make the changes suggested.

The review said such other services could help to reduce pressure on more expensive health and social services.

Older People's Commissioner for Wales Sarah Rochira said: "We need to enable our older people and shift the reliance away from care services and look more closely at the value of services that maintain independence and promote wellbeing.

"To do that, councils in Wales need to get better at speaking to older people, gathering the right information and then providing services based on current needs rather than future demand."

Auditor General for Wales Huw Vaughan Thomas said the idea that older people were "primarily recipients of health and social care services" needed to be challenged.

"As this report states, there is an imbalance in the emphasis we place on prevention and, in line with my recommendations, I would be keen to see this addressed in order to allow people in Wales to maintain their independence into older age," he said.

WLGA spokesman Huw David welcomed the WAO's findings.

He said: "This report highlights exactly what local government leaders have been arguing since the onset of austerity - that sustained cuts are forcing local councils to scale back or cut their wider community support services in order to balance the books on their statutory duties such as education and social care.

"Since the onset of austerity councils in Wales have already made cuts of over £700m, and can expect to face a further £941m budget shortfall by 2019.

"The stark financial reality is that the service realignment called for in this report will only be possible if local public services are provided with a fair and realistic level of funding."