Helping you to make small changes to your lifestyle to improve your quality of life and become more independent.
Living Well
The Living Well service helps adults improve their health, wellbeing and independence over a set period of time. We work with people who are experiencing a range of different situations including those who are isolated, bereaved, lacking confidence or who are close to needing health and social care services.
Living Well works alongside:
public health services in North Yorkshire
voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations
People who can benefit from the Living Well service
The service works with those over the age of 18 who are currently not eligible for ongoing social care support and who:
are lonely and / or socially isolated
have had a recent loss of a support network, including bereavement
have had a loss of confidence due to a recent change /event
require support with employment
require face-to-face information, advice and guidance
This includes older people, or people with physical or learning difficulties, sensory impairment or mental health needs.
People who may not be able to use Living Well
There are some people who may not use the Living Well service, including:
people who have been assessed as having ongoing care and support needs
people who are already receiving a health or social care service
If you appear to need the service repeatedly, you may instead need long-term or different support.
What our Living Well coordinators do
As we offer a personalised service, what the coordinators do varies with each person.
Coordinators will spend time talking to you to:
identify what is important to you, and what your priorities are
identify what potential networks of support you have and can access
help you identify what changes you would like to make to improve your lifestyle and home environment
identify barriers and challenges to improve your wellbeing and independence, and help to adapt to those barriers for example, finding ways for you to attend a local community group
help you to achieve your goals
Living Well coordinators are also very knowledgeable about the provision and services within your local area and can direct you to these where required.
Case studies
The following case studies show how Living Well has worked with people to improve their lives:
Gill - a carer for her husband
Gill cares for her husband, Simon, who had a major stroke after developing Lyme’s disease. She provides daily support including:
getting Simon washed and dressed
preparing his meals
running the household
running their business which they used to manage together
Although they have adjusted to their new roles, this has affected Simon’s mental health and has caused Gill stress.
Gill has a good caring routine for Simon and is able to find time for herself going to the gym every morning before Simon wakes up. She also relies on residential respite care a few times a year so she can have a proper rest.
Support provided by Living Well
After Gill contacted us, Living Well provided the following support:
applied for a carer’s grant for £200 so Gill could continue to access her gym – this is an important part of her self-care to enable her to continue in her carer’s role
signposted them to a range of services and groups to help with Simon’s mental health and to provide social support for the couple - this included Carers Plus groups, Age UK Independent Living services, Home from Hospital, NHS Better Health and fitness studio
helped with finding another respite provider after their provider withdrew their service. As well as providing Gill with an online carer’s directory, we helped Gill to make phone calls to check providers’ availability. We also referred Simon for a Care Act assessment to reflect the changes in his needs over the last few years and to provide an up-to-date support plan for a new provider
checked that Gill had a registered Carer’s emergency card and talked about her contingency plans if she was unable to care for Simon
Gill now feels more supported and this has had a big impact on her emotional wellbeing. She is now aware she can contact the service again if her circumstances change to gain access to more advice.
Chris - living with dementia
Chris is a 29 year old with autism who wanted to find a job.
Support provided by Living Well
Living Well referred Chris to a number of organisations, including:
Route One to Wellness for music, singing and coaching lessons – they worked on his body language, voice control and anxiety
links to casting agencies for extras and voice work, as well as online resources to develop his acting and presentation skills
As a result, Chris has become more self-confident, learnt how to get to places independently on public transport, and has become more patient. He has secured many interesting minor acting roles and one prominent character role, as well as streamlining video music and voice content online. This work has enabled him to buy gifts for family and friends, and has made him happier and more confident.
Jenny - debt issues
Jenny was referred to Living Well for support with her finances by her doctor. She works part time but is struggling to make her wages last. This has caused her to get into debt, with people now chasing her for money. This is causing Jenny stress and anxiety. She also has back problems as her bed is broken.
Support provided by Living Well
Living Well provided the following support:
referred Jenny to our Income maximisation team to see if there were any relevant benefits she could receive
introduced Jenny to Resurrected Bites, a community group that helps with food poverty – Jenny now does her weekly shopping through them which greatly reduces the cost of her food bill
referred her to Christians Against Poverty who helped her consolidate the debt into affordable monthly amounts. They also became the first point of contact for companies who Jenny owed money to so that it took pressure away from her
helped Jenny get a new bed through the North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund
introduced her to stress management and self care day courses
As a result of this support, Jenny now feels less stressed and more in control of her life.
Get support from Living Well
You can refer yourself to Living Well directly.
You can also ask for support from Living Well on behalf of someone else. You must have asked for the person's consent before you contact us. Those that can ask for referral include:
family
friends
professionals
neighbours
Our telephone advisors will talk through the situation with you and decide what to do next. This could be getting support through Living Well, or it could be another service such as social care.
