Respite care

We provide respite care for terminally ill young people up to the age of 27 and their families, who can stay with us for at least 28 days a year. Our specially trained and qualified staff provide caring support to the families during the final stages of their child's life and beyond. Our guests come to the Sternenbrücke either because their parents have registered them over the phone, or they have been transferred by their paediatrician or a children's hospital.

During their stays, the families get to know the staff at the Sternenbrücke children’s hospice so that a relationship of trust can gently grow – this is important for the time in which the young people "walk over the rainbow to the stars".

We give special attention to the siblings, as they often do not receive enough time and energy day-to-day. Our educators, grief counsellors and volunteers offer intense and tailored support, providing hours of fun and, very importantly, care and attention. The focus, however, is always on the many quiet moments that "our" families breathe life into and on the time they can enjoy being in each other's company.