Former members of the Armed Forces at Hargrave House care home in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, will benefit from enhanced person-centred care and support now that the care home has achieved the standards required for the Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF).
Hargrave House, which is part of the AgeCare Care Homes portfolio, has recently undergone the accreditation process for the Veteran Friendly Framework and passed with flying colours.
The aim of the VFF is to better support the practical, emotional and social needs of the Armed Forces community in residential care homes across England by providing training and resources to assess and improve the care they offer. It will help tackle loneliness and has the scope to deliver improved health and wellbeing outcomes for the 25,000 veterans living in care homes in England.
To achieve its Veteran Friendly status, Hargrave House 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 their partners. All nine AgeCare Care Homes properties have now achieved VFF accreditation.
Shelley Sidhu, Care Home Manager at Hargrave House, said: “The accreditation journey has been wonderful for both our residents and staff – we discovered so much about ourselves and each other during the process.
“One of the highlights was a visit from a volunteer who showed residents some original artefacts from the Second World War, including ration books and medals. This brought back a lot of memories for some, and everyone really enjoyed the talk.
“We now have guest speakers from the Royal British Legion visiting us once a month, when we host a veterans’ breakfast club and serve bacon rolls and hot drinks.
“We’ve made sure our veterans have plenty of opportunities to meet and speak to other veterans in the wider community as well as those within the home, so they have a friendly ear to listen to their stories and the chance to talk to others who have similar experiences.
“I’m so proud of my team for their enthusiastic commitment to our VFF accreditation process – the whole experience has been hugely positive for everyone at Hargrave House.”
The VFF is a collaboration between Armed Forces charities Royal Star & Garter and Royal British Legion, and NHS Veterans’ Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), with funding support from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.
Kathryn Glass is the VFF Project Lead at Royal Star & Garter and is responsible for supporting and assessing care homes going through the scheme. She said: “The application submitted by Hargrave House was of an exceptionally high standard. It’s a real testament to the dedication, passion and commitment that AgeCare Care Homes have for providing high-quality person-centred care for their residents, along with forging some really meaningful connections to the AF Community and NHS services.
“My personal thanks for all your hard work and commitment to undertaking this framework, and for being so welcoming with the VFF Team. I am so proud of you all.”
