Boulter Lock care home in Maidenhead achieves Veteran Friendly Framework status

We are proud to announce that our Boulters Lock care home in Maidenhead has achieved the prestigious Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF) status and is now officially listed as a Veteran Friendly Care Home.

To achieve Veteran Friendly status, Boulters Lock 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.

Feedback received on the application submitted by Boulters Lock said it was of an exceptionally high standard and a testament to the dedication, passion, and commitment it has for providing high-quality person-centred care for its residents, and colleagues alike, along with forging meaningful connections to the Armed Forces Community and NHS services.

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.

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 responsible for supporting and assessing care homes going through the scheme. She said:

“We’re delighted that Boulters Lock has achieved VFF status. This is a great commitment to their continuous improvement in the delivery of person-centred care for veteran residents and their partners. This programme will benefit both current and future residents, along with current and future staff at Boulters Lock, who are able to access enhanced training and guidance to better engage with the unique military experiences that their residents and partners have lived through. Being a VFF care home means that there is an increased understanding and recognition for the veteran community at Boulters Lock.”

Ashleigh Newman, Home Manager at Boulters Lock, says:

“We are thrilled to be recognised as a Veteran Friendly Care Home. Former members of the Armed Forces are benefitting from initiatives we’ve put in place including a new collaborative approach between GPs and hospitals, whereby residents are now coded as veterans, meaning they will be provided with support in the wider community with a veteran friendly approach.
“Our residents are also forming new relationships with the wider veteran community by attending local veteran community breakfasts and one resident has taken up the role of Veteran Champion, supporting new residents who have veteran backgrounds to settle in the home. This recognition is further testament to our dedicated team who ensure all our residents live their lives to the fullest, with compassion and support throughout their time with us.”

Set in an impressive late Victorian building, Boulters Lock retains many of its original features and offers dementia care, residential care, respite breaks, day care and end of life care across its 32 en suite bedrooms.

Hartford Care recently invested £100,000 in a new extension which connects the existing lounge and dining room to create a light and airy open plan space, with direct access to the newly renovated garden area. In addition, there’s a new servery in the dining room, a hair salon and a new communal shower room. All the fully furnished en suite bedrooms are spacious and ready for residents to personalise as they wish. Some of the ground floor bedrooms benefit from private balconies overlooking the secluded garden.