Gwenda Thomas AM visits Respite Care Home

Gwenda Thomas, Constituency AM for Neath, has visited Caewern Respite Care Home at the request of staff and service users.

Gwenda said:‘I was approached to visit the facility and had a very warm welcome. The discussions we had were very informative and constructive. Service users were unanimously of the strong view that they wanted the home to be retained and that respite care was best provided at a separate location to permanent residential or nursing care. They were vociferous in their praise of staff and felt that as service users that were respected and treated with upmost dignity’.

‘I also informed the service users that in my role as Deputy Minister for Social Services I have helped to ensure that from 1st April 2011, no one in Wales will pay more than £ 50 per week for Home Care Services and that transport to Day Care Centres will be free of charge, which was met with rapturous applause.’

One of the regular service users at Caewern, Mrs. Eunice Williams from Pontardawe, invited Mrs. Thomas to visit her room.

Mrs Williams said: ‘I have stayed in Caewern every 6 weeks for 9 years. The staff are very caring and I have everything I need here. I just wish that more people knew about this wonderful facility.’

Gwenda will be passing on all of the comments and concerns raised by the pensioners and staff to the Neath Port Talbot CBC Director of Social Services with a view to arranging a further visit to the home.