What is the Living Well Programme?
Living Well is a free group self-management programme. Self-management is what a person does every day to manage their long-term health condition. This may include making choices to improve your health such as becoming more active, eating more healthily and stopping smoking. It may also include more complex tasks such as taking medication, monitoring your symptoms, coping with the emotional aspects of the condition and communicating with healthcare professionals.
Living with a long-term health condition can be challenging, especially during COVID-19. The Living Well programme supports you to develop the skills which will help you to live well with a long-term health condition. The Living Well programme has proven to be effective in helping people to manage their health conditions better.
Living Well has been provided in Ireland for many years under a variety of names including: ‘Quality of Life’ (Donegal), ‘Self Care to Wellness’ (Mayo & Roscommon), ‘Better Health Better Living’ (Beaumont Hospital) and Living Well with Arthritis (Arthritis Ireland) to name a few.
Living Well Programme
- Living Well is a free group programme which runs in person or online for 6 weeks. There is one workshop each week which lasts 2.5 hours.
- Two trained leaders run the workshops each week. At least one of the leaders lives with a long-term health condition.
- People taking part in the workshops may have the same health condition as you. Others will have different health conditions. There will be up to 12 people taking part in the group.
- The workshops are delivered in a relaxed and friendly way so that all participants can learn from each other. You can also share experiences of living with your condition.
- Each person who takes part gets a book about self-management.
Who this programme is for
Living Well is for adults 18 years and over.
It is suitable for you if you are:
- living with one or more long-term health conditions
- caring for someone with a long-term health condition
Living Well is not suitable for people with significant memory or learning difficulties.
What is covered each week
A key part of Living Well is setting goals that you want to achieve. Each week you learn how to reach these goals by making an action plan. You also get support from the group to problem solve.
In addition, the following are covered over the 6 weeks:
Week 1
- Using your mind to manage symptoms
- Fatigue and getting a good night’s sleep
- Introduction to action plans
Week 2
- Dealing with difficult emotions
- Physical activity, exercise, preventing falls
Week 3
- Decision making
- Pain management
- Healthy eating
Week 4
- Breathing techniques
- Reading food labels
- Communicating skills
Week 5
- Medication management
- Positive thinking, dealing with low mood and feelings of depression
Week 6
- Making informed treatment decisions
- Planning for the future
Upcoming Living Well Programmes 2024
If you are interested in taking part in this programme or would like more information, please contact your local Living Well Team. They will make contact with you and let you know about the next available programme.
If your county is not listed please contact the team closest to you.
CHO 1
Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo
Date: Wednesday 24th April 2024 to Wednesday 29th May 2024
Time: 10.30am - 1pm
Location: Carrickmacross Workhouse, Shercock Rd, Mullanarry, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan. A81 E372
Date: Monday 13th May 2024 to Monday 1st July 2024
Time: 10.30am - 1pm
Location: Online (No Prog. on Bank Holiday Monday June 3rd 2024)
Date: Tuesday 21st May 2024 to Tuesday 25th June 2024
Time: 10.30am - 1pm
Location: Milford Presbyterian Hall, Milford, Co. Donegal. F92 YN88
Date: Tuesday 28th May 2024 to Tuesday 2nd July 2024
Time: 1.30pm - 4pm
Location: St. Joseph’s Pastoral Centre, Broad Road, Monaghan, Co. Monaghan. H18 VK77
Contact: Fiona Doherty
Phone: 087 180 0286
Email: livingwell.nw@hse.ie
CHO 2
Mayo, Galway, Roscommon
Date: Monday 8th April 2024 to Monday 20th May 2024
Time: 2.30 pm – 5 pm
Location: Letterfrack, Co Galway (No Prog. on Bank Holiday Monday May 6th)
Date: Thursday 25th April 2024 to Thursday 30th May 2024
Time: 10.30am - 1pm
Location: Family Resource Centre, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon
For information on upcoming programmes please contact:
Contact: Fiona Cunnane
Phone: 087 718 5615
Email: fcunnane@southmayo.com
CHO 3
Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary
Date: Monday 15th April 2024 to Monday 20th May 2024
Time: 2.30pm- 5pm
Location: Thurles, Co. Tipperary
Date: Tuesday 16th April 2024 to Tuesday 21st May 2024
Time: 10.30am to 1pm
Location: Caherconlish, Co. Limerick
Date: Friday 19th April 2024 to Friday 24th May 2024
Time: 10.30am-1pm
Location: Scariff, Co. Clare
Contact: Philip Hennessy
Phone: 087 179 9396
Email: philip.hennessy2@hse.ie
CHO 4
Cork, Kerry
There are currently no programmes scheduled.
Please contact the team in another area if you wish to attend.
Please note the Location as Programmes can be Online or In-Person.
Contact: Maeve Carmody
Email: Maeveh.carmody@hse.ie
CHO 5
Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow, South Tipperary
Date: Wednesday 24 April 2024 to Wednesday 5 June 2024
Time: 10.30am to 1pm
Location: Online
Date: Tuesday 30 April 2024 to Tuesday 4 June 2024
Time: 10.30am to 1pm
Location: Waterford City
Date: Thursday 23 May 2024 to Thursday 27 June 2024
Time: 10.30am to 1pm
Location: Community Resource Centre, Carrick On Suir, Co Tipperary
Date: Monday 10 June 2024 to Monday 15 July 2024
Time: 10am to 12.30pm
Location:Tomhaggard Social Centre, Co Wexford
Date: Monday 10 June 2024 to Monday 15 July 2024
Time: 1.30pm to 4pm
Location:Tomhaggard Social Centre, Co Wexford
Date: Wednesday 12 June 2024 to Wednesday 17 July 2024
Time: 10am to 12.30pm
Location: Carlow Town
Date: Wednesday 12 June 2024 to Wednesday 17 July 2024
Time: 2pm to 4.30pm
Location: Carlow Town
Please note the Location as Programmes can be Online or In-Person.
Contact: Matthew Power
Call: 087 498 8966
Email: livingwellse@hse.ie
CHO 6
Dublin South East, Dun Laoghaire, Wicklow
Date: Tuesday 9th April 2024 to Tuesday 21st May 2024
Time: 7pm - 9.30pm
Location: Online
Date: Thursday 18th April 2024 to Thursday 23rd May 2024
Time: 2pm – 4:30pm
Location: Clonskeagh Hospital Conference Room
Date: Wednesday 8th May 2024 to Wednesday 12th June 2024
Time: 10.30am – 1pm
Location: Greystones Family Resource Centre
Date: Tuesday 14th May 2024 to Tuesday 25th June 2024
Time: 10.30am – 1pm
Location: Online
Contact: Triona McNamee
Phone:087 405 3880
Email: LivingWellCHEast@hse.ie
CHO 7
Dublin South, Kildare & West Wicklow Community Healthcare
There are currently no programmes scheduled.
Please contact the team in another area if you wish to attend.
Please note the Location as Programmes can be Online or In-Person.
Contact: Mary-Rose Cunningham
Phone: 087 4320202
Email: maryrose.cunningham@hse.ie
CHO 8
Laois, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath, Louth and Meath
Date: Thursday 4th April 2024 to Thurday 9th May 2024
Time: 12.30 - 3.00pm
Location: Columb Barracks , Mullingar , Co Westmeath
Date: Tuesday 30th April 2024 to Tuesday 11th June 2024
Time: 10.30am-1pm
Location: Online
Contact: Aine McNamee
Phone:087 114 0371
Email:aine.mcnamee@hse.ie
CHO 9
Dublin North City and County
Date: Friday 5th April 2024 to Friday 10th May 2024
Time: 10.30am-1pm
Location: St Clares Integrated Care Hub, Griffith Avenue, Dublin 11
Date: Friday 3rd May 2024 to Friday 14th June 2024
Time: 10.30am-1pm
Location: Online
Date: Tuesday 28th May 2024 to Tuesday 9th July 2024
Time: 7-9.30am
Location: Online
Contact: Louise Potter
Phone: 087 780 5199 or 01 897 6171
Email: LivingWellDNCC@hse.ie
Podcast
To learn more about the Living Well Programme follow the link to this Podcast on our Health & Wellbeing You Tube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd9TXot-PzA
Living Well Podcast Poster (PDF, size 481.7 KB, 1 page)
Feedback on the programme
People who have done the programme say that they feel more confident and in control of their health. They also report that their mood has improved and they have better sleep.
HSE Health Matters Living Well Testimonial Winter 2022 (PDF, size 325 KB, 1 page)
"I met wonderful people with other illnesses and this made me feel ‘not alone’ which helped me emotionally.”
“It made me more aware of my habits and gave me the tools to make positive changes”
“My confidence has increased and I feel I am now able to manage my condition better”
Promotional Material
Living Well booklet Interactive (PDF, size 1.4MB, 2 pages)
Please contact your local coordinator for printed supplies of any promotional material.
Living Well is a Self–Management Resource Centre (SMRC) Evidence-Based Self-Management Program originally developed at Stanford University.
This project has received funding from the Government of Ireland’s Slaintecare Integration Fund 2019 under grant agreements 38, 78, 185, 219, 413, 418.
