Welcome to the St Barnabas House Blog

Please help us keep on caring this winter

As hospices across the country face ongoing financial challenges, and many face heartbreaking decisions about care, CEO Stuart Palma shares our call for support this winter and our determination to be here for Sussex families for many more years to come.

How does a hospice social worker support families?

"We’re here for the family in a very holistic way, so we can also provide general advice and support. That can be as diverse as helping with housing, going into schools and helping facilitate difficult conversations."

St Barnabas House hospice will continue to be here for patients and families

Despite difficulties across the hospice sector, we're committed to being there for our patients.

What makes our charity shops so special?

Often the unsung heroes of the hospice sector, retail teams play an important role in raising awareness and vital funds to support the continued delivery of hospice care. We take a look at two of our successful charity shops and the friendly faces behind the tills.

Help with sleeplessness when you’re receiving palliative care

We share some of our top tips for sleeping and relaxation if you're living with a life-limiting illness.

Looking back over 50 years of loving hospice care

St Barnabas House opened in 1973 and fifty years on, the support from our local community has helped care for more than 45,000 local people and their loved ones.

What to expect when visiting a hospice

We want you to know what to expect when visiting St Barnabas House, and hopefully settle your nerves.

Working with our artist in residence

"Art is all about enjoying something and having a sense of ‘yes I can’, not ‘I can’t’. It can be very empowering. The art room is all about giving you time and skills when you might feel like everything else is taken away from you."

Meet Betty – the service dog putting a smile on everyone’s face

Each visit to a hospice patient is tailored to their needs. Some of our patients and family members might want to have Betty visit them in their room to cuddle and fuss over her.

The importance of our patient gardens

We try to encourage nature as much as possible into our gardens, people often comment on how lovely it is to look out their windows and see and hear wildlife.

Art and storytelling at the hospice

" I have often heard ‘I can’t paint, I can’t draw’, and that may be the case, but it does not mean you are not creative. Everyone has a story to tell"