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The coronavirus pandemic and the response to it, has had an impact on the health and wellbeing of people in Wales. This has often been felt most acutely by the most vulnerable members of society, including those people living with dementia and their families.


This statement updates Members about the work the Welsh Government has undertaken to understand the challenges faced by people with dementia and ensure we respond to them.


Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Dementia Care COVID\-19 partnership forum, led by Improvement Cymru, has offered a regular opportunity to identify challenges and develop solutions. The Dementia Oversight of Implementation and Impact Group (DOIIG) has also been re\-established to provide further support to shaping the approach to recovery.


We have supported health boards, local authorities and the third sector to continue to provide support to all those receiving dementia services. This includes the release of the Integrated Care Fund monies allocated to Regional Partnership Board (RPBs) to support the implementation of the 2018\-22 Dementia Action Plan for Wales. Where individuals are struggling, support is also available through their local voluntary organisation.


Social Care Wales has worked with partners, including people living with dementia, to develop a range of online resources to support health and social care workers and families of people living with dementia. These online resources are available at: https://socialcare.wales/service\-improvement/dementia\-and\-covid\-19.


 


The pandemic has meant many services have had to make changes to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, which has inevitably meant a reduction in face\-to\-face contact. We have seen a lot of innovative practice emerge over the last seven months, which must not be lost. But we also know that not everyone has adapted to telephone and digital services.


Mental health services were classed as essential NHS services and while some clinics were not able to operate during lockdown, we sought assurances that urgent dementia assessments have been undertaken and remained operational. As more routine services have become available over the summer months, additional staff have been deployed and remote assessments used, where appropriate, to manage waiting times.


This has been a very difficult period for people living with dementia and their families. Sadly, we know many people with dementia have died during the pandemic. There has been an increase in the proportion of deaths where the leading cause of death is dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, particularly in care homes. Further research will be needed to fully explore the reasons for this increase.


A National Bereavement Steering Group has been set up and a national framework for bereavement care in Wales is being developed to support clear referral pathways, risk and needs assessments, training for staff and volunteers and a directory of available bereavement provision. There is also ongoing work to develop a more individualised risk stratification tool, which will take account of the published data of the impact of COVID\-19 on specific conditions.


We know these challenges have been felt particularly acutely in the care home sector and care homes have needed to make significant adjustments to provide appropriate care, and will need to continue to do so.


Where restrictions to control the pandemic have impacted on care home visits, this will have had an impact on the wellbeing of all residents especially those with dementia. We know these are difficult decisions to make and are not taken lightly. People living in care homes are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus and have a particularly poor prognosis if they become unwell due to the virus.


Significant efforts have been focused on supporting care homes in Wales, and those who live and work in them, during the pandemic. The Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services has recently published an update about the Care Homes Action Plan, which has the wellbeing of people living in care homes at its heart.


We are funding two projects which will support carers of people living with dementia in care homes.


The Dementia and Integration Links project is led by Platfform and delivers one\-to\-one and group sessions to improve the lives of people living with dementia and their carers in the Cardiff and Vale and Cwm Taf Morgannwg university health board areas. Age Cymru is leading a project which aims to improve access to information, advice and support for older carers and to create opportunities for carers to influence and shape services. It will also work with the carers of people living in care homes.


 


This has also been a challenging time for care home staff. Improvement Cymru, with support from Social Care Wales, has set up a digital support network for care homes across Wales in response. The Cwtch Project has offered a platform for care homes to share best practice and self\-manage some of the challenges of providing care at this time, as well as offer peer support.


The “Ask Us About Dementia” service provides timely access to advice and signposting to dementia care using telehealth. This is a partnership between Social Care Wales and health professionals, including an allied health professional consultant, whose role was developed through the implementation of the Dementia Action Plan and who has provided advice and guidance on dementia policy throughout the pandemic.


Carers are able to book a virtual appointment with experienced dementia practitioners who provide a range of knowledge and skills; physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, dietetics, pharmacy, dementia training are represented in the project. The pilot has been co\-produced with input from people living with dementia, care providers, third sector organisations and statutory bodies. The service is currently being offered as a localised pilot, and will be used to test processes and outcomes to inform a long term national project.   


The Welsh Government’s rehabilitation task and finish group has also ensured the needs of people living with dementia and their families is included in the consideration of increased need for rehabilitation, reablement and recovery.


We want to support people to recover and live as independently as possible for as long as possible.


It is clear coronavirus will be with us for some time yet. I am hugely grateful for the efforts of health, social care and the third sector in supporting people living with dementia, their carers and their families.







Translation:


 
Mae’r pandemig coronafeirws a’r ymateb iddo wedi cael effaith ar iechyd a llesiant pobl yng Nghymru. Mae hyn yn aml wedi’i theimlo fwyaf gan aelodau mwyaf agored i niwed ein cymdeithas, gan gynnwys y bobl hynny sy'n byw gyda dementia a'u teuluoedd.


Mae’r datganiad hwn yn rhoi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i Aelodau am y gwaith y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi’i wneud i ddeall yr heriau sy'n wynebu pobl sy'n byw gyda dementia, a sicrhau ein bod yn ymateb iddynt.


Ers dechrau'r pandemig, mae fforwm partneriaeth COVID\-19 Gofal Dementia, dan arweiniad Gwelliant Cymru, wedi cynnig cyfleoedd rheolaidd i nodi heriau a datblygu atebion. Mae’r Grŵp Goruchwylio Gweithrediad ac Effaith ym Maes Dementia (DOIIG) hefyd wedi'i ail\-sefydlu i ddarparu cymorth pellach i arwain dulliau o adfer.


Rydym wedi cefnogi byrddau iechyd, awdurdodau lleol a'r trydydd sector i barhau i ddarparu cymorth i bawb sy'n cael gwasanaethau dementia. Mae hyn yn cynnwys rhyddhau arian o’r Gronfa Gofal Integredig a ddyrannwyd i'r Bwrdd Partneriaeth Rhanbarthol i gefnogi'r gwaith o weithredu Cynllun Gweithredu ar gyfer Dementia 2018\-22 i Gymru. Os yw unigolion yn cael trafferth, mae cymorth hefyd ar gael drwy eu mudiad gwirfoddol lleol.


Mae Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru wedi gweithio gyda phartneriaid, gan gynnwys pobl sy'n byw gyda dementia, i ddatblygu amrywiaeth o adnoddau ar\-lein i gefnogi gweithwyr iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol a theuluoedd y bobl sy'n byw gyda dementia. Mae'r adnoddau ar\-lein hyn ar gael yn https://gofalcymdeithasol.cymru/gwella\-gwasanaethau/dementia\-a\-covid\-19.


Mae’r pandemig wedi golygu bod llawer o wasanaethau wedi gorfod gwneud newidiadau i leihau’r risg o ledaenu’r feirws. Mae hyn yn anochel wedi golygu lleihau cyswllt wyneb yn wyneb. Rydym wedi gweld llawer iawn o ymarfer arloesol dros y saith mis diwethaf, ac ni ddylai hwn gael ei golli. Ond gwyddom hefyd nad yw pawb wedi addasu i ddefnyddio gwasanaethau ffôn a digidol.


Nodwyd bod gwasanaethau iechyd meddwl yn wasanaethau GIG hanfodol ac er nad oedd rhai clinigau’n gallu gweithredu yn ystod y cyfyngiadau symud, ceisiwyd sicrwydd bod asesiadau dementia brys wedi cael eu cynnal a’u bod yn parhau i fod ar gael. Wrth i wasanaethau rheolaidd gael eu darparu dros fisoedd yr haf, mae staff ychwanegol ac asesiadau o bell wedi’u defnyddio lle bo'n briodol i reoli amseroedd aros.


Mae hwn wedi bod yn gyfnod anodd iawn i bobl sy'n byw gyda dementia a'u teuluoedd. Yn anffodus, gwyddom fod llawer o bobl gyda dementia wedi marw yn ystod y pandemig. Bu cynnydd yng nghyfran y marwolaethau lle mai prif achos y farwolaeth oedd dementia neu glefyd Alzheimer, yn enwedig mewn cartrefi gofal. Bydd angen ymchwil pellach i edrych ar y rhesymau dros y cynnydd hwn yn llawn.


Sefydlwyd Grŵp Llywio Profedigaeth Cenedlaethol ac mae fframwaith cenedlaethol yn cael ei ddatblygu ar gyfer gofal profedigaeth yng Nghymru, i gefnogi llwybrau atgyfeirio clir, asesiadau risg ac anghenion, hyfforddiant i staff a gwirfoddolwyr a chyfeiriadur o'r ddarpariaeth profedigaeth sydd ar gael. Mae gwaith parhaus yn cael ei wneud hefyd i ddatblygu offeryn haenu risg mwy unigol, a fydd yn ystyried y data a gyhoeddwyd am effaith COVID\-19 ar gyflyrau penodol.


Gwyddom fod yr heriau hyn wedi'u teimlo'n arbennig o ddifrifol yn y sector cartrefi gofal ac mae cartrefi gofal wedi gorfod gwneud addasiadau sylweddol i ddarparu gofal priodol, a bydd angen iddynt barhau i wneud hynny.


Pan fo’r cyfyngiadau i reoli’r pandemig yn effeithio ar ymweliadau â chartrefi gofal, mae hyn yn cael effaith ar lesiant y preswylwyr, yn enwedig y rheini sy'n byw gyda dementia. Gwyddom fod y rhain yn benderfyniadau anodd i’w gwneud ac nad ydynt yn cael eu gwneud ar chwarae bach. Mae pobl sy'n byw mewn cartrefi gofal yn arbennig o agored i niwed yn sgil coronafeirws ac mae ganddynt brognosis arbennig o wael os byddant yn mynd yn sâl oherwydd y feirws.


Gwnaed ymdrech sylweddol i gefnogi cartrefi gofal yng Nghymru, a'r rhai sy'n byw ac yn gweithio ynddynt, yn ystod y pandemig. Mae'r Dirprwy Weinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol wedi cyhoeddi diweddariad yn ddiweddar am y Cynllun Gweithredu Cartrefi Gofal sy’n ystyried llesiant pobl sy'n byw mewn cartrefi gofal.


Rydym yn ariannu dau brosiect a fydd yn cefnogi gofalwyr pobl sy'n byw gyda dementia mewn cartrefi gofal.


Arweinir y prosiect Cysylltiadau Dementia ac Integreiddio gan Platfform ac mae'n darparu sesiynau un i un a sesiynau grŵp i wella bywydau pobl sy'n byw gyda dementia a'u gofalwyr yn ardaloedd Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Caerdydd a'r Fro a Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Cwm Taf Morgannwg. Mae Age Cymru yn arwain prosiect sy'n ceisio gwella mynediad at wybodaeth, cyngor a chymorth i ofalwyr hŷn a chreu cyfleoedd i ofalwyr lywio a dylanwadu ar wasanaethau. Bydd hefyd yn gweithio gyda gofalwyr pobl sy'n byw mewn cartrefi gofal.


Mae’r cyfnod hwn hefyd wedi bod yn un heriol i staff cartrefi gofal. Mae Gwella Cymru, gyda chymorth Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru, wedi sefydlu rhwydwaith cymorth digidol ar gyfer cartrefi gofal ledled Cymru i ymateb i hyn. Mae Prosiect Cwtch wedi cynnig llwyfan i gartrefi gofal rannu arferion gorau a hunanreoli rhai o'r heriau o ddarparu gofal ar hyn o bryd, yn ogystal â chynnig cymorth gan gymheiriaid.


Mae’r gwasanaeth “Gofynnwch i ni am Ddementia”, yn rhoi mynediad prydlon at gyngor a chyfeirio at ofal dementia gan ddefnyddio teleiechyd. Y mae’n bartneriaeth rhwng Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru a gweithwyr iechyd proffesiynol, gan gynnwys ymgynghorydd proffesiynol perthynol i iechyd, y datblygwyd ei rôl drwy'r Cynllun Gweithredu ar gyfer Dementia ac sydd wedi rhoi cyngor ac arweiniad ar bolisi dementia drwy'r pandemig.


Gall gofalwyr drefnu apwyntiad rhithwir gydag ymarferwyr dementia profiadol sy'n darparu ystod o wybodaeth a sgiliau; mae’r prosiect yn cynnwys ffisiotherapi, therapi lleferydd ac iaith, therapi galwedigaethol, nyrsio, dieteteg, fferylliaeth, a hyfforddiant dementia. Mae'r cynllun peilot wedi'i gyd\-gynhyrchu gyda mewnbwn gan bobl sy'n byw gyda dementia, darparwyr gofal, sefydliadau'r trydydd sector a chyrff statudol. Mae'r gwasanaeth yn cael ei gynnig ar hyn o bryd fel cynllun peilot lleol, a chaiff ei ddefnyddio i brofi prosesau a chanlyniadau i lywio prosiect cenedlaethol hirdymor.  


Mae grŵp gorchwyl a gorffen adsefydlu Llywodraeth Cymru hefyd wedi sicrhau bod anghenion pobl sy'n byw gyda dementia a'u teuluoedd yn cael eu cynnwys wrth ystyried yr angen cynyddol am wasanaethau adsefydlu, ailalluogi ac adfer.


Rydym eisiau sicrhau ein bod yn cefnogi pobl i wella a byw mor annibynnol â phosibl am gyhyd â phosibl.


Mae'n amlwg y byddwn yn byw ochr yn ochr â coronafeirws am beth amser eto. Rwy’n hynod ddiolchgar am ymdrechion y sectorau iechyd, gofal cymdeithasol a'r trydydd sector wrth iddynt gefnogi pobl sy'n byw gyda dementia, eu gofalwyr a'u teuluoedd.