Ceredigion County Council is in talks with the owners of an Aberystwyth dementia care home that has been put up for sale as its own report warns that the number of people in Ceredigion with dementia is “expected to increase significantly” in the next five years.
The council is working with Methodist Homes (MHA) “to identify medium to long term solutions, with the aim of securing the future of the home” after the announcement that MHA was putting the home up for sale calling keeping it open “unsustainable.”
The council said it saw the sale “as an opportunity to develop and improve key services in the future”, but did not confirm whether it would bid for the site.
The council said it was, however, “completely aware of the risks associated with losing such an important facility in the north of the county,” as dementia care is listed as a “critical” issue in the council’s Local Well-Being Plan 2023-2028.
According to the West Wales Care Partnership, in 2020 there were 1,322 people aged 65 or over living with dementia in Ceredigion. By 2035, that number is projected to increase significantly to 1,993.
The council’s well-being plan report says: “This is a key local and regional issue for West Wales, as similar increases are projected across the region.
“The total number of people living with dementia is expected to increase by 58 per cent across the three counties by 2035.
“Early onset dementia in people aged under 65 is also higher than average in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
“When added to other conditions related to ageing, this will place greater pressures on existing services and increase demand for support and care in the future, both of which need to be sustainable over the longer term.”
Dementia and Alzheimer’s was the third most common cause of death in Ceredigion between 2013 and 2020.
Around 65 people died per year from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in the county, equating to around 8.2 per cent of deaths each year during this period.
The 2020 mid-year population estimates show that 18,668 or 25.6 per cent of Ceredigion’s population were aged 65 or over.
Although the overall population is projected to decrease in Ceredigion over the next 25 years, the 65 and over age group is expected to grow to 22,362 and account for 32.5 per cent of the overall population.
“The concern around an ageing population is that local services, particularly healthcare services could be placed under severe pressures in the future, but a healthier population means less impact on health services now and in the future,” the well-being report outlines.
“In the future, greater provision of Housing for Older People, Housing with Care and Nursing Care is required in the county, in order to meet the needs of the older people.”
In a survey carried out for the council’s well-being plan “not having access to healthcare or other support” was the single most important thing identified by Ceredigion respondents aged 65 and over when looking ahead at how to maintain their physical and mental well-being over the next 10 years.
“Not being able to get support when I’m not well and can’t look after myself” also featured highly on the list of concerns.
Earlier this year, Ceredigion County Council said that it is “moving forward in developing a Local Dementia Plan” which will help “shape services and approaches to meet the needs of individuals living with dementia and their carers.”
An engagement process on the plan ended at the end of March, with the results set to be published later this year.