A DAYCARE centre in Tenbury is facing an uncertain future as the number of people attending has been steadily dropping.

But Ria Baxter, who runs the Kayrebrook Daycare Centre, says that such facilities could be making a huge contribution to the lack of adult social care.

She says that the problem is that referrals from the NHS have declined, a trend that has been accelerated since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The decline has come at a time when lack of adult social care is regularly linked to problems in the NHS like ambulance delays and bed blocking in hospitals.

On the flip side, day care centres for the elderly are facing an all-time low attendance, with many having to lay off staff, diversify or, worst case scenario, close their doors altogether.

Ms Baxter says that a decade ago day care centres like Kyrebook were thriving.

Day care managers were involved in discussions with hospital social workers, county council social workers and NHS support staff, and day care often formed part of the care package, particularly for those living with dementia, frailty or social isolation, and those being released from hospital.

She says they offer value for money providing mental stimulation and enabling people who might otherwise have go into care to be able to stay in their homes for much longer.

They also provide respite for carers and help physical well being by offering proper nutrition and hydration.

So why has there been such a drop in numbers?

In a nutshell, lack of referrals from the NHS and Adult Social now once local services have now become centralised, but the rot was setting in long before Covid, says Ms Baxter.

“It makes no sense whatsoever that a service with such a positive effect on the health and wellbeing of vulnerable older people is not being valued, particularly when domiciliary agencies are having such severe staffing problems and, in some cases, are handing back care packages to county councils or refusing to take new clients onboard,” she said.

“Community hospitals are full of elderly patients bed blocking because they cannot secure a care package at home. It makes sense to at least try to empty those wards during the day, to day care, so patients are more mobile, mentally stimulated, and more confident to face the outside world.”