More than a quarter of a billion pounds of Welsh Government investment has helped older people be cared for in their own homes and avoided thousands of unnecessary hospital stays.

Three key funding programmes have boosted care in the community across Wales and prevented ambulance callouts and hospital admissions.

£146.2 million has been invested through the Regional Integration Fund (RIF) to help Regional Partnership Boards provide early intervention and community services - supporting 600,000 people in the last year.

Alongside this, £70 million has been invested into developing community hubs across Wales, and a further £60.5 million has also been provided to support people who need care, support and rehabilitation to live independently at home.

Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden, said: "We want people to live their best, healthy and independent lives as well as possible and for as long as possible, in their own homes and communities.

"Community care is widely acknowledged to drastically improve outcomes for older people and those with complex needs, and research tells us that people recover better in the comfort of their own homes rather than a hospital.

"Our significant investment into community-based services focuses on tackling challenges in the early stages to keep people healthier in the long term, helping to prevent avoidable hospital admissions."

Services like Care and Repair have helped prevent over 3000 hospital admissions last year across Wales through home adaptations and repairs.

Focused on enhancing the safety of older adults, the team makes fast-track home improvements tailored to an individual’s needs, by spotting potential risks and preventing injuries that could lead to hospitalisation.

Their Hospital to a Healthier Home service has helped save the Welsh NHS around £10 million last year by saving 31,000 bed days in Wales through tackling delayed discharges.