New Heart Failure Support Group for Rowans Hospice’s Living Well Services
Our Living Well Services are launching a new Heart Failure Support Group to support people living with heart failure in the community, thanks to the generous backing of a local funder.
Living with heart failure can be challenging. Alongside physical symptoms such as breathlessness and fatigue, many people experience anxiety, uncertainty about the future, and a loss of confidence or independence.
Because heart failure often follows an unpredictable path, people can miss out on ongoing emotional support and opportunities to talk openly about their needs, concerns, and future care. This new monthly group has been created to change that.
Building on what works
Over the past 18 months, the Living Well Services have worked in partnership with the NHS Heart Failure Team to deliver a one-off education and support session for people who are newly diagnosed with heart failure. These sessions, delivered by Danielle, Nurse from the NHS Heart Failure Team, with support from Rowans Hospice Living Well Services staff, have shown just how valuable education, shared understanding and peer connection can be at an early stage.
What became clear through this work was the importance of ongoing support. Many participants told us how helpful it was to meet others who truly understood what living with heart failure is like, and how much confidence they gained from having space to ask questions and share experiences.
I found it very beneficial to meet others in the same situation as myself and to listen to their symptoms and solutions, and the way they adapted their lives to live with their heart failure
In response to this need, the idea for a regular support group was born.
A space for ongoing support and peer connection
The Living Well Services Heart Failure Support Group is a follow-on group for people living with heart failure. Meeting monthly, the group will offer a welcoming and compassionate space for conversation, peer support and access to practical resources.
Sessions will be supported by Rowans Living Well Services, alongside a volunteer and a person with lived experience of heart failure.
Together, the group aims to help people to:
- Feel less isolated
- Build confidence in managing their condition
- Share experiences and coping strategies
- Access relevant services and support
- Begin conversations about future care at their own pace
Funded by a local funder
This project has been made possible by a £1,000 grant from a local funder, which will fully fund 12 sessions over the next year. The funding covers venue costs, facilitation and resources, allowing the group to grow into a sustainable and reliable source of support.
Reflecting on the impact of the funding, Jill Short, Living Well Services Manager at Rowans Hospice, shared:
Full funding for venue, clinical facilitation and resources transforms our original pilot sessions into a sustainable lifeline of connection, knowledge and reassurance for patients with heart failure. By partnering with the NHS, we bridge an existing service gap, starting earlier conversations about future care.
Helping people live well with heart failure
Heart failure is a life-limiting condition, but with the right support, people can continue to live meaningful, connected lives. By combining clinical expertise from the NHS with the compassionate, person-centred approach of Rowans Hospice Living Well Services, this group aims to empower individuals, reduce anxiety, and help people feel more in control of their choices and future
If you or someone you know is living with heart failure and would like to find out more about the Heart Failure Support Group, please contact the Rowans Living Well Services on lwc@rowanshospice.co.uk or 023 9224 8011.