Pubs cited as solution to adult social care 'crisis'

Helen Coombes backed the idea made at a Pub is The Hub event to launch its Local Community Services Champions initiative in Herefordshire last week.

She said pubs were ideal places to provide some social care for elderly and vulnerable adults in the community and said: “If pubs aren’t the answer, then I don’t know what is.”

She added: “Pub licensees are the heart of their communities and play an important part in natural safeguarding for elderly and vulnerable adults - they are likely to be the first people to notice if a regular customer has been absent from the pub and to check up on them.”

Day care lunches​

Also at the event were Phil Pugh and Teresa Brandeberry from The Yew Tree Inn in Preston-on-Wye who run a Diamond Diners lunch group.

Their freehouse pub is in a small village community of 250 people and when an elderly customer mentioned that his regular day care lunches had been closed down, Phil and Teresa decided to step in and provide them instead.

Working with Age UK, they were approved for suitability and accessibility they now provide a weekly two-course lunch every Wednesday for local elderly residents and their carers.