Army veteran, 75, turned away from care home

An army veteran was turned away from a care home despite it having assessed his needs and agreeing to take him, his family has said.

Philip Jones, 75, has advanced vascular dementia and his family said they believed a place had been secured for him at Whitstable House in Kent, but when he was taken there by ambulance from a local mental health hospital, he was refused entry.

His daughter, Katrina Brown, said she was heartbroken, adding: "This care home said they could meet his needs."

Whitstable House said it was confident that the decision taken was "in the best interests of everyone concerned".

Brown said procuring a place at Whitstable House had been a long journey and that she had many weeks of conversations with the home, social services and the local mental health trust that included details of her father's challenging behaviour.

"Dads got DOLS in place, which is a deprivation of liberty order, and at times, he does need four people to give personal care," she said.

"One of the managers from Dad's place now gave a report to the staff just to be sure that they were very clear and that Dad wasn't going to be failed."

She said that the staff saw her father was "agitated" and immediately refused to take him.

"It's heart wrenching and now I'm at rock bottom. I just don't know where to go now as a family," she added.

Whitstable House, run by Whitstable House Limited, was placed in special measures in April 2025 after an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) raised concerns regarding its quality of care.

The home provides care to older people, including people with dementia and physical disabilities.

It has since been taken out of special measures and is rated as 'Good' by the CQC.

A spokesperson said: "At Whitstable House, it is our standard practice to continually assess every individual who is referred to us, right through the point of admission, to ensure that we have the appropriate capacity, staffing and environment to meet their needs safely and effectively.

"In this particular case, that ongoing assessment process was followed carefully and thoroughly.

"We are confident that the policy was applied appropriately and that the decision taken was in the best interests of everyone concerned — both the individual involved and the wider resident community."

The spokesperson added: "We remain committed to making careful, responsible decisions that prioritise safe, high-quality care at all times."

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.