Supporting veterans – Sutton Coldfield care home secures prestigious accreditation

Care UK’s Mercia Grange, on Lichfield Road, has officially received ‘Veteran Friendly’ status.

The Veteran Friendly Framework (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.

To achieve their Veteran Friendly status, Mercia Grange 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.

Mercia Grange supports veterans through a range of activities, including intergenerational history groups. The team also learn about any resident’s armed forces background within a week of the resident moving into the home.

Michael McNelis, Home Manager at Mercia Grange, said: “We’re so proud to have become a VFF-approved care home.

“We pride ourselves on being warm and inclusive to all, and with so many veterans in our home, it was important for us to ensure we can provide the right environment for them to lead fulfilling lives. We’ve learnt so much in the process and have already started implementing activities such as intergenerational history groups.

“The entire team has been working tirelessly to achieve the accreditation, and I’d like to say a big thank you to all of them. We’re looking forward to welcoming more veterans from the community into our home!”

Mercia Grange is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, nursing, dementia, and short-term respite care. The three-storey care home, which features 67 en-suite bedrooms, has been designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence. The care home incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies, and includes its own cinema, hair and beauty salon and café.

To find out more about Mercia Grange, please call Customer Relations Manager Rachel Mackay on 0121 314 7849 or email [email protected]

For more general information, please visit careuk.com/mercia-grange