Our wellbeing services
September 2020 - Due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, our hub and schedule of classes are not currently running, please call 01590 677198 for support and advice.
Being diagnosed with a life-limiting condition, or being frail and elderly can be difficult and lead to feelings of isolation. Oakhaven offers support to help you to come to terms with your diagnosis and provides practical advice on living with your condition. We offer a programme of activities and support groups, mainly held in the Coates Centre, that are aimed at helping you to live the best life possible, supported by our team of volunteers and staff.
The Coates Centre is open to everyone including our patients, their families, carers, friends and the general public. This wonderfully light building is a friendly and welcoming environment, where our volunteers will support you to make the most of your visit.
As well as activities within the Coates Centre our wellbeing services reach out into the community through social self-help groups such as the Widowed Friendship Club or into your home through our Hospice Neighbours volunteer support.
Articles from our Wellbeing blog
Outdoor Activities for Health and Wellbeing
By Karen Silverthorne Whatever you have going on in your life right now, it’s important to pay attention to your health and wellbeing. Looking after your physical needs can have a knock-on effect on your mental state and this can put you in a better position to help yourself and those around you. Exercise can […]
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Life After Lockdown- The ‘New Normal’
By Steph McClean, Psychotherapist We have been though a lot this year. 2020 has not turned out the way any of us could have possibly anticipated. We have had to tolerate crisis and change to almost every area of our lives. We find ourselves collectively on a path none of us have chosen, a path […]
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Anticipatory Grief – What Is It and How Do We Recognise It?
By Mette Nielsen, Counsellor. Every one of us will be experiencing the loss of a loved one during our lives. Some of us will be carers for a short or a long time due to illness or a life limiting condition. We may experience feelings and emotions which we find distressing and difficult to manage […]
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Planning for the Future: things to consider
By Karen Silverthorne It seems there are so many extra difficulties to face at the moment and the idea of making end-of-life plans may be something you find difficult. But by giving consideration to this now, it can lessen anxiety if you become unwell and can help those you are close to if you’re not […]
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Self Care in Bereavement
By Paula Noyce, Counsellor As a palliative, oncology and bereavement counsellor, some of the most common descriptions I hear used by those who have lived alongside loved ones through illness and death are, ‘completely drained’, ‘exhausted’, and the feeling of ‘running on empty’. It is the inevitable impact of being alongside a significant person, whether […]
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Facing Fear: How to Cope with Health Anxiety during the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Steph McClean, Psychotherapist Throughout life, most of us keep an eye on our health and wellbeing. However, there are times when we are more anxious about our health than others. It might be that we need to go back to our GP for a persistent issue, or we need tests or scans to see […]
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Having those Important Conversations about Dying and Death
By Paul Hatchard, Chaplain It’s the conversation no one wants to have isn’t it? In fact, in a survey conducted by the charity Dying Matters they found that 72% of the British public are uncomfortable discussing dying, death and bereavement. It’s true that it’s an uncomfortable subject – we’d rather not think about it. Yet […]
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How to support children and young people in the face of COVID-19
By Mette Nielsen, Counsellor Life has suddenly been turned up-side down for all of us and not least our children and young people because of the outbreak of Covid-19. Schools, colleges and universities have closed early. There may not be any transition preparations for going to the next stage for primary school children nor proms […]
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Missing the Moment: Self Isolating when a Loved One is Dying
By Steph McClean, Psychotherapist When we have a loved one who is being cared for at the end of life, the choices and decisions we make matter. A key part of palliative care is about helping people make informed decisions in advance if they can; for example about where they want to die and how […]
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How Mindfulness Can Help in Times of Crisis
By Paula Noyce, Counsellor and Mindfulness Practitioner Please don’t stop reading already, I am not going to be suggesting we ‘om’ ourselves through the next four months,,,, We are, indeed, living in a time of crisis unprecedented in our lifetimes and it is an extremely uncomfortable experience, whether we are frontline professionals or witnesses to […]
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