Scheme will help elderly stay warm

A NEW scheme to help elderly people keep warm in winter has been introduced by charity Care & Repair Cymru.

The Warm Homes on Prescription scheme, funded by £250,000 from the Welsh Government, will benefit people who have health conditions which are caused or made worse by living in cold housing.

As part of the scheme, GPs and healthcare professionals will ‘prescribe’ a warm home for people as treatment for patients whose health is affected by the cold – and the charity will then repair or replace broken boilers and insulate homes.

People living in Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Gwynedd, Ynys Mon, Conwy and Denbigh- shire will initially benefit from the new scheme.

The announcement comes just days after official figures revealed that there were 1,800 excess winter deaths in Wales in 2015/16.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics also show older people over the age of 65 are disproportionately affected by excess winter mortality.

Chris Jones, Chief Executive of Care & Repair Cymru, said: “We are delighted with the Warm Homes Prescription scheme, and hope to improve the health and well-being of many vulnerable older people, suffering with asthma this winter.

“The scheme will help us repair and replace old or broken boilers, insulate and draft-proof homes.”