At Birmingham Hospice we have a Living Well Centre at both our Selly Park and Erdington sites. The Living Well Centre is about you
living well with your illness. We will help provide the opportunity for
you to explore aims, goals and wishes for the future.
Living Well Centre
Caring for you
Each centre offers a variety of programmes where you will learn how to cope with symptoms, take part in therapeutic activities and set realistic goals around what is important to you.
Joining us at these sessions offers you the opportunity to meet professionals who can provide support and expertise. We work in partnership with your GP, District Nurses and other members of the hospice’s Specialist Palliative Care Team.
Is the Living Well Centre for me?
If you have a life-limiting illness, then our Living Well Centre is open to you. A referral can be made by any supporting healthcare professional and forms are available via this website.
What weekly programmes do you offer?
- 12-week structured programme: The emphasis is on holistic rehabilitation, self-management, care planning and support. The day includes involvement in a peer support group and access to complementary therapy.
- Social group: People can attend this session for social interaction and peer support.
- Space to Breathe and Fatigue, Anxiety and Breathlessness (FAB) programmes: Providing education for breathlessness management.
- Dementia group: These sessions offer support for patients with an early diagnosis of dementia.
- Drop-in support days for patients and carers are also available weekly.
Food and drink
A selection of drinks and snacks will be available for you throughout the day and a meal will be provided at lunchtime. If you have any dietary requirements, please let us know so we can ensure we can cater for your needs.
Medication
Please bring any medication required with you to each visit. Our colleagues will need an up-to-date medication list to advise on any symptoms. You will be asked to sign an agreement taking responsibility for your medicines. If you need help with medication, please discuss this with the team. We do not have a medication stock in our Living Well Centres.
Transport
In much the same way as you would for a hospital appointment, the expectation is that you make your own way to our Living Well Centres. There is limited parking and disabled parking available at each site.
If required, you can call Ring and Ride 0330 053 8141 at least 24 hours before your journey. Or if you are unable to make your own way, we may be able to offer transport to and from our Living Well Centres thanks to a limited number of volunteer drivers.
Dementia Support
We offer a weekly Dementia Support Programme at our Erdington site every Friday. It is a nine week course for those with a recent diagnosis of dementia and we encourage their next of kin/carer to attend with them.
The sessions cover a range of educational topics and also include talks from expert speakers from Birmingham and Solihull NHS Foundation Trust and Alzheimer’s Society.
When attendees have finished the course they are invited to attend our monthly social drop-in group.
Complementary Therapies
At Birmingham Hospice we offer bespoke complementary therapies to aid and support emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing. We use a combination of modern and ancient techniques that are specially designed to be gentle with light pressure which complement traditional conventional treatments.
Everyone I’ve met here, whether they are a patient or a staff member, is so friendly and welcoming. For a few hours, I can forget about things. And when I’m not here, the hospice is only a phone call away if I need them.”
Chris Harper – Living Well Centre patient
All of our services are free of charge. Your donation makes a difference.
Donate
£20
Can buy a teddy bear with a recording of a loved one’s voice for a bereaved child to treasure as a keepsake
Donate
£53
Pays for a bereavement support session to help a family member cope with the loss of a loved one.
Donate
£84
Pays for a community nurse to visit someone at home, helping them manage their symptoms and coordinating their care.
Donate
£157
Covers the cost of a home visit from an Occupational Therapist to help people to be as independent as possible.