Living Well pilot at Grove House

The team behind our Living Well service at Grove House is piloting a new format for the service; offering health promotion and education to local patients with progressive life-limiting illness. The first cohort of patients started the pilot course this month and is seeing great results. 

The new programme sees patients attend ten weekly sessions covering topics ranging from nutrition, fatigue management and mindfulness to advanced care planning. The aim of this new approach is to equip patients with information and tools to manage their illness as independently as possible and live well for longer.    

Outpatients senior staff nurse, Helen Hextall, explains:  

“We’re delighted to be trialling this new programme. With this pilot we’re able to support people at different stages of their illness, including some who may have only recently been diagnosed. There are a lot of misconceptions that hospice care is only relevant to people who are nearing the end of life but that’s not the case at all.   

“The course is very much tailored to each person’s individual needs. Patients meet with nurses one-to-one to set their own goals at the beginning of the ten weeks. These may relate to being able to work, keeping up their hobbies, or staying active during treatment. Goals are then reviewed at the mid-point and end of the course to make sure each person is getting as much out of it as they can.” 

Nigel is one of the patients in the pilot group. He said:  

“Everything about the course so far has been a great experience. I find it very rewarding and Grove House is a place where I feel really safe and supported. The staff are fantastic. If I have any issues, I know I can speak to the nurses for advice. 

“I also enjoy the peer support aspect of it and have a good chat and a laugh with the other people on the course. I’d say to anybody else thinking of signing up, give it a go – you won’t regret it!”