VETERANS living at a care home near Lymm know staff will recognise and honour the service they did for their country.  

Bucklow Manor Care Home has just achieved Veteran-Friendly Framework Accreditation (VFF), awarded jointly by armed forces charities, Royal Star and Garter and Royal British Legion (RBL), and NHS Veterans’ Covenant Healthcare Alliance. 

Around 25,000 veterans now live in residential care in England, with about half of all care homes housing at least one former serviceman or servicewoman.

The aim of the VFF is to provide better practical, emotional, and social support for member of the armed forces community living in residential care.

This is achieved through providing training and resources for staff to improve care by tackling loneliness and improving health and well-being outcomes.

For VFF status, eight standards must be met including noting armed forces status within care plans, addressing social isolation, and signposting to support services, such as a local RBL branch.

Bucklow Manor has also established a remembrance garden at the front of our building, including a RBL ‘Tommy’ figure, where its four current veteran residents have scattered poppy and forget-me-not seeds.

Home manager, Donna Booth, said: “We’re delighted to have achieved veteran-friendly status. It’s a wonderful thing.

“We have a great team here, all with different skills and qualities, which made it that bit easier. Our head housekeeper, Lindsay Gibson, and Karen O'Toole, our administrator, have been instrumental. 

“Veterans aren’t really spoken about a lot in our experience, and when people come into a care home, it’s not often something which gets raised. 

“It’s not a regular question, which I think could be seen as a bit of a failure.

“During the admission process, we learn about each resident's military service, focusing on what it meant to them and any specific needs they may have.

“If we know, it means we can help them connect with services and community groups which they might benefit from.

“As we get to know them and their family, we update this to make sure their care is personalised and meaningful. 

"We also have a symbol to put on the resident's room door to identify them as a veteran. They choose which symbol they think reflects their military career best.

“For instance, if the resident served in the Navy as a helicopter pilot, they may prefer a helicopter rather than a ship, or maybe both.

“It’s got a lot of staff and visitors talking, which has done wonders for raising awareness.

"We’ve got a lot of overseas staff, and to begin with, they didn’t understand what it was all about. But now it’s getting talked about, they're starting to realise the importance."

To mark this year’s Remembrance Day, Bucklow Manor is holding its own remembrance service for residents on Friday, November 8.

It's also holding a 1940s themed afternoon with an entertainer and music from the era on Monday, November 11. 

Donna added: “We also have plans to start our own veterans community group in the home soon.”