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Family Accommodation

Various "live in" facilities are provided in each ward at the Sydney Children's Hospital for parents of sick children. Unfortunately, due to lack of space only one parent per child is able to sleep next to the child. On the ward, there is a fold-out bed beside each child's bed. 

The fee for staying on the ward is $8 per night (or $5 per night for pensioners and parents who are health care card holders). Parents who are experiencing financial difficulties and unable to afford these fees should talk with the Social Worker, who may be able to apply for a fee reduction or waiver on the parent's behalf. The fee to stay with your child is collected by the ward clerk on each ward. 

Keep in mind that accommodation expenses are reimbursable if you live 200 km away from the hospital (through the IPTAAS scheme - refer to the Social Work chapter for more information). If you have private health insurance then some insurers also will reimburse parents accommodation expenses. It is important to talk with your health insurance fund to assess whether you are eligible

The staff cafeteria is available for parents who require meals. As well as staying on the ward with your child there are also other accommodation options available to you and/or your family. For example, there are fold out beds on other wards (if your child had to go to another ward), there is Coulter House, Ronald McDonald House or if appropriate the Care By Parent Unit. Please speak to the ward clerk or Social Worker to discuss the accommodation options available or to book a bed/room for you. If there are more parents wishing to stay with their child on the ward, than there are beds available, then parents beds will be allocated on a priority basis

There is an alternative to sleeping next to your child and that is a parent may also stay in the parents' room which is set aside for parents on the ward, with a bathroom and toilet opposite the room. The same fees apply to sleeping in this room, as they do when sleeping in the fold out beds. However, if your child is unsettled and you want to sit in a chair next to the bed, no fee will be charged

Coulter House: 

This building was a nurses' home and can accommodate 2 members of a patient's family in single room settings. It has laundry and kitchen facilities. Each room costs $16 per night and meals are not included in the accommodation cost. Please let the nursing staff know your room number and nearest telephone number (phones are in the corridors) so that we can call you if your child needs you through the night. Coulter House is located within the hospital grounds and is approximately a 5 minute walk to the ward

Care By Parent Unit: 

In this unit, parents provide total care for their child. It is for those children who are not sick, but need continuing access to the hospital. This could be for radiotherapy treatment, occupational therapy, a series of investigations or tests or something similar. A registered nurse is on call during working hours between Monday - Friday

The motel-style rooms contain 2 single beds and cots (if necessary) with communal bathroom facilities. There is a separate kitchen, playroom, TV room, dining room and laundry for communal use. The "patient" and all family members occupying a suite are charged a fee per night. Meals are included, and all linen is supplied. If this type of accommodation is appropriate for you and your child, your doctor will arrange it for you

While in the Care By Parent Unit, a doctor can be contacted if the need arises. Ring the hospital switch on "9" and ask for the paediatric resident to be paged. The resident will ring you back and arrange to come and see your child

Ronald McDonald House: 

Ronald McDonald House was opened in 1994 and is specifically available for children and their families at Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick. It is located within the hospital grounds with the entrance to the house via Barker Street. The house consists of 20 rooms varying in size from 2 beds to 6 beds. There are 4 rooms with their own bathrooms, however, other rooms have share bathroom facilities. There are share kitchen, laundry, barbecue and playground facilities for all guests at Ronald McDonald House. Linen, blankets, etc are provided. 

Priority for admission to Ronald McDonald House is given to: newly diagnosed, relapsed and terminally ill children and their families; bone marrow transplant and other transplant patients and their families; country families and those from interstate or from overseas. The larger rooms with their own bathrooms are allocated to families where a child has recently had a bone marrow transplant due to the child needing to be isolated. The cost of each room is $30 per night. Families who live 200 km away from the hospital will have their accounts sent directly to IPTAAS. Families who live within Sydney and are having difficulty with their accommodation fees should consult the House Manager and/or a Social Worker. An information pamphlet about Ronald McDonald House is available through the Social Work Department

The Haematology/Oncology Flat 

Address: 3/14 Silver Street, Randwick, 2031; Telephone: 9398 4076

The flat offers comfortable fully self-contained, four person accommodation for families being cared for by the CCC&BD and whose child requires an extended hospital admission due to them having a transplant. The flat is located in the centre of Randwick shopping area, so that all services and facilities are within walking distance from the flat. The Haematology/ Oncology Unit is a 10 minute walk from the flat and the route to the flat is well lit at night

The provision of the flat and its maintenance are generously provided by the Children's Cancer Institute, Australia since July 1990, providing a unique service to families whose child requires an extended hospital admission

Eligibility: 

Priority of the flat is given to families where the following criteria exists:

  • A child is requiring an extended admission of a number of weeks and other accommodation options are either not available or are not appropriate for the family 
  • A child having a transplant and the family want to be together and have siblings close by 
  • Families who live interstate or overseas and their child is having a transplant and being cared for by the Unit 
Priority of the flat is determined by the Director of Department in conjunction with the Social Work Department

Bookings: 

The booking of the flat is the responsibility of the Paediatric Haematology/ OncologySocial Workers

Cost: 

The cost of the flat is $250 per week and those families who qualify for IPTAAS (Isolated Travel & Accommodation Scheme) are eligible for reimbursement of these costs through the scheme.

Families who meet the eligibility criteria but who may not be able to afford these costs, will still be eligible for the flat. The need for family privacy, comfort and respite from the hospital during stressful/extended admissions will be assessed as being far more important

If a family has difficulties with meeting the costs of accommodation, then they should discuss this with their Social Worker

Amenities & Services Available: 

The flat is on the second level of the building and contains: large lounge, two bedrooms, eat-in-kitchen, bathroom (bath with shower over bath) and carpeted throughout. The flat is fully furnished including: TV, one double bunk bed, double bed, wardrobes, table, chairs, sofa, crockery, cookware, utensils, fridge, freezer, iron and ironing board. Linen, blankets and towels are supplied but should be left clean at the end of each visit.

The laundry is located downstairs and tenants of the flat are asked to do their laundry only on Wednesdays. The washing machine is coin operated and uses two $1 coins each load. Washing lines are available and if this is not suitable, then there is a Laundromat in the Randwick shopping centre within walking distance

Garbage and recycling material needs to be put out on Monday nights, as collection is on early Tuesday mornings

The flat also comes with a lock-up garage, however, the body corporate requests that no cars are to be left parked in the driveway

Collection and Return of Keys: 

If families are arriving within working hours between Monday and Friday, then keys may be collected from the Children's Cancer Institute, Australia Office. The office is located in the Apex Building, on Level 1in the Sydney Children's Hospital

For families who are arriving out of business hours and/or weekends, then one of the CCC&BD Social  Workers will leave the keys for you on C2 West (The Haematology/Oncology ward)

On leaving the flat the keys should either be left at the Children's Cancer Institute office or if out of working hours or on weekends, then the keys should be left on the ward

Collection and return of keys should be discussed with the Social Worker prior to a family's arrival or departure

Other Information: 

A list of "Do's and Don'ts" is located behind the cupboard door in the kitchen of the flat, to assist families with information about the facilities and rules of the flat

No more than four people should be staying in the flat at any one time

Families are expected to leave the flat clean and tidy on their departure

If there are any concerns or difficulties with the accommodation with regard to breakages, breakdowns of machines, being locked out, etc. then please contact the Social Worker on 9382 1021/9382 1022

If none of these arrangements suit your needs, accommodation in the local area can be arranged with the help of the Social Worker. There are quite a few hotels and motels close by

If staying on the ward, then on arrival you will be shown where your bed is, the location of the bathroom and kitchen and general ward layout. Linen is supplied and laundered by the hospital


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