Living Well Services

St Mary’s Hospice Living Well service focuses on ‘what matters most to you’.

We recognise that you may be facing difficult circumstances and symptoms that are hard to control but more than that, our team acknowledges that this can have a significant impact on you living the life that you want to. Our priority is to help you to live your life well, even if your life may be shorter than you had hoped.

Some of the ways are Living Well Service can help are through:

  • Groups Programs such as our Fatigue, Anxiety and Breathless Programme, Mindfulness Program and Chair Based Exercises
  •  Art Groups focusing on wellbeing and also bereavement support
  • Complementary Therapies- We offer a wide range of complementary therapies to help patients, their families and carers, who may be experiencing feelings of stress or anxiety around a diagnosis, the illness itself and those who may be bereaved.

Our complementary therapy team can offer a range of 1:1 and group therapy sessions and complementary therapy are available at any point from diagnosis.

Who can access our service?

Our services are available to a wide range of individuals, ensuring comprehensive support for those in need. We provide assistance to anyone living with a life-limiting condition, offering resources and care to improve quality of life. Additionally, we support those who are caring for or supporting someone with a life-limiting condition, recognizing the unique challenges and stresses they face. Our services also extend to individuals experiencing bereavement, offering compassionate support and guidance during their time of loss. No matter your situation, we are here to help you navigate these difficult times with understanding and care.

What support is available?

Mindfulness

Our mindfulness sessions are delivered over 6 weeks. They offer the opportunity to develop a range of skills that can support with relaxation, stress reduction and improved sleep. Come and join us to explore guided meditations, visual imagery, breathing techniques and much more. These sessions are available to anyone with a progressive health condition, their families and carers or anyone experiencing bereavement

Mindful Movement

Mindful Movement sessions use breathwork techniques alongside gentle movements to evoke deep relaxation. Incorporating tai Chi and Pranayama yoga. Designed to relax both the body and the mind. Both chair-based sessions and yoga mat sessions are available. These sessions are available to anyone with a progressive health condition, their families and carers or anyone experiencing bereavement.

Chair Based Exercise sessions

We offer weekly Chair-based exercise sessions. The sessions focus around gentle exercises that increase strength, support with fitness and help with symptom management. The sessions are relaxed and fun with the opportunity to meet people and socialise over a drink and light refreshments. These sessions are open to anyone with a progressive health condition.

Fatigue Anxiety and Breathlessness support groups (FAB)

FAB sessions run for 2 hours once a week for 6 weeks. The sessions are designed to support anyone managing a progressive health condition who may be experiencing Fatigue Anxiety of Breathlessness. The sessions offer the opportunity to develop skills and techniques to support you with symptom management whilst staying active and having the opportunity to meet with other people with similar experiences.

Our sessions run from Our Community Hub in Barrow and from St Mary’s Hospice in Ulverston. Some of our sessions are being offered of an evening

Creative Arts and Wellbeing Support Group

This group meets every Monday afternoon from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM at St Mary’s Hospice Community Hub. It provides a creative and supportive space for individuals living with life-limiting conditions. The group aims to offer therapeutic benefits, promoting wellbeing and relaxation, while also providing opportunities to meet new people and socialize.

Following an assessment, you will be invited to attend eight sessions.

Grieving through Art Group

Our ‘Grieving through Art’ group meets every Monday morning from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM. This group aims to provide therapeutic benefits, promoting wellbeing and relaxation while offering an opportunity to connect with others who are also experiencing loss.

No artistic skills are necessary to join; all are welcome regardless of experience. Following an assessment, you will be invited to attend eight sessions designed to support you through your grief journey.

Complementary Therapies

Complementary therapies are considered an integral part of our holistic care. St Mary’s provides a wide range of complementary therapies to help patients, their families and carers, who may be experiencing feelings of stress or anxiety around a diagnosis, the illness itself and those who may be bereaved.

Our complementary therapy team can offer a range of 1:1 and group therapy sessions and complementary therapy are available at any point from diagnosis.

 

Mindfulness

Our mindfulness sessions are delivered over 6 weeks. They offer the opportunity to develop a range of skills that can support with relaxation, stress reduction and improved sleep. Come and join us to explore guided meditations, visual imagery, breathing techniques and much more. These sessions are available to anyone with a progressive health condition, their families and carers or anyone experiencing bereavement

Mindful Movement

Mindful Movement sessions use breathwork techniques alongside gentle movements to evoke deep relaxation. Incorporating tai Chi and Pranayama yoga. Designed to relax both the body and the mind. Both chair-based sessions and yoga mat sessions are available. These sessions are available to anyone with a progressive health condition, their families and carers or anyone experiencing bereavement.

Chair Based Exercise sessions

We offer weekly Chair-based exercise sessions. The sessions focus around gentle exercises that increase strength, support with fitness and help with symptom management. The sessions are relaxed and fun with the opportunity to meet people and socialise over a drink and light refreshments. These sessions are open to anyone with a progressive health condition.

Fatigue Anxiety and Breathlessness support groups (FAB)

FAB sessions run for 2 hours once a week for 6 weeks. The sessions are designed to support anyone managing a progressive health condition who may be experiencing Fatigue Anxiety of Breathlessness. The sessions offer the opportunity to develop skills and techniques to support you with symptom management whilst staying active and having the opportunity to meet with other people with similar experiences.

Our sessions run from Our Community Hub in Barrow and from St Mary’s Hospice in Ulverston. Some of our sessions are being offered of an evening

Creative Arts and Wellbeing Support Group

This group meets every Monday afternoon from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM at St Mary’s Hospice Community Hub. It provides a creative and supportive space for individuals living with life-limiting conditions. The group aims to offer therapeutic benefits, promoting wellbeing and relaxation, while also providing opportunities to meet new people and socialize.

Following an assessment, you will be invited to attend eight sessions.

Grieving through Art Group

Our ‘Grieving through Art’ group meets every Monday morning from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM. This group aims to provide therapeutic benefits, promoting wellbeing and relaxation while offering an opportunity to connect with others who are also experiencing loss.

No artistic skills are necessary to join; all are welcome regardless of experience. Following an assessment, you will be invited to attend eight sessions designed to support you through your grief journey.

Complementary Therapies

Complementary therapies are considered an integral part of our holistic care. St Mary’s provides a wide range of complementary therapies to help patients, their families and carers, who may be experiencing feelings of stress or anxiety around a diagnosis, the illness itself and those who may be bereaved.

Our complementary therapy team can offer a range of 1:1 and group therapy sessions and complementary therapy are available at any point from diagnosis.

 

How can I refer to the Living Well Team?

The Living Well Team can accept referrals from patients themselves and any health and social care professionals.
Referrals can be made via Strata or completing our referral form. Completed forms can be emailed to LivingWellTeam@stmaryshospice.org.uk or posted to:

Living Well Team
Living Well Centre
229 – 301 Duke Street
Barrow in Furness
Cumbria
LA14 1XU

We can take referrals over the phone, please contact the team on 01229 444407 to talk this through or find out more information.

 

Thank you

As with many of our services, in addition to community generosity the Living Well Programme has been funded through the support of grant giving trusts and foundations. Both the Walney Extension Community Fund and the Frieda Scott Charitable Trust enabled the adaptation of Living Well Service delivery during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the purchase of tablets to support remote delivery funded through a Cumbria County Council Community Grant.
We are grateful for the financial support we receive towards service delivery and for the vital funds to replace much needed equipment or purchase new technology in order to provide an enhanced level of care.

In the last year The Medicash Foundation have funded a Stand Aid for the Living Well Centre supporting patients with reduced mobility to stand and transfer to a wheelchair or therapy couch. The Roselands Trust have funded a Raizer II Emergency Lifting Chair enabling staff to help a patient should they experience a fall to get back up into a chair or onto their feet. Both pieces of equipment enhance the care we can provide to patients and ensure our nursing team is supported in the best way possible.

In addition to the trusts and foundations who have supported our Living Well Programme over the past year, we would like to say a huge thank you to all the trusts and foundations who have enabled us to continue to provide the best possible care in many ways to our community, those listed below and those who choose to remain anonymous:

CRASH, Sir john Fisher Foundation, David Snowdon Trust, Herd and Muriel Lawson Trust, The Hadfield Trust, BAE Systems, The Masonic Foundation, Herd Lawson and Muriel Lawson Charitable Trust, Taylor Newton and Hibbert Charity, The Co-op Community Fund, Morrisons Foundation, Town Lands Trust, The Albert Hunt Trust, Ulverston Town Council. Ulverston CGP Trust. The Harold and Alice Bridges Charity.