Sam Rowlands MS for North Wales is calling for more to be done to support unpaid carers.
Speaking after it was announced that unpaid carers were to receive a £500 payment Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government said:
This payment clearly recognises the incredible role that unpaid carers have played through the pandemic and I am sure it is welcomed by all.
Unpaid carers save the NHS and taxpayers billions of pounds a year by providing this important care. But despite nearly all COVID-19 restrictions easing, the services unpaid carers rely on have not been prioritised, with services still significantly reduced or even closed entirely.
Recent research by Carers Wales found that just 8% of carers say that day services and care homes for respite breaks have been fully reopened, and only 16% said sitting services were fully operational.
Mr Rowlands asked Julie James, Minister for Climate Change, what action the Welsh Government would take to urgently prioritise and monitor the restoration of these much needed services for carers.
The Minister said they had approached local authorities and would be encouraging them to open up the services.
Mr Rowlands, who recently attended a Carers Awareness training course, said:
Unpaid carers are the unsung heroes who step in to help and receive little or no support and it is about time more was done to help them.
The findings of the recent survey by Carers Wales makes uncomfortable reading. I was particularly concerned that 60% of carers have said that over the last year their physical health has deteriorated whilst 71% have said their mental health has worsened.
There is no doubt the pandemic has taken its toll on unpaid carers and I would urge Welsh Government to do more to support these people.
Sam Rowlands AS yn croesawu cyllid i ofalwyr di-dâl ac yn tynnu sylw at yr angen i adfer gwasanaethau
Mae Sam Rowlands, yr AS dros Ogledd Cymru, yn galw am i fwy gael ei wneud i gefnogi gofalwyr di-dâl.
Gan siarad ar ôl cyhoeddi y byddai gofalwyr di-dâl yn derbyn taliad o £500, dywedodd Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol yr Wrthblaid:
Mae’r taliad hwn yn amlwg yn cydnabod rôl anhygoel gofalwyr di-dâl drwy’r pandemig ac rwy’n siŵr bod pawb yn ei groesawu.
Mae gofalwyr di-dâl yn arbed biliynau o bunnoedd y flwyddyn i’r GIG a threthdalwyr drwy ddarparu’r gofal pwysig hwn. Ond er gwaethaf y ffaith bod holl gyfyngiadau COVID-19 wedi’u llacio bron iawn, dydy’r gwasanaethau y mae gofalwyr di-dâl yn dibynnu arnyn nhw ddim wedi’u blaenoriaethu, gyda gwasanaethau’n cael eu cwtogi’n sylweddol neu hyd yn oed eu cau yn llwyr.
Datgelodd ymchwil ddiweddar gan Gofalwyr Cymru mai dim ond 8% o ofalwyr sy’n dweud bod gwasanaethau dydd a chartrefi gofal ar gyfer seibiant wedi’u hailagor yn llwyr, a dim ond 16% ddywedodd fod gwasanaethau eistedd gyda phobl yn gweithredu’n llawn.
Gofynnodd Mr Rowlands i Julie James, y Gweinidog Newid Hinsawdd, pa gamau y byddai Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymryd i roi blaenoriaeth ar unwaith a monitro’r broses o adfer y gwasanaethau hyn sydd eu hangen ar ofalwyr.
Dywedodd y Gweinidog eu bod wedi cysylltu ag awdurdodau lleol ac y byddai’n eu hannog i ailagor y gwasanaethau.
Meddai Mr Rowlands, a fynychodd gwrs hyfforddiant Ymwybyddiaeth Gyrfaoedd yn ddiweddar:
Gofalwyr di-dâl yw’r arwyr di-glod sy’n camu i’r adwy a helpu heb fawr ddim cymorth, os o gwbl, ac mae’n hen bryd i fwy gael ei wneud i’w helpu.
Mae canfyddiadau’r arolwg diweddar gan Gofalwyr Cymru yn peri pryder. Roeddwn i’n bryderus iawn clywed bod 60% o ofalwyr yn dweud bod eu hiechyd wedi gwaethygu dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, gyda 71% yn dweud bod eu hiechyd meddwl wedi gwaethygu.
Does dim amheuaeth bod y pandemig wedi bod yn faich ar ofalwyr di-dâl a byddwn yn annog Llywodraeth Cymru i wneud mwy i gefnogi’r bobl hyn.
