A TWO Rocks resident who opened her home to cancer patients about 18 months ago says many have found comfort in the free “home away from home”.
Jo Holding officially opened the Genesis CancerCare Lodge in late 2015, where people from rural WA can stay free while receiving treatment at Genesis CancerCare in Joondalup.
Ms Holding said she received payments through the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) for people who lived more than 100km from where they received treatment.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOW“I am trying to give a free home away from home to these unwell country people living away from home,” she said.
“All the people I have had stay have left feeling a lot better not having the stress of finding all the extra money to be able to get accommodation to be able to get the treatment they need.”
About 40 people have used the lodge since it opened, and, thanks to Genesis CancerCare subsidising vehicle costs, Ms Holding can transport patients between its medical facilities and the lodge.
People receiving treatment at other facilities could also stay at the lodge when any of the four rooms were available, although they need to pay $10 a night to cover the PATS gap and have their own transport.
Ms Holding is also a co-founder of the Two Rocks Yanchep Assisted Cancer Travels (TRYACT) group, which helps transport people to cancer treatment appointments.
For more information, call 0414 702 726.