The Living Well Centre gives people with life-limiting conditions, and their carers, the opportunity to spend an enjoyable, activity based or relaxing day at the Hospice. Laughter and chatter can often be heard from our guests who attend the Living Well Centre.
We work with each guest to assess their individual needs and develop a personalised programme of support. This is usually for an initial 12 week period and is based on your own aims and goals. Guests are discharged from The Living Well Centre when their needs have been met or their continuing needs can be met in the community by clinical and social care teams.
When at The Living Well Centre guests can access therapeutic care, such as physiotherapy and complementary therapies, such as reiki or aromatherapy. Those attending can take part in a range of activities that help to manage symptoms, improve mobility and independence and help them to feel supported. Some of our sessions are one-to-one where others are delivered as part of a group. We pride ourselves on being a happy, vibrant place to spend time and our aim is to make every day count and help to improve quality of life.
Gallery
The Sycamore Room is a large bright airy space with wooden floors, soft furnishings and lots of windows. We use this space for dancing, yoga, creative writing groups, sporting memories sessions and much more. The Hawthorn Room is suited to sound therapy sessions, art classes and advice sessions. The Hub is a great space for a good chat. The room has lots of modern sofas, cosy chairs and plenty of side tables to rest a cuppa and biscuit on. We have a dedicated gym space for gentle exercise groups. Three relaxing therapy rooms are available and many of our guests describe them as just like being at a spa.
I was extremely apprehensive coming to the Hospice. I had no idea what this place would be like. I thought it would be all doom and gloom but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The staff and volunteers are incredible and everyone is so positive. The place is full of laughter. Come along and try it, I think you’ll be as surprised as I was.
All therapies are given alongside conventional medical treatment. They can help you to feel more relaxed or sleep better, and can even help relieve pain and improve energy levels. The benefits of attending The Living Well Centre may include improved symptom management, greater independence and the confidence to plan for the future.
Therapy groups currently on offer:
- Therapeutic Craft Group – a 12 week programme using craft to improve wellbeing.
- Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) – CST is a type of treatment for people with mild to moderate dementia. This 10 week program supports people with a dementia diagnosis to take a trip down memory lane and to participate in activities that encourage thought processes and social interaction.
- Fatigue and Sleep Management – a six week course led by our Occupational Therapist, encouraging people to make positive changes to cope with tiredness and promote better quality sleep.
- Creative Writing – a group to explore memories and feelings in a light hearted way, or to simply get creative and write a work of fiction. The group often begins with a word game or task to get the imagination going. This could be something as simple as picking words out from a hat as a starting point. There is opportunity to share your stories with the group which can often spark common memories and discussion between group members.
- Strength and Balance – the exercises covered during this six week program are particularly important for those who have had a period in hospital, a recent fall or feel they are losing strength and mobility.
- Sporting Memories Group – a wellbeing group, for people with an interest in sports, a group of people with mixed abilities and it is Dementia friendly.
- Complementary Therapies – a maximum of six sessions of therapies including reiki, foot massage and acupuncture are delivered by our qualified therapists. These sessions can help to relieve physical and psychological symptoms and aid in the management of pain, mobility, depression, anxiety and stress.
Find out more
We've included a few of our leaflets which give you more information on some of the sessions we have on offer in the Living Well Centre. Click the links to download them below.
We welcome guests to attend at all stages of their illness; when newly diagnosed, in treatment, living with symptoms of their illness and when requiring specialist care and advice. Referrals to The Living Well Centre can be made by any healthcare professional. There is no charge for our care thanks to donations, legacies, events and other gifts. Our generous community of supporters cover over 60% of our running costs, meaning St Cuthbert’s Hospice care is free to all who need it.
Our coronavirus precautions
We ask visitors not to attend the Hospice if they are displaying symptoms of Covid 19. Any attendances would be rescheduled. For more information, please speak to Living Well Centre staff 0191 3861170 option 3.
Contact us
If you would like more information about attending or would like to arrange to have a look around, please contact 0191 386 1170 option 3.
