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.
Information about referrals
Following our announcement on Wednesday 22nd January 2025, that St Cuthbert’s Hospice has sadly been forced to make redundancies The Living Well Centre services have been reduced. The information below reflects the current level of service that we can provide.
When making a new referral please provide specific information about the needs of the patient you are referring and any specific intervention that is required. This will help us to triage patients appropriately.
Patients can be referred by any health care professional at any stage of diagnosis. Our care is free and available to adults in County Durham. If you’d like to discuss a referral please call 0191 386 1170 option 3.
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 guests attending Living Well Centre to learn about their individual needs and develop a personalised programme of support. This is usually for an initial 12 week period and is based on individual aims and goals.
Those attending can take part in a range of activities. These may help manage symptoms, improve mobility and independence. Guests can access therapeutic care and physiotherapy. Some sessions are one-to-one and others are delivered as part of a group. Once guests have achieved their goals our teams can help plan for continued care in the community.
It really isn't what you expect it to be like. Just give it a go. It's changed my life coming here, and could change yours for the better too.
The Sycamore Room is a large bright airy space with wooden floors, soft furnishings and lots of windows for natural light. We use this space for cognitive stimulation therapy and Namaste group 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. Natural light pours in from the large ceiling windows.
We have a dedicated gym space for gentle exercise groups.
We have treatment rooms for blood transfusions on a calm quiet space.
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.
Therapy groups currently on offer:
- 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.
- 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.
- Fatigue, Anxiety & Breathlessness (FAB) – an eight-week course led by our Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist, encouraging people to make positive changes to cope with tiredness, anxious feelings and feelings of breathlessness.
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.
Who can attend?
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.
Referral Form
To make a referral please download the form and return it to: NECNE.StCuthbertsHospiceReferrals@nhs.net
Referral-Form-Living-Well-Centre-at-St-Cuthberts-Hospice Jan 25 v2
Our coronavirus precautions
We ask visitors not to attend the Hospice if they are displaying symptoms of coronavirus. Any attendances would be rescheduled. For more information, please speak to Living Well Centre staff 0191 386 1170 option 3.
Contact us
If you would like more information about attending or would like to arrange to have a little look around, please contact 0191 386 1170 option 3. We’d love to hear from you.
