Ada Williams, who came up with the name Cwm Aur, accepts her £50 prize from Mary Williams, head of older persons services at Gwalia.
A 98-year-old Llanybydder resident has been congratulated for choosing the winning name of a new Extra Care Scheme for older people in her village.
Ada Williams was presented with a £50 prize for coming up with the name for the new scheme, which will be called Cwm Aur (Golden Valley).
Mrs Williams hopes to celebrate her 100th birthday during one of her respite care visits to Cwm Aur, the second scheme Carmarthenshire County Council has developed in partnership with Grŵp Gwalia.
Over 100 names were put forward for the scheme, which is being built to replace the former Annedd residential home.
Due for completion this autumn, Cwm Aur will offer people aged 60 and over the opportunity to experience a real alternative to traditional sheltered housing or residential care.
It will contain 40 self-contained one and two bedroom flats, with nine respite and care rooms. It will also have a restaurant, a multi-purpose function and hobby room, library, hairdresser and treatment room, along with landscaped gardens and an electric buggy store.
Cwm Aur will also offer accommodation for people suffering with dementia, they will be cared for by staff trained to provide the highest standard of dementia-specific care. The site will be staffed 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and personal care can be provided for those who meet social care assessment criteria.
Director of Social Care, Health and Housing, Bruce McLernon, said: “This is yet another exciting development for health, social care and wellbeing in Carmarthenshire.
“Cwm Aur will be a state-of-the-art facility and will provide older people with an alternative to residential care settings or traditional sheltered accommodation.
“There are many people who prefer the privacy of their own homes, but also want reassurance that there is 24-hour support on hand should they need it.
“Another great advantage to these schemes is that couples can stay together, or they can have friends to family stay with them on occasions – it’s just like being at home, but with support on tap.”
He added: “This is our second Extra Care Scheme – the first of which, Plas Y Mor, in Burry Port, opened in 2004. This scheme has proved hugely successful, with residents comparing it to living at a five star hotel, so we are very much looking forward to the completion of Cwm Aur, and to see its first residents moving in.”
Michael Williams, Chief Executive of Grŵp Gwalia said: “Cwm Aur offers excellence in innovative care, where the latest assistive technology supports a more independent lifestyle, delivered in a healthy environment, where people can enjoy space and light, enhancing and empowering the lives of both the cared for and the carer.”
The innovative design of Cwm Aur has already won its first major award.
The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) praised its environmental design and use of new technology by naming it as the Sustainable Project of the Year 2009. The scheme includes a green roof, biomass boilers, solar panels and photovoltaic cells, all energy-saving features which mean residents will benefit from low-cost bills.
For further information about eligibility, and applying for residency at Cwm Aur, call Carmarthenshire County Council on 01267 234567 or Grŵp Gwalia on 01792 488288 / 01269 597762.
