Hospital Hospitality House

[ken870]

bonnie black e-mailed me and said my parents could stay in the hospital hospitality house and i was wondering if anybodys relatives had stayed there and is it a good place to stay and what is the cost of staying there.

[all4family]

When my aunt was in a hospital with lung cancer they offered us a room.. It was just a room and bathroom, but it kept us there, and close. There was no charge for this room. I don't know if this is what you mean. It was very nice to have. Kept us all close.

Suzy

[MightyMouse]

They had something similar at a hospital I had surgery in... spare accomodations, and not free, but way less expensive than a hotel. I think it was about 30$ per evening.

Nina

[Sunfish]

hi ken -

my mom stayed there for much of the two weeks that i was research patient at vandy several years ago, as did i (with my mom) for two nights i believe after my discharge & prior to our flight home. all in all it was VERY nice; its current facility was very new when we were there so still not to old of a place. the organization is wonderful; to mention only a few (of many) things they have a shuttle to vandy (or for those who like & are able to walk it's not an impossible distance), many free resources at your disposal (food, laundry, toiletries, books/ movies, etc), wonderful staff & volunteers, some thrifty yet delicious eateries within walking distance, & all in all are there to make your visit as pleasant as possible.

here's their website which should provide you just about any & all info you might need or want, including pictures, policies, etc:http://www.hospitalhospitalityhouse.org/

if you're familiar with ronald mcdonald houses, hospitality house is a similar sort of thing but for adult patients &/or their families. in short they are designed to house & serve families from out-of-town who are related to or are themselves patients at one of several area hospitals (either as inpatients or outpatients).

re: cost, i did check the current info & they ask for a contribution of $20 per night per ROOM (each of which can include up to 3 people), though they don't turn anyone away for inability to pay; obviously $20/night is very little & nowhere near what it costs them to house people, particularly once you factor in that, amongst other things, many meals are provided. the only other "contribution" of sorts involves helping to clean the room/ bathroom that you stay in/ use while you're a guest.

the rooms are nice & clean and i'm pretty sure each has it's own private bathroom; one difference from a hotel is that bedrooms do not have TVs, though there are several community rooms/ lounges where there are TVs. there is a shared computer where people can check email or other info (though obviously not for hours on end since it's for all to share), a beautiful garden, a huge kitchen where you can cook yourself &/or with others &/or keep your own food &/or enjoy meals cooked by a variety of lovely volunteer groups who are signed up most if not every day for at least dinner (& who almost always leave leftovers galore for those who miss the initial serving).

last but not least, however, an important thing to note is that you CANNOT MAKE GUARANTEED RESERVATIONS. this is a policy that can be frustrating but is all but universal amongst any/ all similar housing programs at & around hospitals throughout the country. in practice what this means is that, while it is always a good idea to talk with them in advance & let them know when you expect to arrive, they can not hold/ reserve a room for you until you are actually there. this of course means that when you arrive there may not be an available room such that it is important to have another place to stay until a room opens up, something that could take anywhere from one day to much longer; while there is never a guarantee when we were there the guideline was that that MOST people received a room approximately 2-3 days after they arrived, though some were particularly lucky & got one immediately upon arrival whereas others unfortunately (and rarely) would have to wait a week or even more. often the staff &/or volunteers at the house are able to give you a good guess - though it is always still that - the day or two before your arrival of how long the wait might be, and they will always let you know the best way to stay in touch with them to ensure you get a room as soon as possible.

look over the website & don't hesitate to call them with any question you &/or your parents might have. they are used to it & that's what they are there for so are more than happy to help.

hope this helps,

melissa