FORMER members of the Armed Forces in Gillingham will benefit from enhanced person-centred care and support after the care home they live in, Grace Manor Care Centre, achieved the standards required for the Veteran Friendly Framework.
They are the first care home in Kent to have achieved the accolade so far.
To achieve their Veteran Friendly status, Grace Manor, part of the Forest Healthcare family of homes, was required to meet eight standards. These included: noting Armed Forces status within care plans; addressing social isolation; and signposting to support services, such as their local Royal British Legion branch, and other charities that provide support for veterans or partners of veterans.
While Grace Manor is the first to have achieved VFF status, all 12 sister Forest Healthcare homes have signed up to the programme with a full commitment to becoming veteran friendly.
“I am very proud and excited to be a part of this life-changing initiative, especially as I have such a personal appreciation of what life is like in the Armed Forces,” said manager Gabriele Jerome.
“I was an army wife for 10 years, and we also have Ex Armed Forces personnel and dependents working for us, who immediately saw the benefits of getting involved.”
The VFF is a collaboration between Armed Forces charities Royal Star & Garter and Royal British Legion, and NHS Veterans’ Covenant Healthcare Alliance, with funding support from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.