The number of people in care homes in Ceredigion has dropped over the last four years, but there has been an increase in people placed in homes outside of the county, county council figures show.

The figures have prompted former Ceredigion MP Mark Williams, the chair of the North Ceredigion Forum for Elderly Care, to warn that placing increasing number of people in facilities out of the county will be placing a strain on them, as well as their family and friends.

While there has been a slight increase in the number of people in care facilities overall, there has been a reduction of people in Ceredigion-based homes compared to an increase of people in homes outside the county in the last four years.

The figures, which were obtained by the care forum through a Freedom of Information request, show that in 2018/19, the last full years which figures are available for, there were a total of 705 people in care homes compared to 685 people in 2014/15.

But the number of people in care homes in Ceredigion dropped from 215 in 2014/15 to 170 in 2018/19.

There was an increase of people placed in care facilities outside of the county from 470 in 2014/15 to 535 in 2018/19.

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