Home Away from Home: Cancer Treatment and Lodging Help

To save money, more and more procedures are performed today on an out-patient basis, often including same-day surgical care. On-going treatments, like radiation or chemotherapy, may not require overnight hospitalization, but usually involve a series of exhausting treatments for patients, especially if daily-round trips to the hospital are required.

Even when medical treatment is covered by insurance, living expenses are not. Families often cannot afford expensive hotels or motels. The National Association of Hospital Hospitality Houses, Inc. is a caring association of more than 150 nonprofit organizations located throughout the U.S. that provide family-centered lodging and support services to families and their loved ones who are receiving medical treatment far from their home communities.

To reduce healthcare costs, NAHHH member/houses offer inexpensive accommodations (usually $5 to $15, sometimes free) during hospitalizations, before and after surgery, and during repeated visits. For more information, check out www.nahhh.org