Mamwlad - reaching out to support Powys farmers

Photo by Joseph Reeder

It was November 2020 when we first heard about a brand new project called Mamwlad which had been set up in Powys to support farmers and was run jointly by two local organisations – Care and Repair Powys and Age Cymru Powys. Mamwlad means Homeland or Motherland in English.

At the time client data from both organisations had demonstrated a disproportionately low take up of their services by older farmers. The farming community are naturally independent and reluctant to seek out support, but as their needs change as they grow older their personal needs increase and both social and physical isolation makes matters worse. Jointly CRP and ACP planned to use their experience and knowledge of supporting older people to identify solutions to difficulties, working collaboratively with others in the wider agricultural community, public and voluntary sectors.

The Mamwlad project has worked hard over the last couple of years, despite the challenges of the Covid pandemic in the early days, to reach out to and support the older members of the farming community. Today we hear about a client from south Powys and how the project has supported her. Lesley Price, a caseworker with Care & Repair Powys working on the Mamwlad project, tells us more.

Photo by Helen Davies

Menna lives on a farm near Llanwrtyd Wells, a small market town in south west Powys. She was referred to Care & Repair via Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth after a stay there following a fall in which she unfortunately broke her hip.

The farmhouse where she lives had enough rooms to move her bed downstairs as she is unable to climb stairs (she is is hoping to get back to full fitness with the help of an exercise plan she received from the hospital).

A Health Occupational Therapist had made a referral to Minor Adaptations for a stair rail to be fitted.

One of the Mamwlad caseworkers arranged to visit Menna to carry out a Healthy Homes Check. Menna had a number of concerns about other areas in the house that may cause her problems, particularly as she had lost her confidence since her fall. The caseworker took the time to listen to Menna’s concerns and make suggestions for some further minor adaptations to reduce the risk of falls. The caseworker is a Trusted Assessor for Minor Adaptations and able to make direct referrals for works to be carried out.

During the Healthy Homes Check the Mamwlad caseworker discusses support options with the client, looking at isolation and loneliness that can have an impact on a person’s mental health. It may be appropriate to refer someone to project partners such as Age Cymru Powys for other services such as befriending or to explore benefit entitlement.

We also network with other organisations such as The DPJ Foundation, who specialise in mental health within the farming communities. From our evaluations the impact of introducing minor adaptations to a home on clients’ mental health is positive. They have increased confidence and independence leading to reduced anxiety and worry when they are receiving the support they need.

In this instance the two entrance doors to the house both had small steps, so the caseworker agreed that grab rails would reduce the risk of falls. The caseworker also identified small steps leading into the utility room and the hallway as potential trip hazards and agreed to fit grab rails in these areas.

The caseworker drew up a set of recommendations, which she forwarded to the Care & Repair Minor Adaptations Team. The work was carried out by an in-house Minor Adaptations Officer within 10 working days of the referral.

Menna is extremely pleased with the finished work and tells us that the rails have increased her confidence and independence. She has also had three more grab rails fitted in the bathroom to provide support when showering and using the bath.

Menna has since referred a family member, and a farming friend, to Care & Repair for support and advice on falls prevention and fire safety.

If you know anyone in the farming community who would benefit from similar support, then please get in touch with Care & Repair:

North Powys: Amy Peter, email: amy.peter@crpowys.co.uk

South Powys: Lesley Price, email: lesley.price@crpowys.co.uk

Or telephone the Care & Repair Office at the Newtown base: 01686 620760.

Names have been changed to protect the privacy of those involved.

The Mamwlad Project is funded by the Welsh Government. The two partners are:

Powys Care and Repair works to help keep their clients safe, warm and secure in their own homes. They run a variety of programmes including the Rapid Adaptations Programme for those 50+.

Age Cymru Powys provides essential support to people over 50 and their families in Powys. The organisation works to sustain and improve the quality of life of vulnerable older people in Powys. It believes that older people should be respected and valued as individuals in terms of their dignity, status, personal autonomy, diversity of needs, aspirations and expectations.

Christmas is upon us! Let's spread the love

by Jackie Newey & Jen Hawkins

There are lots of reasons why someone might be faced with the prospect of spending Christmas Day on their own. Some people may choose this option - which is absolutely fine. Others may have lost a loved one - a husband, wife or long-term partner, or parent, during the course of the year, and be dreading their first ever Christmas alone. Other people of any age may work a long way away from close family and friends and not be in a position to travel and spend time with them.

Sadly, however, it is much more likely that it will be older people who face Christmas alone. Some older people may not see anyone, or even have a phone call on Christmas Day, never mind receive a gift or join in a shared meal. A new Age UK report published on 3 December 2019 estimates that more than 200,000 older people in the UK will spend Christmas alone this year. Those who have recently been widowed struggle the most. The poignancy of this situation is brilliantly illustrated in a short video called "Stella" from Reengage UK (formerly Contact the Elderly).

Joanna Lumley, Age UK Ambassador, says: "Loneliness is one of the most disabling and dispiriting situations that thousands must face this and every year. Even pulling a Christmas cracker needs someone at the other end...and think of all the other moments when a kind hand, a warm voice, and understanding presence would be of even greater benefit to a lonely troubled person.”

Prompted by attending the Powys Bereavement Project launch earlier this month (planned to coincide with the first ever National Grief Awareness Week), Jen decided to try and find out if there were any events or lunches organised by groups in Powys for people to attend if they were by themselves on Christmas Day. Early on in her investigations she was pleasantly surprised by the number and spread of activities across the county. Some of the organisations are even offering to organise transport where needed.

Before long we were both absolutely overwhelmed by the sheer generosity of individuals linked to voluntary groups, churches and even private organisations, who are working tirelessly to ensure people in their communities do not have to face Christmas alone. Indeed most of the lunches / events are free to attend and run on donations and good old community Christmas spirit!

One church in Newtown provides meals for up to one hundred people each year who are elderly or vulnerable and on their own at Christmas. Working with a local sandwich shop, who donate their time and the main course of the meal, a delicious Christmas dinner is prepared, taking into consideration different dietary and lifestyle requirements. Volunteers at the church gather on Christmas morning to organise the food parcels to be delivered to the local residents. 

As well as a Christmas dinner each person receives a newspaper, a dessert and a small gift. It’s not just a flying visit just to drop off either. There is a true sense of Christmas spirit with volunteers staying to chat and keep people company for up to half an hour. Many volunteers have been delivering parcels for several years, visiting the same people each year to build relationships, foster friendships and maintain a sense of continuity and connection. Places have been filled for this year but if you know of someone who would benefit next year please get in touch and we can refer you to the relevant organisations.

Powys really wears its heart on its sleeve when it comes to caring for people in the community at Christmas. What was heartwarming and poignant to discover is that support at Christmas isn’t just localised in one area of Powys. Support and care is provided right across the county from a Christmas meal in Llanfyllin organised by local people and business, to hot drinks and mince pies at the village hall in Presteigne, to board games, bacon butties and hot chocolate at the Greek Restaurant in Brecon with Credu - Connecting Carers. The range of support and provision is varied and heartfelt. 

Other Christmas Day lunches and events are listed on our website events calendar. Some are now fully booked, but others still offer places, or are more informal spaces, where people can meet up with others on Christmas Day. Enjoy a chat, a drink (non-alcoholic or not), listen to music, laugh together (or not!) at some of those dreadful Christmas cracker jokes, and eat a Christmas dinner (roast turkey, or not!) together.

In the end Christmas Day is just one day of the year. What about the other 364 (or in 2020, which is a Leap Year, 365) days? Powys Befrienders is a PAVO project helping to improve the independence of people aged 50 and over in the county by encouraging thriving social networks. This can have huge knock on benefits, not only in people feeling happier in themselves and enjoying life more, but in their ability to remain in their own homes for longer.

Isolation and loneliness can be big issues, especially in a large rural county like Powys. But there is support out there, whether at Christmas or any other time of the year. And the main message we took away from this small piece of work is that generally people in Powys don’t need to spend Christmas Day alone if they don’t want to!

With seasons greetings to all our readers, and hoping that your Christmas is as busy or as quiet as you would really wish.

If you need support over the Christmas period, however, for whatever reason, then take a look at our website page with details of organisations that can help.

There is also an excellent blog post, with tips on how to survive Christmas, on local mental health charity Ponthafren Association’s website - Beat the Christmas Blues.

Jill Ball - speaking up for older people in Powys

After 4 years working in PAVO’s Powys Befrienders’ team, Jill Ball recently started a new role at Age Cymru Powys as an Independent Advocate. Age Cymru Powys is the largest voluntary sector organisation providing support to people over 60 in Powys, Mid Wales, covering the old shire counties of Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and Brecknockshire.

The organisation works to sustain and improve the quality of life of vulnerable older people in Powys. It believes that older people should be respected and valued as individuals in terms of their dignity, status, personal autonomy, diversity of needs, aspirations and expectations.

I caught up with Jill at her base in Newtown to find out more.

Tell us about your new role with Age Cymru Powys

My role as an advocate is to take action to help people say what they want to say, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain the services they need. I meet with people daily and listen to the issues that are of concern to them, provide them with information, and discuss with them the options that are available to them. If required I assist them with contacting third parties and written correspondence. As an independent advocate my role is impartial and non-directive. 

What is joyful about the role is that in supporting others to access the services they may need, or by them resolving an issue that has been of great concern to them, they then can continue to enjoy happy and fulfilling lives.

Which areas of Powys do you cover?

My base is at the Age Cymru Powys Centre, Parkers Lane in Newtown. The area I cover is the North of Powys and my colleague Louise Hicks covers the South of the county. I have an advocacy drop-in session every Tuesday 9 - 12.30 at our Newtown Centre. If required I visit clients at home or in a care home, wherever they reside.

How is the new job going so far?

I am enjoying it tremendously; the work is varied and interesting, people consult the advocacy service for many different reasons. They may wish to investigate what other accommodation is available to them now that their own needs have changed, which may be due to bereavement or an escalation of care needs. A client may be unhappy about the care they are in receipt of, and need assistance with knowing who to contact and may need assistance with getting their voice heard. I support clients when there may be conflict in their family, to reinforce their wishes.

Who can be referred to the Age Cymru Powys service and how?

The service is free, independent and confidential and is for people over the age of 60 living in Powys. People can self refer into the service or can be referred into the service by a third party, with their consent. 

North/Mid Powys telephone 01686 623707, email : support@acpowys.org.uk 

South/Mid Powys telephone 01597 825908, email : enquiries@acpowys.org.uk 

If people have been living alone and isolated for a long time what kind of support might they need?

Someone who can listen to what their needs are, and then to provide them with up to date and accurate information on what is available to them. They are then able to make informed choices whether that be in relation to their health, care, finances or social needs. If they need support to access a service, whatever that may be, Age Cymru Powys is able to guide them through this process.

How can the kind of support Age Cymru Powys offers impact on people’s physical and emotional wellbeing?

People are less anxious and more confident because they have the support and knowledge to face whatever problem they may be experiencing. The service is accessible. People say they enjoy the face to face contact and build up a good rapport with staff members. 

Age Cymru Powys also offers a toenail cutting service throughout the county which is a much needed and well supported service. 

The information and advice service provides benefits' information and assistance in completing forms and with financial security comes peace of mind. Age Cymru provides an extensive range of literature on all subjects relating to older people, from adaptations to their home, to power of attorney information. When people are informed they are then able to make decisions about their future which impacts on their wellbeing.

If people don’t receive the support they need, what can happen to them?

People can become socially isolated which can impact on their physical and mental health. Worst case scenarios could be that people become impoverished as they may not access the financial assistance that is available to them, which could affect their tenancy. They may become neglected as their personal care needs are not being met.

Which other organisations do you work closely with, either locally in Powys, or in the rest of the UK, to provide support to people?

Mind Cymru, Community Mental Health Team, Ponthafren, GP practices, other health professionals, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, District Nurses, Speech and Hearing Loss teams, Care Agencies, Abacare, Red Cross, Action for Hearing Loss, RNIB, Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations, Credu Connecting Carers, Powys County Council, Department for Work & Pensions, Environmental Health, Disability Powys, Citizens Advice, Kaleidoscope, Alzheimer’s Society, Parkinson’s UK, Age UK, Stroke Association, Care and Repair... a long list!

Tell us what an “age friendly Wales” looks like to you personally

One in which all people feel valued. Communities provide services dictated by those who reside there. Where there are no barriers to services. Where everyone has someone to have a chat with and spend time with and where all individuals are celebrated and cherished.

What are the main challenges of the role?

Very long waiting times on the telephone to get through to some services. The distances one has to travel; less travelling time would enable me to see more people.

Tell us about some of the most rewarding work you have done at Age Cymru Powys so far

I have enabled a very elderly lady to stay in the care home of her choice. Supported a lady with hearing loss to solve her internet problems, so that she can email her family in South Africa and keep in touch with her grandchildren. Helped someone to understand all the care and accommodation options available to them, as they were given notice on their rented property. They are now living independently within a complex that has someone on the premises 24 hours a day and should they require a greater level of support in time this will be available to them.

When you are not working for Age Cymru Powys, how do you enjoy spending your time?

I enjoy spending my time in my garden and greenhouse and with my two little grand-daughters, and whenever possible I love a trip to the seaside, particularly our beautiful Welsh coast.

Many thanks to Jill for updating us about her new role. If you want to find out more about the Age Cymru Powys service you can contact Jill by emailing: jill.ball@agecymru.org.uk or ring 01686 623707.

When I grow up

by Suzanne Iuppa, Community Connector — Llanidloes (2nd from left)*

I grow old … I grow old … 

I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. 

Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? 

I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, by T.S. Eliot

    

What do you want your older age to feel like, sound like, look like?

I’ve spent much time thinking about this on my long drives working around the very beautiful countryside of Powys. I’ve worked for Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO) now for six months as a Community Connector, linking older people in the county with services to improve their health and wellbeing. 

I moved here from Flintshire in September 2016, where I lived for 25 years and raised all three of my children as a single mother. My boys now live in the four corners of the planet and we joke (well, it is my favourite fantasy) that when I get older I will wing in with my Mary Poppins umbrella, all sprightly and fun, right when my beloved daughters-in-law can’t face another meal prep or load of washing, to look after my many grandchildren in turn, in different countries. My loving offspring will have a very small but beautiful granny flat in each of their houses for me to make magic in during my regular, seasonal visits. When I am not on Nainey duty I will be in my stunning but tiny (ie: low maintenance) cottage with the view at the edge of the Snowdonia National Park. I’ll have dinner parties, write stories, make crafts, feed the birds, and still make the long walks to the pub or garden centre. Or perhaps even take my trusty bike. I’ll thrive. I’ll be happy.

That’s if: if in future I’ll be able to travel easily to see my family, if I develop no long-term health conditions which sap my energy, if my children do indeed have children, and if my daughters-in-law will want my help on a regular basis.

I’m good at being flexible, but, with my family living at a distance and most of my friends being a good ten or fifteen years older than me (I was a young Mum, and my friends and I raised our children together) chances are, if my fantasy does not play out, my older age could be at risk of feeling lonely. In Powys there are plenty of places like my village, small tight-knit rural communities where children are living at a distance from parents and many people are of an aging population, all developing complex health problems as their age advances, in tandem. We might all want to be social! But for one reason or other, it may be hard to do. 

I help many people in Powys whose friends are not able to assist and whose family are not present, by linking them to befriending groups or ‘good neighbour’ schemes. It’s very important these schemes are well supported with funding and volunteers. Because — loneliness is not a condition we want to allow in our communities. The Older People's Commissioner for Wales, Sarah Rochira says: "Loneliness is a major Public Health problem here in Wales. We can all help — one day it could be us."

Loneliness has an effect on mortality that is similar to that of cigarette smoking. It is associated with poor mental health and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and dementia.

Loneliness has a much wider Public Health impact too: it is associated with a number of negative health outcomes including mortality, morbidity, depression and suicide, as well as increased health service use.

Most of my work is centered around helping people feel listened to, and responding to people’s individual needs, particularly older people living with a sensory loss, cognitive impairment or dementia, those who are carers or who have mobility issues. It seems in Powys these older people are most socially isolated. In addition, the people I have worked with have reported:

• Loss of trusted relationships.
• Loss of privacy and dignity.
• Being a full-time carer with little social mobility.
• Poor access to a car or public transport.
• Not being able to run a home by oneself anymore.

The answer is not the NHS to any of these problems; either primary or secondary care. But… quite often that is where lonely older people end up. If we think of primary healthcare, we can also think of primary health and social services for older people. These should be first in line for funding and support for to prevent hospitalisation. These are: appropriate housing (including residential and nursing care) day centres, personal care, befriending, community transport, practical services such as shopping, cleaning and gardening, and social links.

We need to listen better to older people’s life stories and their wishes to create an enabling environment for all, so we can work together to provide the primary social services. Understanding the sense of loss would be a start. Veronica Jarman, day hospital sister at Llanidloes Day Hospital and a Wales Nurse of the Year, explains: "It’s grief — loss of partner, social position, income, friends… the grief can be overwhelming."

Active and reflective listening are keys skills in grief therapy, and could be an early response to people asking for help with loneliness, before accessing NHS services at a crisis moment.

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, for example, has emphasized the link between the ability to communicate clearly with an individual’s ability to make informed decisions, to access services, enjoy their rights and overall, the dignity and respect that they experience.

Of course the older people in our society have lived through unprecedented change. For all the developments in communications and technology, the needs at the start and end of life are still best met through personal interactions. 

Our society is ageist — the only people really admired and in the driving seat in our society are from age 25 — 60 years. Like puberty, older age is a time of radical transformation for many; complete change. Whereas in previous societies elders had specific roles as guides, healers, mediators, correspondents, even dispute resolution specialists, because their amassed life experience was held in great esteem, now we tend to disrobe older people of roles and responsibility, in our families and in society generally. I’ve no doubt this disengagement has an effect on cognitive function. What would happen if we were able to advertise for older people to fill specialist roles in our community — designers, garden and horticulture, childcare, farming practices with wildlife conservation, flood prevention, town planning, holistic healing, dance events, history projects, clothes manufacture, community transport, language classes? What if people 65 years+ were the only ones to fit the bill, because of their wealth of experience, their time and their care?

Perhaps the Nainey duties and the dinner parties could keep me at the top of my game, for longer. I’m joining some craft guilds just in case — oh and my local town choir! I’ve even started an online course in herbal medicine. Still, I wonder if my daughters-in-law will be able to recommend a really good hairdresser in each country? I hope so!

To contact Suzanne for further information about her work as a Community Connector, please email suzanne.iuppa@pavo.org.uk or ring 01597 828649.

* The photograph also features (L-R) Carla Rosenthal — Community Connector in Knighton, and Melissa Townsend — Volunteer Officer PAVO.

A visit from the Older People’s Commissioner Office

Earlier this summer Kate Hughes, who works as the Engagement Coordinator for the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, visited some of my colleagues at PAVO to find out more about our work. She later wrote a blog post about her visit for the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales’ website and with her permission we republish it here. In the post Kate highlights “some of the excellent work underway in Powys that is making a big difference to people’s lives.”

I visited Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO) in Llandrindod Wells to spend the day with Freda Lacey, PAVO’s Mental Health Participation and Involvement Officer, and Barbara Perkins, their Community Voice Officer. They were keen to tell me about some of the outstanding work going on across Powys, supported by PAVO, which helps organisations and improves lives.

Powys is the largest county in Wales, covering a quarter of its land mass, but it is also the least sparsely populated with an average of 26 people per square kilometre. The result is a beautiful rural landscape with soaring mountains and acres of wilderness to explore. There are several population centres, including Newtown, Welshpool, Llandrindod Wells and Hay-on-Wye, but many people live in remote areas that are hard to reach. The result is a patchwork of services that cover the county and a real postcode lottery about what is available to you based on where you live. The Commissioner often talks about people being in the ‘lucky’ or ‘unlucky box’ and where you live in Powys and whether you have easy access to transport, can be critical factors in determining which box you are in.

The importance of being able to access transport is highlighted by the fact that there are no District General Hospitals in Powys, so people often have to travel long distances and across borders for diagnosis and treatment. They also told me that older people whose spouses or partners are very ill in hospital often struggle to make the journey to Birmingham or Wrexham and that there have been reports of discharge in the very early hours and a lack of discharge planning.

Rural isolation is also a huge challenge as people often live at some distance from friends, family and community services. There have been projects set up to tackle this and to help support people’s mental health and wellbeing. Freda and Barbara had time to tell me about some of their favourites:

1. Mid Wales Food and Land Trust: Good Neighbour Project

This project helps people to do their shopping. Volunteers phone up to find out the items people need and let them know about special offers etc. They will then shop locally, deliver and unpack the items people have ordered.

2. Powys Mental Health Participation and InformationService

This is a wide-ranging service that has really helped service users to get involved in designing and delivering mental health services.

They bring services/(senior managers) and service users/carers together in local communities so they can discuss and resolve any problems, if possible, locally. This is a great example of using patient experience, rather than complaints, to drive improvement.

3. Powys Befrienders

This service focuses on people over 50 who are lonely, isolated and risk losing independence.  Volunteers work with people for up to a year and support them to become more involved in their communities. Once volunteers have been matched, they help people to identify groups and activities they want to try and support them to try out them out. They try to help people find social activities they can continue to enjoy long after their involvement has ended. This project is funded by the Big Lottery Fund, and is running until October 2016.

4. Dementia Supportive Communities

There are a range of initiatives to help Powys become a more supportive place for people with dementia to live. Hay-on-Wye/Brecon  is trailblazing the way to implement Dementia Friendly Communities in Wales.  The aim is to help people and organisations in local areas to better support people with dementia. An example of some of the initiatives linked would be the Butterfly Scheme, which provides training in dementia care within hospitals and is based on the “Reach” programme.

Many thanks to Freda and Barbara for a fascinating day. I have just skimmed the surface of Powys in this blog, but I was struck by the range of innovative solutions people in Powys have found to providing services in such a challenging landscape. I would like to end with a final thought from the Commissioner, “"When we get it wrong, the price is never paid by the service, it's paid by the individual and is far too high".

The situation in Powys may be challenging, but it is heartening to see that so many people are trying to get it right.

Tell us what you think in the comments box below about some of the issues that Kate has raised in her blog post.

Oh, and there's a dog...

Sandra Ward, Information and Advice Manager for Age Cymru Powys, talks to us about older people in rural communities and her vision for help and support that could make a real difference.

Tell us about your day job

I have been an adviser for 30 years – that makes me feel very old.

It really is a strange way of earning one’s living, but it can be both rewarding and interesting. I never know what the day will bring – it can range from the sublime to the downright heartbreaking. From advising how to deal with a bee swarm lodged in a chimney, to supporting a lady of 92 coping with losing her lifelong partner and for the first time having to deal with banks, benefits and all the paperwork which follows a death.

I know we all suffer the distress of easing information from, and giving help to, those who are in a ‘bad’ place. But in the midst of these problems are lighter moments. One of my longest days was when I was with the Citizens Advice Bureau. I was helping a young family who were homeless. It was a Friday, especially relevant because one is aware that the problem has to be solved that day – nothing will be open over the weekend. Panic time then! I had spent most of the day finding this young couple somewhere to stay, and this was before the 3 young children came out of school. But at 4pm I was triumphantly standing at the door of the Advice Centre ready to speed them on their way to a booked and funded bed and breakfast. The young father suddenly turned and said; “Oh, and there’s the dog!” (An Alsatian, of course!) I often mutter to myself in times of stress - when I need a giggle - ‘and there’s the dog’!

Powys is a rural county, what does this mean for older people?

As Manager of Age Cymru Powys (formerly Age Concern) I see a great many people with problems which are aggravated by the fact that they live in a rural location. For my clients the additional rural problems are the following: difficulties in accessing help and advice; support services are either stretched by distance or non existent; lack of transport – whether that is limited public transport or simply that due to age and/or disability they have lost the use of their own transport. This of course, affects access to health services especially in Mid Wales where we are often sent to Telford for hospital appointments. All these limitations can cause acute loneliness – something the majority of the people I speak to suffer from. My job in Powys is almost completely different to that of an Information and Advice worker in an urban area where supporting services are near at hand.

Powys (my patch) is the 9th most rural county in the whole of the United Kingdom and the least most populated in Wales. The average population in Wales is 147 people per square kilometre, in Powys it is 26. Also we are ¼ of the area of Wales, so some of my outreach service advisers can travel for 1½ hours just to get to their destination. So you see I really do know about rural poverty.

Is there anything causing real concern to older people in Powys at the moment?

At present we are finding that the Government Welfare Reforms are causing us a great deal of work. Don’t get me wrong, I agree that a fit and able person of working age should be employed. It is only when knowing that one is valued and worthwhile that you gain self respect and self esteem. However, if you are 50+ and have health problems – maybe a stroke or an accident at work; you are actually less likely to be able to work. Possibly the job you trained for and have always done is now physically beyond you, so your whole life has to change. This is fine if you are fit, alert and mentally able to cope with complete change, but if you are depressed and unwell to suddenly find yourself in a minefield of forms and interviews it becomes impossible to find the impetus to navigate onwards. My colleagues and I help them do this and it can be both difficult and very, very sad. People are angry because they can’t work at their chosen trade, depressed because their life has changed for the worse and very frustrated that the Welfare State, far from helping them, seems intent only on making them slot into a ‘fit for work’ category.

I had a client, a gentleman of 64 who had previously worked on the land; he had had a stroke and was quite disabled. However, he was found by the Employment and Support Allowance Team to be fit to do office work. This chap was unable to use one side of his body and was incontinent. I explained the ruling and possible options for him. He sat quietly in my office, then said; “I would rather be dead than sit in an office smelling of urine.” This man had worked constantly for 35 years and had never expected to rely on state benefits. Not the type of unemployed scrounger that some of the politicians and the popular media portray. I am on a few national committees, not because I have the time but because people like that man are unable to verbalise their frustrations – but I try to make their feelings known and understood.

What other challenges do you face in Powys?

The challenges of communication both in reaching those who are vulnerable and for older people to participate in social activities are vast. Public transport is very limited, many of the bus routes are weekly services or limited to one or two buses a day – a large number of villages are not visited at all. We have recently lost even more of these routes. Over ½ Powys households are classified as being in area 8, ranked the worst 10% in Wales for access to services on foot or by bus.

Interestingly we also find that language causes a barrier. We run a bi-lingual service but find that the majority of our work on the Welsh border is requested in English. As we ‘go west’ across the county it becomes more predominately Welsh. Because my main office is in Newtown some people consider our service ‘English’ and hesitate as to whether they would find help there. In fact some of my ‘main language Welsh’ clients are additionally vulnerable because they have scant knowledge of the help they could access.

I have over the last 5 years piloted and run an elder abuse project for Powys County Council. I chose primarily to visit Lunch Clubs because these are the older people who are just coping but needing some support and therefore beginning to be at risk. It involves a positive and upbeat talk; firstly about older people’s rights – such things as ‘You have a right to be wrong!’ So many elderly people keep silent, terrified that if they make a mistake they will be ‘put in a home’. We fight to give them control over their lives, without making the judgement of ‘what is best for them’. We then go on to discuss scams and abuse, in an open and safe environment. Sadly 60% of the 300 people I spoke to had been a victim of scams or abuse. If people are living in isolated rural areas they are far more likely to be at risk of unreported abuse. There is a desperate need for our advice service to reach these isolated and vulnerable people.

How would you like to be able to help older people in Powys more?

I started thinking about the problem from the bottom up, so to speak! I am involved in rural church life and have been for my whole life. As a child our church was the hub of our rural community and many problems were supported therein. Now I believe this supporting network has changed – the age range in our communities is unbalanced. Despite all our best efforts to attract the young, many of our congregations are made up of older people. A few of the more successful churches use their buildings completely and offer crèches, welfare advice and community projects like cafes.

I had this in mind when I thought about my new project. As advice workers we need to be out there helping the lonely and vulnerable but I cannot sanction the expense for my advisers travelling 80 miles for a home visit, even if it is essential. So I thought that if I had a volunteer in each community and a paid adviser in a main office, whether it be Newtown, Llandod or Brecon then the volunteer could listen to the problem and phone for advice. The Bishop of Bangor informed me that the Church in Wales is keen for their buildings to be fully utilised - so churches, and maybe chapels, community centres and schools could be used at set times every week. My plan is that this would form a network of people to be a core community and therefore support their population who were at risk or in need. I’m just at the stage of trying to get funding for this but hopefully it could plug a little hole in the dyke!

What I see at present is that many people living in rural areas are being subjected to increasing stress and anguish as a direct result of decisions made in Westminster and elsewhere. It is necessary that we speak out – without prejudice – to inform those whose upbringing and life style leave them ignorant of the challenges of rural Wales. Reaching those who need help remains my priority and frustrating though it often is, I feel very privileged and honoured to be in a position to attempt this.

If you would like to discuss this idea with Sandra or offer her some support, you can get in touch with her on 01686 623707 or sandra@acpowys.org.uk or leave a comment below.

Dementia - This Could Happen to You - E-Petition

’We, the undersigned, call on the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to: 

Bring to an end the discrimination against dementia sufferers in Wales who apply for N.H.S. Continuing Care Funding, by allowing for the cognition category of need (known as the ‘domain’) to go up to the level ’Severe’ in the Welsh version of the Decision Support Tool. This would bring it in line with the English version; andii. Direct Local Health Boards to implement the National Framework for N.H.S., Continuing Care Funding correctly in terms of patient eligibility and without regard to budgetary constraints.’