Responding to the Covid-19 pandemic in Wales
The Covid-19 pandemic affected us all in many ways, creating new issues and challenges in our day-to-day lives and, sadly, leading to the loss of a significant number of lives, which has caused sadness and grief throughout many families.
Older people found themselves disproportionately affected by the pandemic and its impact and throughout this period the Commissioner frequently called for the diversity of older people’s experiences to be reflected in the response to, and recovery from, Covid-19.
When the pandemic began, the Commissioner’s work changed significantly, with an even greater emphasis on engaging and listening to older people, alongside providing information, advice and assistance; ensuring older people’s rights were upheld across a range of settings; scrutinising decisions and holding public bodies to account for their actions; calling for action and proposing solutions, including promoting good practice.
This report provides a summary of the action taken in the two years from March 2020 to March 2022. It aims to provide an insight into the breadth of older people’s experiences during the pandemic and the significant challenges people faced, as well as highlighting the action and change the Commissioner called for on behalf of older people.
Through this report the Commissioner wants to ensure that the extent of these issues and, more importantly, the lessons we can learn to protect and support older people more effectively in the future, are not lost as we deal with further emerging challenges.
This will be crucial to help ensure Wales is a place where older people are valued, rights are upheld and no-one is left behind.
Read the Commissioner's report