Palmersdene care home celebrates achieving VFF status, enhancing care for veterans

Palmersdene care home in Jarrow hosted a celebration to mark its achievement of gaining Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) status. This milestone recognises the home’s ongoing commitment to providing exceptional care to the Armed Forces community. 

To commemorate the occasion, Palmersdene opened its doors to members of the local community, welcoming residents’ families and friends to join in the celebrations. Among those in attendance were members of Veterans for Veterans in Care, who presented Palmersdene resident Tommy, 98, with his own veteran badge. Tommy served within the Royal Artillery as a gunner during his time in the Armed Forces.

To achieve their Veteran Friendly status, Palmersdene care home was required to meet eight standards. These include acknowledging Armed Forces status within care plans; addressing social isolation; and signposting to support services.

The aim of achieving VFF status 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 offered, it will help address some of the issues faced by veterans and has the scope to deliver improved health and wellbeing outcomes for the estimated 25,000 veterans living in care homes in England.  

Megan Graves, Home Manager at Palmersdene, said:

We’re incredibly proud that we have been awarded Veteran Friendly status. This meaningful recognition reflects the continued commitment and hard work of our team in providing dedicated support to our veteran residents. It was a joy to celebrate today alongside everyone who has been involved!

The VFF is a collaboration between Armed Forces charities Royal Star & Garter and the 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 responsible for supporting and assessing care homes going through the scheme. 

Kathryn said:

We’re delighted that Palmersdene care home has achieved VFF status. This is a great testament to their continuous improvement in the delivery of person-centred care for veteran residents and their partners.

The application that Palmersdene care home submitted was of an exceptionally high standard and wholly recognised the dedication, passion, and commitment the team has for providing high-quality person-centred care for residents and colleagues alike, along with forging some really meaningful connections to the armed forces community and NHS services.

Click here for more information about Palmersdene care home.