(Title Image: New Scientist)
Health & Social Care Committee
Impact of Covid-19 on the social care sector and unpaid carers (pdf)
Published: 18th March 2021
Naturally, the care sector has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic.
Many care homes were forced to restrict visits during the first peak as well as subsequent peaks – though Welsh Government guidelines allowed visits for compassionate reasons. Some witnesses though care homes overreacted given the impact a lack of personal contact will have on the mental health of residents.
The Committee agreed that with the introduction of rapid testing and visitor pods, some care homes may have been disproportionately risk-averse. The recommended all care homes have access to the equipment needed to allow visits to take place. They also recommended that health boards are reminded of their responsibilities concerning safe discharge from hospital into care homes.
The Committee commended the delivery of vaccinations in care homes, but they heard from witnesses that care homes were felt to be an “afterthought” for regular testing and PPE – the latter being one of the biggest issues during the early phase of the pandemic.
The fragility of the care sector as a whole remained a concern to the Committee and ultimately the system needed root and branch reform, with parity of esteem between health and social care.
As for the army of unpaid carers, the Alzheimer’s Society told the Committee that 83% of family carers saw a deterioration in their loved one’s symptoms during the pandemic. Carers Wales said many unpaid carers were “at breaking point”, with 68% of unpaid carers saying they might not be able to cope in further lockdowns.
Even before the pandemic, only a small proportion of unpaid carers were receiving local authority support. Additionally, access to respite care all but ended. Oxfam Cymru said a “right to respite” fell short with no ringfenced funding.
