Our Living Well service is designed to help patients living with an advanced or terminal illness, and those closest to them, to manage the impact of their illness, cope with changes, improve wellbeing and remain as independent as possible.
If your health deteriorates and you need our support, please contact our Advice & Referral Team on 01252 729440 or PTH.adviceandreferral@nhs.net
The Living Well service empowers people living with an advanced or terminal illness and their families and carers, to adapt to their lives, with dignity, and provides an acute support system to help them anticipate and cope with changes resulting from deteriorating health.
Our clinical nurse specialists and doctors may be the first point of contact that you have with us, which may be by phone, video or face-to-face visit.
The Living Well team is made up of specialist palliative care professionals including doctors, nurses and health care assistants, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, complementary therapists, psychologists, counsellors, patient & family advisors, dietitians and chaplains, who together provide a range of medical and therapeutic services to promote physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. It is about what matters to the patient, and their carers and families, working towards goals and supporting the development of skills, knowledge and confidence, so people can live as fully as possible until they die.
We support patients in their own homes, through phone calls and home visits, and at the Beacon Centre, where we offer individual sessions and support groups. These relaxed and friendly groups run over several weeks and cover a range of topics. We will monitor progress with each patient and, once the therapeutic outcomes have been achieved, they may be discharged from the Living Well service. However, if things change, we are here for them to turn to again. Our Living Well services are all offered free of charge to you and your family and carers.
We work in partnership with our colleagues inside Phyllis Tuckwell, and our NHS partners outside, to ensure that patients can access the support they need, knowing it is joined up with other aspects of their lives and care. Our Living Well service works in harmony with our In-Patient Unit and Hospice Care at Home services.
We recognise that it is important to support carers and families too. Some activities are for patients and carers to attend together, and others are for carers only.
Phyllis Tuckwell then continue to support families into bereavement.
In addition to support at home, we offer two programmes, run at the Beacon Centre in Guildford. Both programmes are made up of eight weekly sessions, which are held on a rolling basis. Patients who are assessed and would benefit from our service will be invited to join at any time within the programme and still complete all eight sessions. Up to ten patients can attend each session and each person will follow the rolling programme, so you will be able to chat to and get to know each other over the course of the eight weeks.
Sessions are two hours long, with an hour-long talk and discussion on that week's topic, and 30 minutes before and after this main session when you will be able to see our doctors, nurses, therapists and Pastoral Care team, socialise with other patients and have some refreshments. Each session covers a different topic and they all link with each other to form a comprehensive basis for supporting you as you live every day with your illness. They will also give you the opportunity to meet others and make new friends, share tips and advice, and receive individual care from our staff. It is therefore important that you attend every session, if you can, even if you don't think it's relevant to you. The eight sessions cover the following topics:
Introduction to Living Well and Rehabilitation
This session explores how the support we provide can help you to stay mobile and active, and enable you to continue living your daily life. We'll explain what you can expect from the Living Well with Illness programme and find out what things matter to you the most, so that we can set some realistic goals for you to work towards over the coming weeks.
Managing your Mood
In this session we will discuss the various ways in which physical illness can affect your mood. We will help you to understand the emotions which you may experience as you adjust to your illness, and discuss strategies that can help you adapt and maximise your emotional wellbeing.
Improving Sleep
In this session we will discuss normal and abnormal sleep patterns, and the impact of daily routines and circadian rhythms on your sleep. We look at how sleep can be affected by age and illness, discuss your expectations of sleep and sleep problems, and look at some simple changes and techniques which may help you to improve your sleep.
Managing Fatigue
Fatigue is different from feeling tired. We look at why people can feel fatigued, and the difference between chronic and acute fatigue. We also discuss ways in which you can manage fatigue, conserve and improve your energy levels, and make the most of the energy that you do have.
Remaining Active
This session highlights some of the benefits of keeping moving. With tips and advice, we'll help you manage breathlessness, remain active and stay motivated.
Food and Nutrition
It's important to understand the role of nutrition and hydration on physical health and mental wellbeing. These sessions provide insight into the nutritional content of food, offering you dietary tips on mood, sleep, weight stabilisation and the management of symptoms which may affect your eating and drinking habits.
Living with Illness
This session looks at the practical and emotional challenges that can be faced when trying to adjust to illness. We'll explore strategies and sources of support that can help you to make those adjustments and enhance your quality of life when living with a long-term illness.
Wellbeing Session and Assessment
At this sessions, the Living Well team will assess your ongoing needs and plan your ongoing care. It is also an opportunity for you to socialise with others in a similar situation.
Sessions are two hours long, with an hour-long talk and discussion on that week's topic, and 30 minutes before and after this main session when you will be able to see our doctors, nurses, therapists and Pastoral Care team, socialise with other patients and have some refreshments. Each session covers a different topic and they all link with each other to form a comprehensive overview of creativity. They will also give you the opportunity to meet others and make new friends, share tips and advice, and receive individual care from our staff. It is therefore important that you attend every session, if you can, even if you don't think it's relevant to you. The eight sessions cover the following topics:
Therapy Through Nature
This gardening session will focus on the therapeutic benefits of nature, and the physical and sensory skills that you will use to complete a gardening task, such as potting up a planter or creating a flower basket, for example. Engaging in this type of activity can give a wonderful sense of achievement, and an enjoyment of the hope and living legacy that nature gives us.
Aromatherapy - Lotions and Potions
This workshop will give you an understanding of what Aromatherapy is, how it is used at Phyllis Tuckwell and the ways in which it can ease many of the symptoms that you may be experiencing. Using therapeutic essential oils in creams and nasal inhalers, we will make products which you can take home with you to help support your physical and emotional wellbeing.
Positive "Moments in a Bottle"
In these sessions, you will be asked to recall positive moments, which we will help you to record in words and pictures, so that you can create a visual record of them which you can look back on, to support your emotional wellbeing and lift your mood when you are feeling down or going through a challenging time.
Soothe and Calm
The aim of this session is to discuss how complementary therapies and essential oils can help various symptoms, such as insomnia, shortness of breath, anxiety and numbness in the hands or feet. We will finish with a guided relaxation.
Tracks of your Years
Prior to this group you will be sent a letter, asking you for any songs or pieces of music which have significance for you or bring back memories. We will play everyone's songs in the group, and all will be invited to share why they chose these particular songs. The aim of this is to bring to mind forgotten memories through music.
Mindfulness with Clay
Clay is a very tactile, soothing and therapeutic medium to work with, and is easy to make into simple sculptures. Working with it can improve your mood, calm your anxiety and awaken your creativity. Combined with mindfulness, which encourages you to focus on the present moment, it can help you to explore your creativity and improve your wellbeing.
Confidence Through Cooking
At this session you will be able to take part in a cooking activity, regardless of your physical ability or previous knowledge. During the session you'll learn practical ways in which you can continue to cook at home, and will be given a Take Home Bag. The session will help boost confidence, and you'll be able to socialise with others in the group and talk about your past experiences of food.
Wellbeing Session and Assessment
At this sessions, the Living Well team will assess your ongoing needs and plan your ongoing care. It is also an opportunity for you to socialise with others in a similar situation.
In addition to our Living Well with Illness and Creative programmes, we also offer individual therapeutic sessions:
Our drop-in coffee afternoons are an opportunity for you to socialise with other patients and have some refreshments. They also offer a friendly and informal way for people who have not yet been referred to our care, to find out more about the services that we offer, meet some of the team, and see our Beacon Centre building. They take place on the first and third Thursday of every month, from 1.30-3pm. There is no need to book - just drop in!
A four-week programme to help you and your carer to learn gentle exercises and breathing techniques, and receive advice on relaxation techniques and psychological strategies.
This 8-week course is for patients who are keen to do more activity and would benefit from physiotherapy guidance to get started on the journey. It introduces a variety of ways to exercise and advice on keeping active, tailored to the individual.
This practise involves a series of gently flowing movements, combined with breathing control. The aim is to promote mobility of the upper limbs, calm the mind and settle the breath.
This is a gentler version of standing yoga, emphasising a more passive type of flexibility with the support of your chair. Combined with a guided meditation, this can help bring feelings of calm and wellbeing, connecting the body, mind and breath, to achieve balance and harmony.
Our pamper days offer patients relaxing complementary therapies such as massage and reflexology, and treatments such as manicures, pedicures and haircuts. They run from 11am - 3pm and include lunch. We offer both ladies' and men's pamper days, and at the end of each session all who attended are given a goodie bag to take home, containing items such as body lotions, shower gels and relaxation nasal inhalers. If you are interested in coming along to one of these wonderfully relaxing days, please speak to a member of the team.
We offer patients and carers the opportunity to come along together to the Beacon Centre, to receive complementary therapies and advice from our Living Well team. These sessions, held on Fridays, also offer patients and carers the opportunity to meet and socialise with others in a similar situation.
As well as offering pamper days to our patients, we also offer them to our patients' carers too. It can be hard looking after a loved one who is ill, and it's important for carers to take some time out for themselves. Meeting others who are also caring for a loved one can provide important peer support and let carers know that they are not alone. At these pamper days, carers will be treated to relaxing complementary therapies such as massage and reflexology, treatments such as manicures, pedicures and haircuts, lunch, and a goodie bag to take home. To find out more, please speak to a member of the team.
At these sessions we invite carers to meet our patient and family advisors, and get information on how we can support them with practical advice. They take place every Friday, from 11am - 12pm at the Beacon Centre, and virtual appointments are available to those who are unable to attend.
We offer carers the opportunity to socialise wih other carers, have some refreshments and meet some of the team. They take place on the second Thursday of every month, from 1.30-3pm at the Beacon Centre.
Our carers programme offers advice and support to the carers of our patients, in an informal environment where they can meet other carers, share experiences and find peer support. The group meets virtually on Tuesday mornings, over six weeks, and each week covers a different topic. These include subjects such as resources for carers, managing relationships, coping strategies, and what to expect when someone is dying. There are plenty of opportunities for carers to ask questions and share their thoughts, during the sessions.
Our ARTscape art group is held at the Beacon Centre on Monday afternoons for two hours. One hour 1-2-1 art therapy sessions are also available on request.
A memory box is a way of creating a legacy of who you are and what is important to you, for you to give to your loved ones. It can contain thoughts, souvenirs, photos, stories, and items which are special to you. Each memory box is unique to the individual who created it, and your memory box will be a lasting representation of you and your life, and how you would like to be remembered.
Some patients find it helps them to gain a new sense of purpose through telling another person the story of their life. We work with the Hospice Biographers charity to offer you the opportunity to tell your story to one of their specially trained volunteers. The biographer will record your 'audio-biography' and copy it to two USB sticks, for you to keep.
If you would like to speak to someone from our Pastoral Care team or one of our Chaplains, we can arrange this for you. They can talk with you about matters that are important to you, or put you in touch with a local faith community if you would like. If you are a Christian and have not been able to attend church or receive Holy Communion recently, we can arrange this for you.
Sometimes it's hard to tell our loved ones how we feel. There may be things which we would like to say to them, but we just can't find the right time, or the right words. And sometimes there are things we want to say which we really want them to remember, and to hold on to once we are no longer there to say them again. Some of our patients choose to write letters to their loved ones, to tell them how much they care about them and to give them something to keep and treasure for years to come. If this is something you would like to do, a number of our staff have experience of helping patients to write letters. If you would like to, you can meet with one of them. They can discuss your thoughts with you and write down what you would like to say, and then type it up for you. If you are sturggling to find the right words, they can help you with this too. "I had no idea that there was someone who could help me do such an impossible task so well and so eloquently." - one of our patients.
If you have thoughts about your funeral, or questions about what might or might not be possible, our Pastoral Care team of Chaplains can help. They have experience of working with patients to discuss their ideas, and can also make a record of them so that they can be passed on to family or loved ones. Bereavement care continues for families through our First Steps and Second Steps programmes.
Our Hospice at Home team gives patients, their families and carers, access to high quality, compassionate care in the place they most want to be... at home or in their care home.
We support families and carers, enabling them to find time and space for themselves and learn practical ways of coping with being a carer.
Whether you're a patient of Phyllis Tuckwell or a carer or relative, talking to a counsellor or clinical psychologist could help make sense of any worries you may have.
All our services are free, but this is only possible due to the generosity of our amazing community. The Government/NHS only provide 25% of our costs, so we need to raise over £25,000 every day to provide our vital services.
Please donate what you can to help keep hospice care available to all those in our community who need us.
