We know that when you’re affected by a serious illness you will have your own wellbeing and support needs, whether you’re a patient, carer or family member. The Living Well service is here to support you and to help you find ways to enhance your wellbeing, which we hope, in turn, will enable you to live your life in a happier, more fulfilling way.

What is Living Well?

The aim of Living Well is to enhance the wellbeing of people affected by a progressive incurable illness. Wellbeing means different things to different people and so we offer a programme of varied support and activities. We are currently running twice weekly face-to-face groups and once a month online group.

Please note, that to access any of our support we will require you to register with the service (please see below).

These are the activities we are currently running: 

• Adapted exercises, eg tai chi and tripudio flow
• Art, craft and photography
• Breathlessness group
• Carers Support group 
• Hand massage 
• Living Well get together online (monthly)
• Mindfulness 
• Reflections 
• Relaxation 
• Singing for the Soul
• Visits from Oxford Museum (bi-monthly)

The Living Well service is run by a multi-professional team across both Katharine House and Sobell House hospice sites. The team includes nurses, doctors, health care assistants, chaplains, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, a music therapist and an art therapist as well as a team of volunteers. 

Five ways to wellbeing

We work with the established five ways to wellbeing to help support you. Trying these things could help you to feel more positive and get the best out of life. The five ways are:

• Connect with other people
• Be physically active
• Take notice
• Learn new skills
• Give to others

Find out more in the Five ways to wellbeing centre.

The EPiC Resource Centre

We have created an information hub for all matters concerning end-of-life and palliative care, including topics to support you:

• if you have been diagnosed with an incurable illness
• if you're caring for someone with an incurable illness
• if you're wondering what financial support might be available for you. 

Find out more about the EPiC Resource Centre

Eligibility to attend our Living Well services

Living Well is open to adults over the age of 18 who:

• have a progressive, life-limiting illness
• have a GP within the Katharine House Hospice and Sobell Hospice catchment area
• are independent with their mobility and personal care needs. If they are not independent with these needs, a carer will need to attend with them and will be expected to attend to these needs
• have needs that can be met by the programme offered

or

• are a carer to a person with a progressive life-limiting illness from within our catchment area with needs that can be met by the programme offered.

Referring to Living Well

New referrals are now being welcomed by the Living Well team. This may be a self-referral or a referral from a healthcare professional.

Self-referral

Please contact us to arrange an initial assessment to establish your suitability for the Living Well service.

Either fill in our registration form below, email [email protected] or leave a message for our service administrator on 01295 228500.

Click for our registration form

External health professional referrals 

If you would like to refer a new patient to us, please complete the Living Well referral form, which is an editable pdf.

Download the Living Well referral form

Once complete, please email it to [email protected] and in the subject area type FAO Living Well Administrator.

Internal health professional referrals 

These can be sent via an internal referral form on EPR. The referrer should also email the Living Well Team at [email protected] to advise that a referral has been made. 

Following referral, you will be contacted by a member of the Living Well Team where you will be provided with further information about the service and may be offered an appointment for an assessment. We will try to find out what is important to you and how we can support you and meet your needs. Together, we will plan a programme of activity developed to specifically meet your needs.

Partnership with the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH)

We work in partnership with the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH). For more information see our What we do page.

Katharine House Hospice

• To find out more about the work we do, read What we do or explore our services.
• To explore fundraising events, visit our What's On page.
• To receive regular news about development at the hospice and ways to support us, please sign up to our digital newsletter.