Charities help 500 older people continue living independently at home
13 March 2026
East Radnor Home Support and Builth and Llanwrtyd Wells Home Support provided help on more than 14,000 occasions and saved more than £220,000 being spent on more costly health or social care options.
The two charities provide:
- Emergency callouts
- Care alarm fitting
- Welfare calls
- Independent living support
- Healthy lifestyle support
- Advocacy referrals
- General information and advice
Their services are free, non-means tested, and open to anyone aged 50 and over, although the average age of those receiving support was 81.
The emergency callouts, often triggered by a care line alarm, can avoid other services getting involved - such as ambulance, GP or home care - around 50% of the time. And on some occasions have been lifesaving.
Roy, from Norton, has received help from Presteigne-based East Radnor Home Support on many occasions, after falling in his home, including receiving CPR from Senior Support Worker, Sharon Owen, until a First Responder from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service arrived and could provide further medical assistance.
He has also received help to get to many hospital appointments and said: "The community has got together in such a nice way that people like Pam (his wife) and I are well looked after. We've got people at the end of the telephone and don't have a problem, as many, many areas have within the UK.
"Fortunately, people like Sharon (Owen) are prepared to do all this work to make our lives so much easier. And I think we owe you and your colleagues a big thank you. It's very nice. It's heaven."
Pam added: "One time when Roy fell in the bathroom, an ambulance couldn't get here for eight hours, and there was no way he could lie there for eight hours, and they (East Radnor Home Support) got him up. It was very difficult, but they got him up."
Anne, from Builth Wells, who was helped after falling off her scooter into the road, outside the town's Community Support office said: "I can't thank Home Support enough. You have been invaluable throughout my accident, and truly, you have been my guardian angels."
The two charities receive Welsh Government Regional Integration Funding through Powys Regional Partnership Board (RPB).
Co-Vice Chair of the RPB, Councillor Pete Roberts said: "These two charities play a vital role in providing early help, which enables older people like Roy, Pam and Anne to continue living independently at home, and prevents things from escalating to the point where they need more costly support, so quickly.
"It's a model we would like to see replicated in more parts of Powys, as it helps address our rurality, the needs of our ageing population and in some areas, workforce shortages.
"Where home support works well, it improves the wellbeing and resilience of residents and prevents isolation and poor health."
A spokesperson for East Radnorshire Care added: "East Radnor Home Support has been running for the last eight years and has proved the model is a huge success. Offering early intervention and support to over 350 members is very challenging but also very rewarding. No one wants to wait eight hours for an ambulance following a fall, which is very possible in the current climate, and to have staff on call to respond to an emergency is invaluable.
"All this has been possible with RPB funding, and we hope to be able to move forward to mainstream funding to allow other localities to develop Home Support services in all areas of Powys."
For more information on East Radnor Home Support, visit East Radnorshire Care's website: https://eastradnorshirecare.co.uk/east-radnor-home-support or call: 01544 260267
For more information on Builth and Llanwrtyd Wells Home Support, visit Builth Wells Community Support's website: https://www.builthcs.co.uk/home-support call: 01982 553647 or email: homesupport@builthcs.co.uk
Home Support is also provided in the Llandrindod Wells and Rhayader, and Llanidloes areas, where it is funded and operated by Powys County Council. For more information visit the council's website: Early Help and Prevention at Home or call: 01597 810204
PICTURE: Roy and Pam from Norton with Senior Support Worker Sharon Owen of East Radnorshire Care.
