Crowborough care home achieves prestigious veteran-friendly status

A care home in Crowborough has been recognised for its standards of person-centred care for veterans.

Care UK’s Heather View, on Beacon Road, has officially received ‘Veteran Friendly’ status through the Veteran Friendly Framework (VFF), 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.

The VFF initiative was launched in 2023 to address loneliness and isolation and deliver improved health and wellbeing outcomes for over 25,000 veterans residing in care homes across England. 

To achieve its accreditation, Heather View was required to meet eight standards, including noting the armed forces status within care plans and addressing social isolation by signposting to support services, such as their local Royal British Legion branch and other charities that provide support for veterans or their partners. 

The care home has also introduced a range of activities to support veterans, including recently celebrating the 80^th anniversary of VE Day with the local community.

Sadie Hudson, Home Manager at Heather View, said: “We’re so proud to have become a VFF-approved care home. 

“We pride ourselves on being warm and inclusive to all, so we need to provide the right environment for veterans to thrive here. We’ve learned a great deal in the process and have already begun implementing activities to promote wellbeing among our veteran residents.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to the team, who worked hard to help us achieve this accreditation. We’re looking forward to welcoming more veterans from the community into Heather View.”

Heather View has been designed to deliver the highest standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilling lives. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care, and has plenty of space for activities and facilities including a pub, music room, hair and beauty salon and café.