Latest news with #ForestHealthcare
Associated Press
14-05-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Forest Healthcare Centre, Grace Manor, Latest in the Network to Achieve Veteran Friendly Framework Member Status
05/14/2025, Borehamwood WD6 1EP // PRODIGY: Feature Story // Grace Manor Care Centre, a private 24-hour nursing home in Gillingham that is part of the respected Forest Healthcare network, has confirmed that it has successfully achieved accreditation through the Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF). The centre is now able to claim the title of a Veteran Friendly Care Home—the most recent centre in the group to complete the process. The VFF is a collaboration between the Royal British Legion (RBL), the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance, and Royal Star & Garter. Its goal is to encourage care centres to improve health and well-being outcomes for the approximate 25,000 veterans currently living in English care facilities. The Importance of Veteran Friendly Framework Accreditation for Grace Manor Care Centre Forest Healthcare has already committed to becoming VFF accredited across several other of its high-quality care centres. Grace Manor is the latest to concentrate on developing support systems and training resources for carers to ensure the needs, well-being, and happiness of veterans are a focal aspect of personalised care planning. Research conducted by the RBL found that around 8% of all care home residents in England and Wales, excluding partners and spouses, have served and that concerted efforts are needed to ensure they receive acknowledgement and additional support. The charitable organisation has identified challenges associated with varied emotional and physical needs, the impacts of military duties on the lives of older adults, and the key importance of recognising and understanding how best to ensure Armed Forces community members receive acknowledgement, access to community groups, and connection with other veterans. To apply for VFF accreditation, care centres must submit an application demonstrating their adherence with eight standards. They must, for example, provide evidence of provisions that will ensure care home residents with Armed Forces status are recognised and their needs incorporated into care plans, sign up to the Armed Forces Covenant, and ensure there are signposting policies in place to connect residents with charitable and statutory support services. Grace Manor Care Centre's Pathway to Achieving VFF Membership While many private care centres may have a proportion of veteran residents, VFF membership was particularly important for Grace Manor Care Centre. The care home is close to several military bases and barracks, past and present, including closed bases such as HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Barracks, which opened in 1902 and is now part of the Universities of Medway, and the Royal Marine Barracks based at Gun Wharf Chatham, which closed in 1950. Several other meaningful bases or military installations remain near Grace Manor, including the Royal Engineers Museum located within Kent town and the Royal School of Military Engineering, which has a campus in Brompton built along the remains of the Chatham Dockyard Great Lines and remains active today. Although the veteran proportion of the population in Kent is around the average for England and Wales, there is a high likelihood of dedicated nursing centres in and around these specific areas to welcome residents with an Armed Forces background. Commenting on the application from Grace Manor Care Centre, the VFF mentioned that it was of an 'exceptionally high standard' and represented a commitment to 'forging some meaningful connections' with the local Armed Forces community and healthcare services. Celebrating Veteran Friendly Framework Accreditation at Grace Manor Gabriele Jerome, Manager of Grace Manor said, ' It was wonderful to receive confirmation of our accreditation and our Veteran Friendly Framework Certificate, which is now proudly displayed in the centre. Enormous thanks go to our talented, dedicated, and compassionate care teams, who embraced the opportunity to reinforce and enhance their learning about how best to support our veteran residents and embarked on this project with such enthusiasm. The accreditation process gave us a fantastic chance to access new educational resources, identify local services and communities that can enhance the quality of life for veterans, and look at new ways to ensure Armed Forces status residents are recognised and supported and that their military history is recorded as an integral part of care planning.' Grace Manor Care Centre is one of six Forest Healthcare centres now officially recognised as VFF Friendly. Belmont Lodge in Chigwell, Essex, Ash Court in Camden, London, Bridgeside Lodge in Islington, London, The Poplars in Maidstone, and Pinehurst in Crowthorne, Berkshire, are also featured on the VFF Status Care Home Map published online through the Veteran Friendly Framework. Read more about Forest Healthcare - Forest Healthcare Network's The Grange Care Centre Scoops Prestigious Accolade in Awards About Forest Healthcare Forest Healthcare is an established care provider dedicated to consistently delivering an outstanding quality of life to the residents they serve. With a network of care centres across South-East England, Forest Healthcare specialises in catering to a wide range of care requirements, including; residential, nursing, dementia and specialist care. The organisation's mission is to provide a family feel to the exceptional care they deliver by valuing, respecting and caring for each and every person who lives and works at Forest Healthcare. Media Contact: Chris Salter (020) 7250 0156
Associated Press
26-03-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Forest Healthcare's St Anne's Care Centre Opens New Garden With Support From London Clean Air Initiative
03/26/2025, Borehamwood WD6 1EP // PRODIGY: Feature Story // As part of community-wide efforts to improve air quality in London, St Anne's Care Centre, part of the Forest Healthcare group, has celebrated the opening of its new garden space, marking the event with residents, friends, family, care teams and community leaders. The private, high-quality nursing centre, based in Islington, renovated its garden and patio spaces and added raised beds, green lawns, shaded spaces, and shrubbery. It successfully secured funding through Islington Council to improve the sensory and relaxation experience for residents and combat pollution levels in the city. Evidence Highlighting the Benefits of Gardens in Residential Care Spaces Nature, gardens, flowers, and wildlife are well-known to be valuable tools in the residential care sector, whether as a pathway to better health owing to fresh air and sunlight or as a space to relax—with the benefits of vitamin D, which is vital to supporting healthy teeth, bones, and muscles. There are ample case studies that also show the importance of friendly, bright, welcoming and comfortable gardens within the routines of a care setting, where friends and family can visit and enjoy afternoon tea on the patio, garden parties and barbecues are hosted in the summer, and there is no sense of confinement for those who may need support with mobility. Care homes often prioritise communal gardens, where residents who are mobile and enjoy gardening can do as much or as little as they would like. Pruning, tending to kitchen gardens, filling bird feeders, and picking planting schemes have been recognised as significantly beneficial therapies following studies by the University of Exeter Medical School. This found that using gardens as a sensory space could encourage physical activity, promote relaxation, reduce stress and agitation, and even stimulate memories and cognition in dementia sufferers, given the link between sensory environments and memory. St Anne's, a private nursing centre that offers 24/7 medical cover and nursing care, and commonly operates a waiting list due to demand, took the opportunity to inject fresh energy, colour and beauty into its garden for the benefit of all residents and visitors, while simultaneously contributing to the scheme to counter notoriously high pollution levels in central London. The DEFRA-Funded Islington Clear Air Initiative Islington Council worked in partnership with selected organisations and residential facilities in the borough as part of a pioneering scheme that seeks to make a marked impact on the effects of air pollution on public health, particularly for vulnerable older adults and care home residents with varied health and welfare needs. Aiming over the long term to meet more ambitious air pollution targets published by the World Health Organisation in 2021, the council introduced an audit system and tailored guidance to help care homes transform their outdoor spaces, maximising the use of their grounds. St Anne's, based on the tree-lined Durham Road, already offered several patio spaces and gardens but jumped at the opportunity, with funding assistance from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to revitalise urban care home gardens. They introduced new planting and greenery to reduce exposure to air pollution and optimise cleaner air, alongside integrating added-value community services such as AirText alerts that notify the centre when air pollution is high, and windows should remain closed. Celebrating the Newly Transformed Gardens at St Anne's Care Centre Amanda Scott, Chief Executive Officer of Forest Healthcare said, ' It was fantastic to welcome everybody to spend time in our revamped grounds and patios, and to listen to feedback from residents and families, alongside our dedicated care and nursing teams who were delighted with the colour schemes, textured sensory planting, and diverse spaces created for relaxation. We purpose-designed the space to mimic the needs, requests, and wishes of our wonderful residents. It has shady reading spaces to keep cool in the summer and level lawns for accessibility, something we'll be very grateful to take advantage of during the warmer weather. The space also brings the centre community together for shared celebrations, occasions, and events. As care professionals, we recognise the huge significance of air quality on the health of everyone, but especially children and older adults, and are proud to have played a small part in delivering a cleaner Islington for all as we work toward a more environmentally friendly future.' St Anne's Care Centre is a private nursing residential care space based in Islington and focuses on delivering outstanding care and enhancing the quality of life of all residents. It is part of the Forest Healthcare group, which manages 13 specialist centres across London, Essex, Kent, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Forest Healthcare is an established care provider dedicated to consistently delivering an outstanding quality of life to the residents they serve. With a network of care centres across South-East England, Forest Healthcare specialises in catering to a wide range of care requirements, including; residential, nursing, dementia and specialist care. The organisation's mission is to provide a family feel to the exceptional care they deliver by valuing, respecting and caring for each and every person who lives and works at Forest Healthcare. Media Contact:
