HOPE LODGE: A HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Kelley McLaughlin was our first Oncology Resource Coordinator for Social Services. Below, she talks about a very special resource for cancer patients.

On a Friday afternoon last fall, a social worker from upstate New York called to inform me that a 22 year old woman with a brain tumor was coming to Boston in four days for a 10 week cycle of radiation at the Harvard Cyclotron Lab. Panic set in as the social worker informed me that this woman needed lodging but had no financial means to pay for a hotel or transportation.

To ensure the woman had accommodations when she came to Boston, I arranged for a temporary stay in a private home through the Hospitality Program. Considering she came from a very rural area in NY and was quite frightened by the prospect of city life, I wanted to make arrangements that would be supportive, nurturing and comforting to her. The American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge fit the bill. This home in Worcester opens its doors to MGH Oncology patients and families to provide them with daily transportation to and from the hospital, a comfortable and private living space, and the warmth and sense of community and support that is invaluable during a medical crisis.

Although rooms were not immediately available, the staff at Hope Lodge leapt into action on behalf of our patient. Within four days of her arrival the woman had a room in Hope Lodge. During her two-month stay, the woman became very close to the other patients staying at the Hope Lodge. They had dinner together every night, went to the movies on the weekend, commiserated, and, in their own words, became a "family." As there is no charge for staying at Hope Lodge, it was both a social and financial lifesaver for this patient without any monetary resources.

For more information about Hope Lodge or for referrals for cancer patients in need of affordable accommodations or medical transportation, call our Oncology Resource Specialist at x6-7664.

4/98