A veterans’ care home in High Wycombe has been recognised for the excellent end-of-life care it provides.

Royal Star & Garter was awarded a national Gold Standards Framework (GSF) Platinum Quality Hallmark Award at a ceremony on Friday 27 September.

Royal Star & Garter provides loving, compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia, and also has Homes in Solihull and Surbiton. The charity has also launched new services reaching out into the community.

GSF provides end-of-life care training and accreditation for frontline staff in health and social care.

The High Wycombe Home has previously been awarded the GSF Quality Hallmark Award and, having now successfully gone through re-accreditation, received the GSF Platinum Award, demonstrating sustainability.

Jean Fanning is Lead Nurse at Royal Star & Garter in High Wycombe, and Iuliana Hodson is Dementia Care Manager. Both are End-of-life Champions at the Home, while Iuliana is also GSF Lead. They picked up the award at the GSF annual conference and awards ceremony at BMA House, London, which celebrated the UK’s exceptional health and social care providers for care in the final year of life.

‘Dedication and love’

Reggie Ballos, Home Manager at Royal Star & Garter in High Wycombe, later said: “It’s really important to get end-of-life care right, because for each resident and their family, we only get the chance once. I’m so pleased that the dedication and love we put into our end-of-life care have been recognised with the GSF award.“

Julie Armstrong-Wilson, Chief Operating Officer for GSF praised the High Wycombe Home: “The standard of care and compassionate cultures that have been observed is truly inspiring, showing a commitment to ensuring people receive the right care at the right time, which has a positive impact on the people cared for and their families. Listening to what matters most to each and every individual and providing care in accordance with their goals, wishes and preferences is the Gold Standard, and Royal Star & Garter is delivering it.”

Royal Star & Garter in High Wycombe is welcoming new residents. For more information on this, the new services it provides, or to work at the Home, go to www.starandgarter.org/hw

To find out more about the Gold Standards Framework, visit www.goldstandardsframework.org.uk