Concerned by the imminent closure of a nursing home for the in his constituency, Clwyd West Assembly Member Darren Millar raised the matter in the Senedd this week and asked what action the Welsh Government is taking to address the shortage of elderly mentally infirm beds in North Wales.
Up to 21 elderly people with dementia and their families are facing uncertainty after being told last week that Plas Isaf nursing home in Rhos-on-Sea will close within weeks.
The owners have stated that it is shutting because it is “no longer financially viable”.
Darren raised the matter during this week’s Business Statement in the Senedd when calling for a Statement from the Health Secretary on the availability of nursing care home beds in Wales.
He said:
“There’s a particular issue in my own constituency at the moment, where an elderly mentally infirm nursing care home, Plas Isaf in Rhos on Sea, is in the process of closing, which is of course causing great disruption and uncertainty for staff and the 21 residents in that home, many of whom have called that place home for many years.
“The care home group that actually owns this property have closed other homes in the area in the past few years and there’s becoming quite an acute shortage of elderly mentally infirm beds in the north Wales area.
“We need to know Welsh Government is doing in order to encourage the nursing home sector to invest in more of these sorts of beds in the future or perhaps to work with the NHS to develop other models of care. I would welcome a statement on that.”